Reflection on finding archive footage to work with.

Through the initial process of gaining access to archival footage I had become very fustrated, through the fact that I couldn’t just get the small bit of footage that I required. It did add an extra complication that I really needed to see the footage before I could tell if it was appropriate to use, so specific where the type of actions that I wanted the figures within the footage to be undergoing. I tried through the British Film Institute, The ITN / British Pathe archive which also has downloadable clips. I did download one sequence but the compression on the clip made it inappropriate, through the difficulty of deciphering where the edges of the figure where, which inhibited good selection in photoshop. I also tried the BBC archives, but their system for identifying the correct footage for a given project made it inappropriate for my needs, not to mention how expensive the researchers suggested it would be. These institutions aren’t really geared up for the type of requests and budget that is available to a singular artist without substantial funding. At this point I was also thinking I needed at least mini dv quality. The BBC “On This Day” section of their website is great for viewing archival material and audio for the chosen date, but is only available to view online. They have also recently launched the BBC “Motion Gallery”, which is a searchable database of content from their archives. But strangely there are more sports footage clips for Northern Ireland in this section than ones dealing with issues arising through the troubles, I guess they are trying to put a nice spin on the country, or something.
The fact of the matter is that finding Peter Heathwood”s personal archive was a breakthrough, late in my MA project as it was. I had never considered anybody would have created such an in depth collection, the sort that I wished I had created. This was made even better when I realised Peter was very eager to share and help with my search for the right footage, reminding me that there is often such good will among individuals to help others. The key is improving ways of finding individuals as willing to help as Peter:-)