BRITISH MOVIETONEWS FILM LIBRARY

Description: British Movietonews is one of the great 35mm newsreel collections of the world, covering the period from 1929-1979. The Library also has the Henderson Collection with film material from 1895 to World War I and the Pinewood Feature Film Stock Shot Library. Also the TV-am News Library, rushes of news stories from the period 1983 to 1990.
Website: http://www.movietone.com
Keywords: Newsreels; World War II; Newsfilm; Cinemagazines; TV-am News Library; World War I
Access: Access available. 09.00-17.30. Staff are available to assist.
Facilities: Time-coded VHS viewing cassettes are available direct from the Denham Office. Viewing on premises.
Charges: Charges for research for broadcast purposes. Charges for research for academic purposes. Charges for facilities and handling. A price list is available upon request.
Copyright: Copyright held.

Video/Film: Film: 80,000,000 feet. There is no accurate figure but the total footage is estimated to be around 80 million feet, rising possibly to 100 million feet of 35mm film. This figure includes the Pinewood stock shot material. The film preservation programme is now complete and all nitrate newsreels are now on 35mm Master positive.
Video: All the newsreels are now held on DVC Digital tape and can be transferred to VHS, Beta SP and DVC inhouse. Early in 2001 the Library will have completed the transfer of over 500 hours of unissued material and out-takes to DVC. The TVAM News Library is also held on DVC tape.

Computerised database: All the newsreels, the Henderson Collection and the TVAM News Library have been entered onto the Library’s Concordance database. Print-outs of items can be faxed or emailed from the Database, The same information can be searched on the website. The database for the unissued material and out-takes is being compiled at the present time. Pinewood Feature Film Stock Shot Record Books - these are in various volumes in which stock shots are illustrated as well as being described,

Other information: Movietone issue sheets, 9 June 1929 to 29 May 1979 are now entered on the Database. There are also commentary sheets from 1936-1979. Printed text of speeches are not available.
Conservation policy: The only material junked is badly decayed nitrate stock. Newsreel preservation programme is now complete. Preservation of film to digital tape nearing completion.

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