tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32498620843745006892024-03-12T20:06:48.523-07:00Kartemquin Films Archive ProjectAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-88352270879185362932013-10-04T15:21:00.003-07:002013-10-04T15:21:41.082-07:00Package Pageantry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-irEHyWYVa5c/Uk87hXtcYrI/AAAAAAAAAno/e09ulCDW0uc/s1600/pyralfilmcan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-irEHyWYVa5c/Uk87hXtcYrI/AAAAAAAAAno/e09ulCDW0uc/s400/pyralfilmcan.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FQjIsmt4b94/Uk87h7vdwxI/AAAAAAAAAns/EtKbZ9Ja5M4/s1600/apollocassette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FQjIsmt4b94/Uk87h7vdwxI/AAAAAAAAAns/EtKbZ9Ja5M4/s400/apollocassette.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Every now and then, we stumble across a particular brand, logo, or package design in the archives that strikes a fancy. Sometimes we remember to take a picture. Here's my collection. (That's a brand of 16mm magnetic film stock for cutting synchronized sound and an audio cassette above.)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bq-1kAg-02Y/Uk873UXEzeI/AAAAAAAAAoc/v8EFyPJzsIo/s1600/tdktape1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bq-1kAg-02Y/Uk873UXEzeI/AAAAAAAAAoc/v8EFyPJzsIo/s400/tdktape1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGDK9LqfFHE/Uk872L7hlWI/AAAAAAAAAoU/i3fa-h5rDWY/s1600/tdktape2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGDK9LqfFHE/Uk872L7hlWI/AAAAAAAAAoU/i3fa-h5rDWY/s400/tdktape2.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZjXZm_xlXM/Uk874Vmo1mI/AAAAAAAAAoo/CCpgjJgFvKo/s1600/tdktape3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZjXZm_xlXM/Uk874Vmo1mI/AAAAAAAAAoo/CCpgjJgFvKo/s400/tdktape3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Boxes (and information) for 1/4" magnetic audio tape reels. Metallics!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYnAisvKtl8/Uk87zcyBdTI/AAAAAAAAAn4/PKH2RXObwOA/s1600/dak2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYnAisvKtl8/Uk87zcyBdTI/AAAAAAAAAn4/PKH2RXObwOA/s400/dak2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwNn3c8Xu10/Uk87z9bZQGI/AAAAAAAAAoA/dB0XAvZuaKI/s1600/dak1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwNn3c8Xu10/Uk87z9bZQGI/AAAAAAAAAoA/dB0XAvZuaKI/s400/dak1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S4e2OZPtu5c/Uk87zkeWKWI/AAAAAAAAAn8/zrfAPQvvcsE/s1600/dak3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S4e2OZPtu5c/Uk87zkeWKWI/AAAAAAAAAn8/zrfAPQvvcsE/s400/dak3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7IKn6TOBkc/Uk871ZtAXwI/AAAAAAAAAoM/uxyCYPExZyc/s1600/dak4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7IKn6TOBkc/Uk871ZtAXwI/AAAAAAAAAoM/uxyCYPExZyc/s400/dak4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A 1/2" video tape reel in a squishy box, like those old VHS cases. This case is in great shape, which is good, considering most of the squishy 1/2" video cases in the archive are among the moldiest things we've found. More metallics!<br />
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Lastly, this isn't really about cool logos, but I thought that that chaos on top of this can looked like an Abstract Expressionist artwork. (Maybe a stretch?)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XfL1_rtBtk/Uk88s9Pa4DI/AAAAAAAAAo0/PdsdPkoUvNg/s1600/IMG_4377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XfL1_rtBtk/Uk88s9Pa4DI/AAAAAAAAAo0/PdsdPkoUvNg/s400/IMG_4377.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Post by Lyra Hill.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-11670773648578441852013-07-09T14:54:00.002-07:002013-07-09T14:54:07.615-07:00Video Test Log<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Vn-RXCqMTc/UdyGR3qCAZI/AAAAAAAAAm8/u5WILKs5bEI/s1600/Photo+on+2013-06-11+at+15.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Vn-RXCqMTc/UdyGR3qCAZI/AAAAAAAAAm8/u5WILKs5bEI/s640/Photo+on+2013-06-11+at+15.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Very funny, KTQ.<br />
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<i>Post By Jenna Caravello</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: initial !important; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-width: initial !important; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-13388089792384402202013-07-01T15:42:00.006-07:002013-07-01T15:49:49.134-07:00Proper Care of Video Tapes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Found in some of our 1/2" Open Reel tapes...</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpIxlumTcOQ/UdIFZu-bj4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/c0UjX6vbjDU/s1315/Scan_005811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpIxlumTcOQ/UdIFZu-bj4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/c0UjX6vbjDU/s1315/Scan_005811.jpg" height="640" width="632" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-54374327405008275122013-06-05T12:29:00.000-07:002013-06-05T12:32:13.072-07:00The Great Box Robot Transformation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I like to say that everything going on upstairs at Kartemquin eventually avalanches down on me, here in the storefront. I find myself buried in the tapes that were hiding for years behind our old Steenbeck, walled in by boxes of newly-arrived DVDs, and my first thought upon meeting new directors is always, 'Someday I'm gonna have to type out your movie's title <i>so</i> many times...'</div>
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It draws to mind that creature in Jim Henson's <i>Labyrinth, </i>the one that surrounds itself with objects of sentimental value until it begins wearing those objects on its back.</div>
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So, as these things pan out, I transformed into the video-box cyborg-cop, wielding the cassette of justice and the canister of vengeance. And Lyra became the great (albeit short) film-box robot. </div>
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Someday there will be action figures of us, I'm sure.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F_M6kDEA4hs/Ua-HO5tYflI/AAAAAAAAAl4/U6naTBxxOzs/s1600/Photo+on+2013-06-05+at+12.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F_M6kDEA4hs/Ua-HO5tYflI/AAAAAAAAAl4/U6naTBxxOzs/s400/Photo+on+2013-06-05+at+12.12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Post By Jenna Caravello</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-4810123416126478002013-05-14T15:57:00.000-07:002013-06-05T11:44:14.141-07:00The E Room: Archivist as Sleuth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Kartemquin Films, né Kartemquin Educational Films, reserves four storage units at <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-hall-or-how-i-started-worrying-and.html">The Hall</a>. These rooms are named after Kartemquin's former initials: K, E, and F. The fourth room is humbly named "the DVD room" despite contents ranging from tape masters to financial records. We'll return to the topic of unhelpful labeling later in this post.</div>
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<span id="goog_211168432">There's Ryan in the K room! The K room is where our story begins. The materials that make up Kartemquin's official films, the ones you'll find listed <a href="http://kartemquin.com/films">here</a>,</span> live in the K room. The boxes are shelved in roughly chronological order, wrapping around the room (almost a whole wall devoted to <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/hoop-dreams">Hoop Dreams</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">)</span></i> and then spiraling in to the center shelves. The last movie housed in the K room is <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/stevie">Stevie</a>.</i> After that, the canon picks up again in the F room with <a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/the-new-americans"><i>The New Americans</i></a>, etc etc.</div>
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Kartemquin stopped shooting on celluloid after <a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/golub"><i>Golub</i></a> in 1988, so my work in the K room ended there. (With a few exceptions, such as <i>Hoop Dreams' </i>16mm internegative and <i>Stevie's</i> original, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_mm_film#Super_16_mm">S16mm</a>, footage). Jenna, <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-love-letter-to-vhs.html" target="_blank">queen of video formats</a>, has gone on to archive the F room while I have begun a much more gruesome project: the E room.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5HllYQuMm0/UYgWShqGBYI/AAAAAAAAAho/91bAK-p-klE/s1600/IMG_3937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5HllYQuMm0/UYgWShqGBYI/AAAAAAAAAho/91bAK-p-klE/s640/IMG_3937.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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The E room holds the other stuff. The E room is a shadow to the K room, the side of the coin that hit the floor. Commissioned films, unfinished films, test rolls, bin trims left by visiting filmmakers using Kartemquin's machines - even boxes of vintage periodicals, college essays, photographs and correspondence live in the E room. I found the original sound recording unit for <a href="http://kartemquin.com/content/the-story-of-camera-1" target="_blank">Camera #1</a> in the E room, which you can look at and read about in Carolyn's <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2013/03/equipment-graveyard.html" target="_blank">great blog post</a>.<br />
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The E room's contents originate as far back as 1964, when Gerald Temaner and Gordon Quinn were just figuring out what Kartemquin would become. Most of the room falls under my material jurisdiction, and boy, is it weird. But before we delve into this fascinating hodge-podge, let's revisit the K room and give the archive team a pat on the back.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rem1fEBtNG0/UYgd3TuTHNI/AAAAAAAAAiY/l88k1bK-TjQ/s1600/IMG_3907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rem1fEBtNG0/UYgd3TuTHNI/AAAAAAAAAiY/l88k1bK-TjQ/s640/IMG_3907.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Gosh, isn't it pretty! Taping the top of the last K box closed, I couldn't believe how far we'd come. This room alone contains 7145 inventoried elements, in 435 boxes. Our <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/11/numbers-numbers-numbers_9219.html" target="_blank">original estimate</a> hypothesized 9000 elements in <i>all three rooms</i>! We were way off.</div>
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Working my way through the K room, I thought I had seen it all. I found a <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/08/viva-la-public-art-in-chicago.html" target="_blank">forgotten film</a>. I re-canned a lot of smelly film rolls (see my repulsive yet beautiful <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/09/mold-porn.html" target="_blank">mold porn</a> post). There were stacks of loose reels, boxes with no numbers, and film unspooling higgledy-piggledy in disintegrating, amorphous envelopes. To be fair, a lot of the materials were in good, even pristine condition, especially moving into the 1980's. Handwriting that I recognized on elements from the mid 70's had, by the next decade, developed more rigorous organizational technique. By the time I got to <i>Golub</i>, the items practically inventoried themselves.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv7v6YvQ-Gs/UYlYARpzocI/AAAAAAAAAi4/5hugcVZaitQ/s1600/IMG_3930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv7v6YvQ-Gs/UYlYARpzocI/AAAAAAAAAi4/5hugcVZaitQ/s640/IMG_3930.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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These are rolls of original negative. Every can is consistently labeled with stock number, exposure index, footage count, edge code, roll number, exposure date, processing date, and project title. I had little to do aside from assigning inventory numbers, testing for non-existant disintegration (all these rolls are sealed in plastic bags), and entering the obvious data. <i>Stevie</i>'s original footage is similarly straightforward.</div>
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Not only are the <i>Stevie</i> boxes properly labeled inside and outside, but they bear additional marks of computer precision by way of barcodes, inspection records, and timecode assignment.</div>
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As an archivist, I have a complicated relationship with cleanliness and order. Of course I want everything to end up in this state, and finding elements like the ones in these photographs is heartening. Someone before me did their job well, and these precious materials will last longer, remain more accessible, than the rolls I rescued from rust and re-spooled. On the other hand, clean elements are boring. Where's the heroism in data entry? (There's plenty of heroism in data entry.) Where's the mystery in a box like this?</div>
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So anyway, back to the E room.</div>
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There is no shortage of mysteries here. My familiarity with the archive helps me identify many items, especially picture rolls. I will recognize a face, or a shot, or a proper noun (location, minor character) written somewhere on the item. Audio rolls are harder, since I have no visuals to reference, and can't listen to the material.</div>
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But what to do when the project I become familiar with has no name, and no remembered history? Increasingly, I am finding bundles of items that obviously belong together but are difficult to inventory, because I have to decide whether to assign them their own collection, or list them as 'Undetermined'. The dreaded 'Undetermined' collection is a last resort. Every element inventoried therein must be exhaustively described in hopes that it will someday be reunited with its true clan.</div>
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Often, the critical decision hinges on the existence of a title. When I started on the E room, I found a lot of funny footage of a man and woman in trench coats engaging in chase scenes, exploring a demolished building, approaching strangers at the beach, and conversing in a luxury hotel room. This was obviously not a documentary film. When I talked to Gordon about it, he recalled: "It was going to be Gerry's [Gerald Temaner's] masterpiece. Like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Marker" target="_blank">Chris Marker</a> film, lots of different footage with voiceover, a film essay. He never finished it." Gordon can't remember the title, and neither can Gerald.</div>
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I need a title before I can create an element record in the database. I need a title to write on the new label before I pack up the box and return it to the Hall. Often, as was the case with Gerald's movie, I have to continue blindly collecting like objects until I stumble upon a label consistent enough to assign as title. Then again, sometimes, I find one element bearing labels from four different collections. I'm up to my elbows in mystery.</div>
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If I'm wearing mystery sleeves, they're attached to a grime jacket. This photo makes me laugh. That's a staple in the middle of a roll of film. Strands of film are generally attached with cement adhesive or tape. Making a splice with a staple is detrimental to several feet of film, more if the staple disintegrates and rusts (which it will). It's comically hardscrabble. That scrappy attitude permeates much of the E room.</div>
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These two boxes (sitting on top of E-019) were once taped together and declared a single box. When I got to them, they were sticky as well as flakey, the tape's yellowing, skeletal sinews preserving the illusion of a whole. There is so much of this tape in the E room.</div>
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Here are some creepy film cans. Instead of putting them in a box and giving the whole box a box number, which would have been easier for everybody, someone assigned a box number to each individual can. Carolyn and I were relieved when we realized 20 out of the 350-something E boxes were actually individual elements.</div>
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Here's my desk after hauling in the first batch of E boxes. Up on the top shelf, you can see two examples of the let's-pretend-this-is-one-box taping technique. Here's my desk after I finished inventorying these elements:</div>
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Wowie zowie, look at that! Fresh boxes, nice big labels, and everything inspected and tucked away safely! This is the kind of cleanliness that I find most satisfying. The kind that comes after arduous physical labor and exhaustive research. I love the E room. It transforms my data entry duties from a bran muffin into the icing on an exquisitely complex cake.</div>
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Here's me in the E room attempting the aforementioned physical labor. Onward!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1M8oUtUyP8/UZK_1dL_2MI/AAAAAAAAAlk/1u252yVf_Vk/s1600/IMG_3965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1M8oUtUyP8/UZK_1dL_2MI/AAAAAAAAAlk/1u252yVf_Vk/s1600/IMG_3965.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i>Post by Lyra Hill</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></i></div>
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<i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 13px;"></span></i></i></div>
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<i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-49091723850698242702013-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:002013-03-24T21:42:51.507-07:00Equipment Graveyard<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Talk to anyone about archiving and very
quickly the conversation becomes one about obsolescence. At some
point, all types of film and video equipment, hardware and software,
audio-visual formats – all the technologies used to produce<span style="font-size: small;"> and p<span style="font-size: small;">layback</span></span> moving
images – die. And by 'die' I mean they are no longer in wide use,
no longer supported by the companies that manufactured them and
brought them to market. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As we continue to inventory the
collections, we record the format of each item we inventory, creating
a kind of format map of the archive. This will help us better<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>address reformatting par<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ts of the<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">collection. </span></span></span></span></span>So when we set off on the inventory last year
and created a database that could account for all kinds of current
and obsolete formats - film, video, audio, even hard drives – we
didn't think much about what to do if we came across any gear. There
wasn't supposed to be any – not in the archive. And well over a
year into the inventory there wasn't any, until now.
</span><br />
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lyra Hill, who is inventorying all the
of the film elements, opened a box and found this:</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Auricon Sound-On-Film Recording
Amplifier
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmT59T-E-XE/UU9UWyxLA-I/AAAAAAAAAfo/Ubeahm2abxk/s1600/auricon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmT59T-E-XE/UU9UWyxLA-I/AAAAAAAAAfo/Ubeahm2abxk/s400/auricon1.jpg" width="527" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p8hmRcVm4fQ/UU_PZprZxPI/AAAAAAAAAhM/cg47Sw_TMz4/s1600/auricon9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="399" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p8hmRcVm4fQ/UU_PZprZxPI/AAAAAAAAAhM/cg47Sw_TMz4/s400/auricon9.jpg" width="533" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_R1XMm2dT6I/UU_Mo7flGUI/AAAAAAAAAg8/2mGs44CAvaM/s1600/auricon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_R1XMm2dT6I/UU_Mo7flGUI/AAAAAAAAAg8/2mGs44CAvaM/s400/auricon4.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pP-iM1ocoUc/UU_LYaxRWKI/AAAAAAAAAgs/7SgTFXrYd_Y/s1600/auricon7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pP-iM1ocoUc/UU_LYaxRWKI/AAAAAAAAAgs/7SgTFXrYd_Y/s400/auricon7.jpg" width="537" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Singing with music"</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kwhAHxd8wqw/UU_N1UNofbI/AAAAAAAAAhE/19EgFPiMwX0/s1600/auricon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="399" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kwhAHxd8wqw/UU_N1UNofbI/AAAAAAAAAhE/19EgFPiMwX0/s400/auricon3.jpg" width="539" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What is it?
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In short, it is part of a system
designed by Auricon that allowed filmmakers to record sound directly
to film with an optical<i> </i>soundtrack, in-camera. The sound quality wasn't
great and the system was bulky – Auricon later released cameras
that would record sound onto film with magnetic sound tracks
which became more common. When Kartemquin bought its Auricon,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://kartemquin.com/content/the-story-of-camera-1" target="_blank">Camera #<span style="font-size: small;">1,</span></a></span> they
stripped it of this gear because they were not interested in
recording sound on film in this way and modified the camera to their
own specifications<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The amplifier and a few of its<span style="font-size: small;"> accessories were packed in a box, taken to The Hall and forgot<span style="font-size: small;">ten. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boEnf6b4NjQ/UU_E_xFZuvI/AAAAAAAAAgE/yMrekLSlTUI/s1600/auriconmic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boEnf6b4NjQ/UU_E_xFZuvI/AAAAAAAAAgE/yMrekLSlTUI/s400/auriconmic1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original Auricon ribbon microphone (as heavy as it looks)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DskmD5Nn-_o/UU_FA-joIEI/AAAAAAAAAgM/Cnzw8FqHNI4/s1600/auricontube5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DskmD5Nn-_o/UU_FA-joIEI/AAAAAAAAAgM/Cnzw8FqHNI4/s320/auricontube5.jpg" width="401" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RCA electron tube</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w2B4wl9lmk/UU_F1UlgOCI/AAAAAAAAAgU/UUmrFc7bv_c/s1600/auriconoil1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w2B4wl9lmk/UU_F1UlgOCI/AAAAAAAAAgU/UUmrFc7bv_c/s400/auriconoil1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's a tiny bottle of motor oil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lyra and I needed a little help from
Kartemquin's tech guru, Jim Morrissette, to understand more about how
this thing functioned. We were all pretty fascinated by it. It's beautiful to look at<span style="font-size: small;"> and in great condition</span> though there are no batteries
and the various odd connectors spilling out of it show their age. <span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp5T9Suwcww/UU_JBAdW8RI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Wz4siXW7H2g/s1600/auricon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp5T9Suwcww/UU_JBAdW8RI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Wz4siXW7H2g/s400/auricon2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gordon said, "it's jun<span style="font-size: small;">k", b</span>ut we're keeping it. <span style="font-size: small;">In spite of being obs<span style="font-size: small;">o<span style="font-size: small;">lete<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>obscure<span style="font-size: small;">, and something t<span style="font-size: small;">hat Kartemq<span style="font-size: small;">uin ne<span style="font-size: small;">ver even used<span style="font-size: small;">, it </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>taught us about one more <span style="font-size: small;">way filmmakers could record sound on film<span style="font-size: small;"> and fleshed out a little more of Camera #1's history. It is also evidence of how<span style="font-size: small;"> evolving technolog<span style="font-size: small;">ies shaped the way filmmakers worke<span style="font-size: small;">d, while filmmakers continued to transform those technologi<span style="font-size: small;">es into the tools they desired.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As an active production company,
Kartmequin has and maintains quite a bit of production equipment –
cameras, lights, sound gear, etc. All of it is very well organized,
secured and maintained, including historic items like Camera #1.
We<span style="font-size: small;"> ha</span>ve removed the Auricon Sound-On-Film Recording
Amplifier from the inventory and are turning it over to the equipment
room at KTQ for safe-keeping with the other historic gear.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Post by Carolyn Faber</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photos by Lyra Hill</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-5302593374845451242013-01-08T12:39:00.000-08:002013-03-14T12:57:40.192-07:00Pronounce-a-Rama<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Made a funny little find today while archiving <i>The New Americans</i> rough cut episode VHS tapes.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-kcgttYrXY/UOSl9AUAK5I/AAAAAAAAAec/zlqLuvf_uXw/s1600/Photo+on+2013-01-02+at+14.49+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-kcgttYrXY/UOSl9AUAK5I/AAAAAAAAAec/zlqLuvf_uXw/s320/Photo+on+2013-01-02+at+14.49+%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This tape, 15 minutes long and labelled "Pronounce-a-Rama" contains a proverbial bouquet of three talking heads, reading out words and names that are relevant to The New Americans series. KTQ editor Leslie is the last face on the tape, and I suspect she was the one who named it so perfectly. Enjoy.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyX5HlaYzGsDbfgiRxrhUWbXStTSXJ44vac7r2e0IjmSGpkW6cGj0iJc-amn-Yp8Z76NcSZns31u-SihNN8Xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Post By Jenna Caravello</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 13px;"></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-78873293021280652802012-12-19T15:35:00.000-08:002012-12-19T16:37:49.627-08:00Happy Holidays From The A-Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NEDahH_NOE/UNJNJTHawmI/AAAAAAAAAdw/qdnC494A440/s1600/IMG_3857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NEDahH_NOE/UNJNJTHawmI/AAAAAAAAAdw/qdnC494A440/s400/IMG_3857.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-JSchjptWc/UNJNHO9aF1I/AAAAAAAAAdo/qOwSzQ1eYIg/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-JSchjptWc/UNJNHO9aF1I/AAAAAAAAAdo/qOwSzQ1eYIg/s400/IMG_3850.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPAg6IlK20A/UNJNSGjw-PI/AAAAAAAAAeE/fFfCDhOGjag/s1600/IMG_3859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPAg6IlK20A/UNJNSGjw-PI/AAAAAAAAAeE/fFfCDhOGjag/s400/IMG_3859.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou42R2FX5E0/UNJNMswlYGI/AAAAAAAAAd4/LtBR79UIado/s1600/IMG_3861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou42R2FX5E0/UNJNMswlYGI/AAAAAAAAAd4/LtBR79UIado/s400/IMG_3861.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The Archive Team, I mean.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MbhwjxZfTk/UKvpGhnc-dI/AAAAAAAAAbs/C8nXJduOWqU/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MbhwjxZfTk/UKvpGhnc-dI/AAAAAAAAAbs/C8nXJduOWqU/s200/gddf_logo.gif" height="55" width="200" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-76330527145088038592012-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:002012-12-11T11:02:48.260-08:00Pity The Fool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riKyi56zCh0/UMeAHAnqJ7I/AAAAAAAAAdA/x6F52MarJDA/s1600/A-team.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riKyi56zCh0/UMeAHAnqJ7I/AAAAAAAAAdA/x6F52MarJDA/s400/A-team.JPG" width="362" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I found this in a box of <i>5 Girls</i> papers. Happy Tuesday from The Archive, all the girls are here.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Post By Jenna Caravello</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 13px;"></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0.2in; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></i></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-3604365255695087892012-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:002012-12-11T11:02:39.115-08:00A Love Letter to VHS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Hello. I’d like to talk about something close to my heart.</div>
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I suppose you’re reading this post on a laptop or smartphone,
and I’m willing to bet you haven’t owned this equipment for 10 years. It’s widely
understood that, for a few reasons, our digital devices are throwaway tools. Incompatibility,
expensive repair, and new technology are a few of many things that lead to
machine obsolescence. Someone just yesterday explained to me why a 2006
computer wasn’t working, saying, ‘it’s old’. And<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d like to give a shout-out to my already
passé 1-year-old mini-DV HD camcorder: I love you, but none of the three cords
you came with are compatible with my new computer.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The concept of ‘throwaway’
technology didn’t always indicate that some more useful technology came along
as a replacement, and didn’t imply a cash investment. It also didn’t mean that you
were engaged in an arms race with your friends for the more pristine piece of
machinery (although your dream in 1982 may have been to own a Sony Betacam
camera).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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At one point I imagine someone said, “Lets make a video
medium for the people. Cameras will be cheap, and so will tapes, players, and
dubbers. It will be practical, accessible and universal, with low maintenance
costs, a substantial recording capacity, and the quality will be horrible but
at least it’ll be unique in its simplicity.” Not to mention, this analogue
video medium sustained its inexpensiveness and (above all) universal
operability for over 30 years. Let’s talk about VHS.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What other medium has a more 'throwaway' reputation? Ryan and I were archiving camera-original elements of a film we had never heard of, labelled "Art Beat". Thinking we had found a lost Kartemquin film (and excited to talk about it here), Ryan went searching for an edited master or commercial copy of the film, only to find one VHS with the same label, containing 4 episodes of 'Friends' and 2 episodes of 'Frasier'.</div>
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Was this VHS at one point Kartemquin's only edited master? I doubt it- but for the time being it was <i>my</i> only chance at seeing the film, and more useful to <i>someone</i> as a home recording of primetime television.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0k9JrXtJUjA/UKvrs5XWY1I/AAAAAAAAAcA/s7tGokEjbzs/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0k9JrXtJUjA/UKvrs5XWY1I/AAAAAAAAAcA/s7tGokEjbzs/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I opened a box of 40+ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>VHS tapes the other day while archiving and my
brain flipped like a pancake. It’s a pain to see so many VHS tapes in one box…
the feeling is unlike opening a box of Beta-SP tapes, which are expensive and
signify movie elements of importance. A pile of VHS tapes in an archive is
probably going to be a bunch of tests and dubs to help editors with sound synching and
timing.</div>
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But what I love about VHS is its contradictory “cheapness”
and usability. While archivist Lyra sat in her corner, arm-deep in rotting work
print trims, and a folder of mysterious zip drives with little labeling awaited
my attention, I looked through that box of nice clean VHS tapes, confident
they’d play in our machines even though they were 20 years old. What a nice
medium, I thought. Perhaps VHS is misunderstood. Perhaps it is the last form of
recordable media that will hold its data and maintain its universal playability
and quality over the generations. Perhaps VHS is that holy grail of film
storage filmmakers all dream of...</div>
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And then, vindication!:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here at Kartemquin, the editors were digitizing some Hi8
footage as part of an ongoing 20-year old project. They discovered that they
didn’t have a machine that could also digitize the audio signal from those Hi8 tapes, but! Those VHS dubs used for synching in editing (like I mentioned earlier) were still intact, and so was the audio. Project saved!</div>
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Since then, I've bought a VHS camera and have started a label to distribute my friends' films on VHS. So far supplies have been cheap, and I bet you a dollar people'll be watching those same tapes 20 years from now, and falling in love with VHS like I have.</div>
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<i>(Magnifying glass + my VHS camera = cool depth of focus!)</i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Post by Jenna Caravello</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MbhwjxZfTk/UKvpGhnc-dI/AAAAAAAAAbs/C8nXJduOWqU/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MbhwjxZfTk/UKvpGhnc-dI/AAAAAAAAAbs/C8nXJduOWqU/s200/gddf_logo.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-49228290462607101412012-11-15T16:18:00.002-08:002012-11-20T14:05:21.892-08:00Numbers, Numbers, Numbers<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9h3-zrpdxk/UKWEFq88NCI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Nw1X8oRLKSA/s1600/images-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9h3-zrpdxk/UKWEFq88NCI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Nw1X8oRLKSA/s1600/images-3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CfYTMURQhNY/UKWFAB1RocI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/UQWmpOi5_X8/s1600/images-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CfYTMURQhNY/UKWFAB1RocI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/UQWmpOi5_X8/s200/images-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
It's been awfully quiet on the blog lately but we have a good reason....we've been so busy counting tapes and films that we're hitting our target early! Our initial goal was to reach 9,000 newly inventoried items by the end of January 2013. But it looks like we're going to reach that next week. Just in time for a much needed Thanksgiving break. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As satisfying as that is, we're still not done. We found that even though our initial estimate of 9,000 sounded like a lot, it was actually low. When estimating the number of individual <i>things</i> (tapes, films, drives) stored across 4 rooms, in hundreds of boxes - some with 5 things in them some with 100 – you run the risk of being a little off. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Plus, we have found a number of previously unaccounted for boxes tucked away in closets, offices, The Hall...you get the idea.
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SfcpdbA31qM/UKWFKAgwfvI/AAAAAAAAAbY/jWgz0mwDhqM/s1600/Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SfcpdbA31qM/UKWFKAgwfvI/AAAAAAAAAbY/jWgz0mwDhqM/s1600/Hall.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, for the numbers geeks out there - what does that mean? By the end of the inventory we expect to have recorded information for about 15,000 items. Currently, our database now holds over 12,000 records. 9,000 newly created records and over 3,000 imported from existing documents. More than 2,000 film elements (negs, workprints, prints, mag track, etc), 5,500 videotapes, and 1,000 audio tapes have been inventorie<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">d.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><i> </i></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're aiming for completion in April. Stay tuned...more progress and much more interesting posts to follow!
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-33027716915344359512012-09-25T12:45:00.003-07:002013-06-05T13:14:47.369-07:00Mold Porn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkrq9m4QxkA/UGDwNxITA1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/yS8X6f8AN5E/s1600/K124-11b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkrq9m4QxkA/UGDwNxITA1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/yS8X6f8AN5E/s640/K124-11b.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o6bbmj-xhiU/UGDwM7BQZcI/AAAAAAAAAXI/pe5ex4FfdIw/s1600/K124-11a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o6bbmj-xhiU/UGDwM7BQZcI/AAAAAAAAAXI/pe5ex4FfdIw/s640/K124-11a.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/08/viva-la-public-art-in-chicago.html">written before</a> about finding film elements in
deplorable condition. The mold and rust gnawing away at Kartemquin's archive have effected some collections worse than others. <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/taylor-chain-i-a-story-in-a-union-local">Taylor Chain 1</a></i>, for instance, was filmed in the early 70's, but remained unfinished until 1980. It was damaged badly when the previous Kartemquin studio burned down in 1972. The missing footage necessitated a re-edit of the film, which meant acquiring further funding, which, as everyone knows, doesn't always come through right when you want it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwobl6u06GM/UGDuLmBZMTI/AAAAAAAAAVo/tofZvlYNXg0/s1600/K068discard.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwobl6u06GM/UGDuLmBZMTI/AAAAAAAAAVo/tofZvlYNXg0/s400/K068discard.6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7lPyAVv31w/UGDuRJcA4_I/AAAAAAAAAVw/CJz8EA9S3dI/s1600/K069-01.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7lPyAVv31w/UGDuRJcA4_I/AAAAAAAAAVw/CJz8EA9S3dI/s400/K069-01.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dwRmAFZhd0/UGDuTdI7lZI/AAAAAAAAAV4/FXbuCN3jors/s1600/K069-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dwRmAFZhd0/UGDuTdI7lZI/AAAAAAAAAV4/FXbuCN3jors/s400/K069-17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Other films with extensive damage include <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/the-last-pullman-car">The Last Pullman Car</a></i> (which literally <b>just</b> became <a href="http://kartemquin.com/products/ktq0145/the-last-pullman-car">available on DVD</a>), <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/marco">Marco</a>, <a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/trick-bag">Trick Bag</a>,</i> and <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/home-for-life">Home For Life</a></i> - one of Kartemquin's first films, and an incredible preservation <a href="http://kartemquin.com/newsletter/nov07/home-for-life.php">success story</a>. The photos above show elements from <i>Trick Bag</i>: a melted roll of unused <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workprint">work print</a>; waterlogged, burned notes; and a melted, warped reel of 1/4" audio tape.<br />
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The saving grace in all of this has been finding the most important, irreplaceable elements to be, if not in pristine condition, then at least functionally clean. I have yet to find a film project which is irretrievable, even if its 'deleted scenes' are looking grim.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ejgIoMbckc/UGDuxydQ6SI/AAAAAAAAAWU/4zK1yklFbVE/s1600/K073.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ejgIoMbckc/UGDuxydQ6SI/AAAAAAAAAWU/4zK1yklFbVE/s400/K073.06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sE9fi2qTzc8/UGDu7vMA4lI/AAAAAAAAAWk/tkuFkT_kyQI/s1600/K074-01.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sE9fi2qTzc8/UGDu7vMA4lI/AAAAAAAAAWk/tkuFkT_kyQI/s400/K074-01.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kH7mIifmY3M/UGDu5Pq2-RI/AAAAAAAAAWc/BE5r45_eG64/s1600/K073.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kH7mIifmY3M/UGDu5Pq2-RI/AAAAAAAAAWc/BE5r45_eG64/s400/K073.07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Worse than smoke and fire damage, and, unfortunately, more prevalent in the archive, are water damage and mold. Gordon recently retold the story of the aforementioned fire. "I was standing in the room" he said, "with flames all over the house, holding a garden hose, drenching the boxes to keep them from catching." It was a thrilling story, and I'd be hard pressed to find a better solution in the heat of the moment. But inwardly, I winced. I'd been confused as to why I was finding so many blackened, warped items also covered in skin-crawling mold.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Mty9sKb_H0/UGDu-293hHI/AAAAAAAAAWs/H76hrJgFTBo/s1600/K124-10c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Mty9sKb_H0/UGDu-293hHI/AAAAAAAAAWs/H76hrJgFTBo/s400/K124-10c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4cl6VeQnkA/UGDvEe9xpxI/AAAAAAAAAXA/XGQ9JUpFp0U/s1600/K124-10e.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4cl6VeQnkA/UGDvEe9xpxI/AAAAAAAAAXA/XGQ9JUpFp0U/s400/K124-10e.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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But the mold I'm finding isn't just from intentional flooding. After relocating to its current location, and before renting space in <a href="http://kartemquinarchive.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-hall-or-how-i-started-worrying-and.html">The Hall</a>, Kartemquin stored its archive materials in the basement, a miserable pit so damp it might as well have habitually flooded. The photos above, and at the top of this post, are from the 1984 film <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/women-s-voices-the-gender-gap">Women's Voices: The Gender Gap</a>. The Gender Gap</i> recently received a preservation grant from <a href="http://www.nywift.org/article.aspx?id=4121">New York Women in Film and Television</a>, and the fresh new archival elements it afforded are tucked away snugly. But some of the old footage from 1984 hasn't been so lucky. I found several rolls of picture outs where the emulsion has melted completely, been eaten away by mold, or both.<br />
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The nice thing about mold and melted emulsion is that when the film being victimized is vibrant with color, like <i>The Gender Gap</i>, the damage can be just as compelling. It's the silver lining on a big moldy cloud. Pulling footage off a sticky, smelly roll and illuminating it on my light table occasionally reveals works of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Brakhage">Brakhagian</a> beauty. Even black and white film, stiff from overexposure to heat, might display the fine seaming and delicate crackle of a centuries-old masterpiece (or your shabby-chic side table).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b19d04QPmgQ/UGDuFzENxZI/AAAAAAAAAVg/6ZuxIBBPmVE/s1600/K068discard.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b19d04QPmgQ/UGDuFzENxZI/AAAAAAAAAVg/6ZuxIBBPmVE/s400/K068discard.4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Going through the compromised footage from <i>Gender Gap</i>, Ryan and I had an idea. We set up the roll, running it through the Moviscop (a small device that allows one to watch film as it's hand-cranked through the machine) and a digital camera pointing down towards the Moviscop's small screen. We took three videos of the mold in action. This one is my favorite, for the way the mold starts to sweep in, like curtains, or an elegant wipe, transitioning between medium shot and close up.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/49481994" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/49481994">Moldy Footage #2</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/kartemquin">Kartemquin Films</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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One might think that the animation sequences in <i>Gender Gap</i> would dissolve more beautifully than the live action ones. Not true. Ron and Sydney Crawford, the animators (working with art by <a href="http://www.nicolehollander.com/">Nicole Hollander</a>) must have kept their studio free of contaminates. Any animation outs I found were just fine - with the notable exception of this fabulous color balance slate.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tXjv-hmqEbc/UGDvA986AcI/AAAAAAAAAW4/A1U3E8DrjX4/s1600/K124-10d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tXjv-hmqEbc/UGDvA986AcI/AAAAAAAAAW4/A1U3E8DrjX4/s640/K124-10d.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Post by Lyra Hill</i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 13px;"></span></i><br />
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<i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</i></span></span></span></i></i></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s1600/gddf_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xabY5UdBoTc/UMeCYCmsnCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/bwn0Y3HUsSE/s200/gddf_logo.gif" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-57182095781346660662012-08-29T15:41:00.001-07:002012-11-20T15:17:32.523-08:00To Be (Dis)Continued: An Archive of What Wasn't<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In
her book <i>Dust: The Archive and Cultural History</i>, Carolyn
Steedman discusses the fragmentary nature of archives, and the
stories they leave out. She says, “And nothing starts in the
Archive, nothing ever at all though things certainly end up there.
You find nothing in the Archive but stories caught halfway through:
the middle of things. Discontinuities.”
Every day on the inventory project we are in the middle of
things – of some story we are unraveling about Kartemquin and its
films. This can be difficult when you are digging through boxes of
poorly labeled tapes, and film cans where the labels cracked off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uMswbslGYI/UD6ZpcAqnHI/AAAAAAAAATs/LBBIKPFN8o4/s1600/K073.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uMswbslGYI/UD6ZpcAqnHI/AAAAAAAAATs/LBBIKPFN8o4/s320/K073.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">KTQ staff, including co-founder
Gordon Quinn, help us identify and understand what something is, how
a certain film was made, etc. and we record that information in our
database. We do as much as possible
while leaving enough breadcrumbs on the trail. </span>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A
recent example of this is a film in the archive known only as <i>Science
Project</i>. While looking for elements from another film, Lyra
found a box labeled with this rather nondescript title. It begged a
few questions. </span>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gordon
explained:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">“</span><span style="font-size: small;">It
was a Kartemquin project. We were not able to raise the money to
finish it but have the material to tell an interesting story about
science and the drama surrounding it. We followed a group of U of C
scientists lead by Leonard Wharton and my friend Danny Auerbach to
build a linear accelerator for molecules. When they turned it on
after years of work at first they were jumping up and down because
they thought it was working and a huge breakthrough. As they
continued testing it into the wee hours of the morning they came to
realize that they were seeing a false signal and that the apparatus
had a fundamental design flaw. My friend Danny loses his voice. It is
a film about the outcome of most experiments—they fail. There is a
rough cut of the film somewhere with workprint and track that was
transferred off the Steenbeck in very low quality. The VHS of that
may be over my desk.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The
irony is of course that <i>Science Project</i> (shot in the early
70s) is a film about failure that in its own way also failed.
Potential funders would not support it. It is now housed in a room
at The Hall with other projects not finished
for one or another reason. Apart from the story each of these
incomplete films intended to tell and never did, together they have
become an unintended archive of the unfundable - an important,
invisible history of independent filmmaking: a history of what
wasn't.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As
we approach this part of the collection during the inventory, we can
only imagine the stories behind these abandoned projects which, if we
are lucky, end with poor video transfers of rough cuts on VHS tapes
over Gordon's desk. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Post by Carolyn Faber </span></i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://gddf.org/programs/artistic-vitality/regionally-significant-collections"><img alt="" border="0" height="55" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_o-4o-tMoU/UD_M88n6LxI/AAAAAAAAAT8/h-MaXzU0Qlc/s200/gddf_logo.gif" title="http://gddf.org/" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-90030315979577679852012-08-17T08:52:00.000-07:002012-08-30T15:36:49.927-07:00Viva La Public Art in ChicagoHello, my name is Lyra, and I'm in charge of the film elements in Kartemquin's archive. I handle all of the 16mm film and magnetic tape, with some open-reel audio and 70's radical newspapers thrown in.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhsl8XJPPU0/UC1bs_bStnI/AAAAAAAAATI/GFlkdB4OGVw/s1600/K074-08.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhsl8XJPPU0/UC1bs_bStnI/AAAAAAAAATI/GFlkdB4OGVw/s400/K074-08.3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most of my time is spent digging through rusty cans for moldy film strips that smell so strongly of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetate_film#Decay_and_the_.22vinegar_syndrome.22">vinegar</a> that I have to wear a dust mask. It's heartbreaking to open a box of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_camera_negative">original negative</a>, a most precious resource, and find it in poor condition. Thankfully, the elements in the worst condition are generally the 'trims and outs' - tiny strips of picture and sound snipped from shots during the conforming process, too small for interesting outtakes, and usually duplicates of higher quality material. Of course, trims and outs are important too, and you never know when a two foot strip of film is the only existent copy of that recorded instant.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-11W74LLqWAk/UC1c1t3ve8I/AAAAAAAAATQ/wwUeAYIjs58/s1600/K074-01.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-11W74LLqWAk/UC1c1t3ve8I/AAAAAAAAATQ/wwUeAYIjs58/s400/K074-01.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The elements that tend to be in the best shape are, thankfully, the most important ones. To make a finished print of a 16mm film, you need a master mix track and an edited negative. The negative can be in a number of different forms. Typically, you'd start with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-roll#History">A&B rolls</a> - multiple strands, made up of alternating shots, which combine when printed to complete a seamless movie. A&B rolls are the most precious materials because they're made up of pure, original footage - the very film that ran through the camera in the first place!<br />
<br />
We're working through films chronologically, so my era falls between 1966-1988, with a few exceptions. Around 1974, I encountered the elements for the film <i><a href="http://kartemquin.com/films/viva-la-causa">Viva La Causa</a></i>, a succinct look at murals in Chicago's Pilsen community, produced and directed by Teena Webb, one of the original members of the Kartemquin collective. <i>Viva La Causa</i> was shot on color <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversal_film">reversal film</a>, and I found all the necessary elements to produce a beautiful print, including A&B rolls in perfect condition.<br />
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So, you can imagine my surprise when I was handed another box, speculated to contain elements of <i>Viva La Causa</i>, with pristine A&B rolls inside! <i>Public Art in Chicago</i> and Teena Webb's name were all over the contents. Common knowledge held that <i>Public Art in Chicago</i> was an alternative title for <i>Viva La Causa</i>, and when I looked at the footage, I saw shots of the same murals that appear in <i>Viva La Causa</i>. But, while both films were the same length, and on reversal film stock, <i>Public Art in Chicago</i> was in both B&W and color, with a different credit sequence. Besides, having found A&B rolls of both films, I knew it was impossible that they shared footage. What had been assumed to be an alternative title ended up being a completely different film that nobody remembered!<br />
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It's still a mystery as to where <i>Public Art in Chicago</i> originates. The prevailing theory is that it's a personal project of Teena Webb's, made in conjunction with <i>Viva La Causa</i> - or perhaps a collaboration with the Public Works Commission of Chicago. As much as I'd like to know, we have to stay focused on the inventory for now and hope that along the way, further investigation will reveal some answers. In the meantime, I'll be chugging along, dusting off other gems lying within the rusty bodies of better-known works.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-39465802509191225882012-08-01T15:13:00.002-07:002012-11-20T15:18:08.405-08:00Hoop Dreams Pick Up Lines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey all, archive lady Jenna here.<br />
I wanted to talk a little about the weird and sometimes surreal labels I find on project elements while sorting through boxes.<br />
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For the most part, a video tape will have written on it some pretty useful movie-jargon that helps us determine how to catalog it. But for practicality's sake and because a production team has to deal with <i>SO</i> much media, not every label is written with loving care- or legibly. Pieces of tape with handwritten abbreviations and processing-house labels with typewritten misspellings are translatable though, I mean, I suppose it's my job understand them. But I won't pretend I don't let my mind wander on these prompts. Incongruous markings on any one tape begin forming narratives and ideas for bigger projects. Stay with me.<br />
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A Betacam tape labeled in ballpoint pen, "HD injury interview" could be a High Definition interview of someone's sentient head wound, but its not. I know it to be a camera master tape of Hoop Dreams' William, who injured his knee and gave interviews on the subject. But the other day, when I came across an audio cassette labeled "Hoop Dreams Pick Up Lines", I couldn't keep it to myself.<br />
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So, technically "pick up lines" are bits of narration and interviews that will be added to (or replace) parts of a movie's previously recorded audio. I told the Kartemquin staff, 'Let's ignore what we know this is and let the basketball-themed innuendos fly.' They came up with some amazing ones, and so did some people on the ole Facebook. So here is a collection of what I got back, a bunch of pick-up lines that may work on a honey who has recently seen Kartemquin's 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams, or just really, really likes some b-ball.<br />
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- Get ready for a free-throw baby, 'cause I'm great for holding.<br />
- Did you get recruited to St. Joseph's? 'Cause baby you got gaaame.<br />
- I bring my towel on the court with me 'cause when I see you I can't stop dribbling.<br />
- Baby you tryin' to recruit me? 'Cause I'm not tall, I'm just sitting on my wallet.<br />
- Four years ago all I used to dream about was playing in the NBA. Now, I dream about you, darling. -Tim Horsburgh<br />
- I have more bonus features than the Criterion Hoop Dreams DVD. Want to be in a deleted scene? -Zak Piper<br />
- Girl, I wish Steve James was here so he could narrate what goes through my head when I'm with you. -Zak Piper<br />
- I know we just met and all, but let's not re-create Hoop Dreams... do we really have to sit here for three hours before we get to the good part? -Zak Piper<br />
- I was Hoop Dreamin' of you and guess what? I got a slaaaam dunk! -Dan Stewart<br />
- I was a player, but I took a seat on the bench for you. -Kia Monét<br />
- I know I got you on the rebound, but once I drove downcourt, it was a swish; nothin' but net. -David Depew<br />
- Come on back to my place and we can get cozy... and we wont have to worry about turning the lights off. -John Facile<br />
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<i>Post by Jenna Caravello</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-82383239194319643302012-07-24T11:25:00.000-07:002012-08-30T15:37:54.462-07:00The Hall or: How I Started Worrying and Learned to Love the ArchiveWelcome to the Kartemquin Archive blog! Today we'll be venturing into The Hall, a magical place that some believe only exists in KTQ lore, but in reality is the home to the elements of all our completed films. We, the archive department, utilize The Hall quite frequently, as our job is to sort through everything stored there.<br />
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Before joining the archive department, I worked as an intern at KTQ. I often heard of this "hall" and its contents, and as a self-described documentary nerd, the prospect of a facility housing the elements of some of my favorite films (<i>Hoop Dreams, Stevie, Inquiring Nuns</i>) excited me to no end. My imagination went wild; obviously a facility of such great importance to the medium would undoubtedly be described as “sleek," “state-of-the-art," or even “sexy." I imagined the cold, grey tones of the room would pair well with the dry climate controlled air and encompassing florescent lighting, a perfect environment for browsing through reels and tapes like a child in a candy store.<br />
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The Hall, as it turns out, is <a href="http://i.imgur.com/chh6U.jpg">nothing of the sort</a>.<br />
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The Hall is like a playground for anyone interested in filmmaking past, present and future. A museum not yet realized, just collecting dust, waiting for its prince to swoop down and take it away. Occasionally the motion sensitive lights will go out, requiring one to run back into the hallway just to get a flicker of visibility and the lack of air conditioning coupled with Chicago’s hot summer suggests a necessary post-Hall change of clothes. <br />
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And while the <a href="http://youtu.be/HwBmPiOmEGQ?t=57s">HAL9000</a>-esque <a href="http://youtu.be/_vhbZ1seS8M">garage door opener</a> and <a href="http://i.imgur.com/PcRBg.jpg">eggshell and turquoise hallways</a> hold a sort of charm, the net ceilings and cardboard boxes do not really provide the proper climate for items that likely <a href="http://youtu.be/5nN-KME0Tqw">belong in a museum</a>.<br />
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Film and tape are sensitive materials, and even when housed in proper cassette casings, they are still quite susceptible to various molds and general degradation. The moisture-collecting cardboard boxes and rusting film canisters aren’t the best home for historically important film and video, but they're what we have to work with.<br />
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Our present goal is to get through these boxes and make note of the contents, and it’s condition, information that we can then use to help facilitate a move to better storage in a more competent facility.<br />
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Weekly Hall trips aren’t something I particularly look forward to; yet, the strong, lingering scent of vinegar and thick humidity just reinforces the importance of my job.<br />
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-ryan<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433761185697473373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3249862084374500689.post-15138989468208511602012-07-10T14:33:00.000-07:002012-08-30T23:00:55.226-07:00Welcome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the Kartemquin Films Archive Project Blog!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jv-WwcusE7U/T_1uk21ugPI/AAAAAAAAASo/a7lqnj6bbGM/s1600/IMG_4064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jv-WwcusE7U/T_1uk21ugPI/AAAAAAAAASo/a7lqnj6bbGM/s320/IMG_4064.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Over the past several years we've been taking steps to stabilize and ensure the future of </span><span style="font-size: small;">the vast collection of film, video and born-digital materials that make up our archive. With generous support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, we are in the midst of an extensive inventory of Kartemquin's audio-visual holdings from the past 45 years. From 16mm film and Beta-SP to hard-drives and everything inbetween - we are numbering and recording information from every single film can, tape case and hard drive. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QHuosgkFG_0/T_NkBT2zT-I/AAAAAAAAADo/tXrutsBidIs/s1600/K073recanned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QHuosgkFG_0/T_NkBT2zT-I/AAAAAAAAADo/tXrutsBidIs/s320/K073recanned.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Our new custom-built database will help us profile the collection by format, condition and many other criteria, so we can set priorities for ongoing archival projects to keep our films accessible. The archive is rich with examples of documentary film production history, and i</span><span style="font-size: small;">nstitutional memory is strong - we </span><span style="font-size: small;">are</span><span style="font-size: small;"> capturing and documenting as much of it as we can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Follow our blog as the archive team shares finds, mysteries and observations throughout the inventory. Apart from stories about the films themselves you'll see and hear about what we are doing, how, why and what we learn along the way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">See you soon,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The KTQ Archive Team: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Zak Piper</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nora Gully </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carolyn Faber</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lyra Hill </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jenna Caravello </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ryan Gleeson </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Kartemquin Inventory Project is generously funded by:</span></i></span></div>
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