Digitizing film and videotape is challenging in several aspects.
First, there are many formats of videotapes and films. If we are looking at videotapes, we can start with the oldest quadruplex videotapes, 2" formats, go through Type C and B 1" formats and Betacam 1/2" tapes and get to home video tapes like VHS, this is just a sampling of a whole range of historically existing videotapes. There are also many vintage film formats - 60mm, 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and more. Many collections and archives lack not only the equipment to digitize their collections, but also the equipment to play and view the content.
Secondly, according to experts from the European Parliament's research service, only 14% of existing films are in archives and only 1.5% have been digitised. The percentages may have increased over the last few years, but the project partners have identified in their local searches that no more than 8% of catalogued items have been digitised. Given that many items are still outside the public archives, the digitization rate for film and tape is even lower.
The lack of trained staff in small organizations results in a lack of ability to digitize films and tapes.
A special part of film and video tapes are so-called "home movie formats" or non-professional film formats. Here we can include the 8 mm and Super 8 mm formats. These need cheaper cameras and projectors and were widespread from the 1940s to the 1980s. 16 mm films, as a medium-priced technology (between 8 mm and 35 mm formats), can also be included in the home film sphere.
Regarding videocassettes, VHS and H-VHS. Why are these films important? Many historical places, traditions, ethnographic sites, events (concerts, meetings, etc.) are recorded in such formats. By losing these artifacts of "home cinema," we lose a large part of our history and cultural heritage.
Most of the state archives collect professional formats such as 35mm film formats, not 8mm formats.
The project "Mobile low-cost digitisation of vintage films" (MobiReel) addresses the horizontal priority "Addressing digital transformations through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity" through "the use of digital technologies in education, training, youth activities for teaching, learning, assessment and engagement" and through "digital transition and education".
The project will prepare a Learning Management System (LMS), online assessment tools, digital films, etc. to be in line with today's trends in digital education;
The learning approach of the project is based on the VET requirements.
The project meets the following main guidelines:
- Cultural heritage
- Open and distance learning
- Digital skills and competences
Partners:
- Computer Art Student Society-Sofia-Coordinator
- Regional Library "Petko Rachev Slaveykov"
- Stichting De Domijnen Foundation, Netherlands
- Cinematheque of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje
- Zeutschel - Region Baden-Württemberg, City of Tübingen
Zeutschel has more than 25 years of experience in the digitization of microfilm, slides, film as well as with partners in film digitization. The company has also gained experience in various quality assurance approaches to digitization.
The project objectives are:
- Improve the capacity of archivists, librarians, restorers, collectors and owners of collections of so-called "home consumer films" in skills on how to digitize with low-cost technology their short films with a focus on consumer
- film formats (8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm) and consumer-level videotapes (VHS, S-VHS, Betamax) by creating a set of training materials for VET. The materials will be open, flexible and free of charge;
- improve opportunities for further training in the field of digitisation of low-cost films/tapes by offering content structured as units of learning outcomes using ECVET;
- improving the capacity of archivists, librarians, restorers, collectors and owners of home film archive collections on how to maintain analogue and digital materials;
- improving the capacity of archivists, librarians, restorers, collectors and owners of home/consumer film collections on how to restore analogue and digital material (or at least to perform some simple correction or preservation procedures);
- improving the knowledge and skills of the target group on how to present attractively digitised artefacts to a wider audience;
The main outcomes of the project will be:
- Development of a Methodology for selection and low-cost digitization of home movie formats for digitization;
- A competency framework for skills acquisition in content development related to low-cost digitization of analogue films, structured as modules and offering flexible learning pathways;
- A Learning Management System (LMS) with modules from the results obtained as well as additional multimedia resources related to low-budget digitization of short films with a focus on so-called home/consumer film formats (8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm) and consumer-level videotapes (VHS, S-VHS, Betamax);
- Training videos on focal topics related to the digitization of consumer-level film formats;
- Training and multiplication events in the field of low-cost digitization of film formats and videotapes at the consumer level;
