16mm telecine process

This video was produced as part of the European Research Council funded ADAPT project based at Royal Holloway, University of London. For more information about the project visit www.adaptTVhistory.org.uk
This footage was filmed in August 2015 at BBC Studios and Post Production in South Ruislip, London, United Kingdom.
BBC archive telecine specialist Tim Emblem-English and retired telecine operator Jim Gregory demonstrated the processes involved in scanning television film footage onto tape for broadcast.
This video is part of a series that shows how engineers used telecine scanning processes in order to prepare finished films for broadcast transmission.
The footage being scanned was originally exposed during the project’s historical reenactment of a 16mm television film crew at work, and subsequently processed at i-dailies in West London.
ADAPT (2013-8) is a European Research Council project at Royal Holloway University of London. The project studies the history of technologies in television, focussing on their everyday use in production activities.
ADAPT examines what technologies were adopted and why; how they worked; and how people worked with them. As well as publishing written accounts, the project carries out 'simulations' that reunite retired equipment with the people who used to use it.
Participants in these simulations explain how each machine worked and how different machines worked together as an 'array'; how they adapted the machines; and how they worked together as teams within the overall production process.
www.adaptTVhistory.org.uk
doi.org/10.17637/rh.c.3925603.v1 ADAPT (2013-8) is a European Research Council project at Royal Holloway University of London. The project studies the history of technologies in television, focussing on their everyday use in production activities.
ADAPT examines what technologies were adopted and why; how they worked; and how people worked with them. As well as publishing written accounts, the project carries out 'simulations' that reunite retired equipment with the people who used to use it.
Participants in these simulations explain how each machine worked and how different machines worked together as an 'array'; how they adapted the machines; and how they worked together as teams within the overall production process.
www.adaptTVhistory.org.uk
doi.org/10.17637/rh.c.3925603.v1

[@video2000ification]

Interesting how this segment was shot on the PMW-100, a camera the BBC did not approve

[@johanperjus616]

The sound is terrible for being shot by ”a veteran BBC documentary crew” 😮

[@ksdnsdkumar1375]

I always wonder how they broadcast movies on tv.....now my doubt got solved.

[@applepine1048]

i didnt know its pronounced tele-"siney" until now. i've always thought it's tele-"sign"

[@professor-josh]

4:00 "Be kind, rewind" not just for VHS.

[@GregorPQ]

Very interesting. Do you happen to have something about the C-Reality / DSX?

[@belowthedot8903]

Is that the same guy from that other telecine video

[@petersmith1972]

FOCUS?

[@northernplacecorporation]

Rank Cintel mkIII telecine and a Sony DVW-A500P Digital Betacam videocassette recorder.

[@scottmog]

ya'll got any of those bvms for sale? *scratch scratch*

[@darrenmarchant1720]

how much archival material is available in this format? it is a good idea to transfer such film to digital available for public viewing.

[@AdapttvhistoryOrgUk]

A large amount. Broadcasters and libraries around the world are digitizing and preserving their film and tape based collections, though digitization is expensive and does not create copies which last forever. The big challenge is material held on videotape: it is thought that there is more videotape in the world than can be played on the remaining magnetic playheads. Some big challenges for audiovisual preservation lie ahead.

[@jasonhaman4670]

Plus early, long-obsolete formats, where working machines to play them are much rarer. Like 2" Quad on the professional side, and Betamax on the consumer side.

[@patrickjenner3211]

Why are you transferring it to digital tape? Can't you capture it to a hard drive?

[@AdapttvhistoryOrgUk]

This was part of a reenactment of historical methods of television production. If we could have done so, we would have transferred to analogue tape at this stage but the technology was not readily available. The film you see in this clip was also transferred to a hard drive.

[@bagnome]

Also, digital tape is probably the most cost effective means of storing large amounts of digital information.

[@patrickjenner3211]

@@bagnome Yeah... but I'd be worried all the DVW- decks will have stopped working in the future though.