This week, I thought it would be nice for all to get to know the AMIA; The Association of Moving Image Archivists. The AMIA is a non-profit professional association established to advance the field of moving image archiving by fostering cooperation among individuals and organizations concerned with the acquisition, description, preservation, exhibition and use of moving image materials. http://www.amianet.org/index.php .

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Film History goes as far as the 17th century. When a very early version of “magic lantern” (or shadow muppets as I like to call it) was invented, it was a devise with a lens that projected images from transparencies onto a screen, with a simple light source (such as a candle).  The invention of the Thaumatrope (the earliest version of an optical illusion toy) was in 1824. This is a disk or card with a picture on each side attached to two pieces of string, when the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to combine into a single image due to persistence of vision.  We’ve all done this once in our life as children or even as an adult, let’s admit it.

We had to wait until the 1920’s until film technology would allow movies to have sound.  The first “picture house” was built in New Orleans in 1896, but the first full-length film “THE SQUAW MAN” wasn’t released until 1913.  But alas, popcorn was first served in movie theatres in 1912, so those who got the privilege of seeing this first time projection had the chance of munching on it.  I don’t know where they got to put their drinks..seeing as cup holders only made it in 1981.

How much did it cost to watch a movie?

• In 1907 you could watch a film at a Nickelodeon theater for five cents, which is why it was called a  “Nickel”odeon;
• During the Depression or the 1920s, movies cost about 27 cents;
• During the 60s it cost a little less than one dollar;
•  About four dollars in the 80s;
• Now it goes around 10 to 15 dollars.

Here is an interesting list I found on what were classified the best movies of each decade since the 1890’s:

• 1890’s     The Execution of Mary Stuart (released in 1895), directed by Alfred Clark, Company: Edison Manufacturing Company (closed in 1918)
• 1990’s     The Great Train Robbery (released in 1903), directed by Edwin S. Porter, Company: Edison Manufacturing Company  (closed in 1918)
• 1910’s     Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the circus (released in 1916), directed by William Randolph Hearst, Company: International Film Service (closed in 1918)
• 1920’s     The Sheik (released in 1921), directed by George Melford, Company: Paramount Pictures 
• 1930’s     Wizard of Oz (released in 1939), directed by Victor Fleming, Company: MGM 
• 1940’s     It’s a Wonderful Life (released in 1947), directed by Frank Capra, Company: Liberty Films
• 1950’s     Rear Window (released in 1954), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Company: Paramount Pictures
• 1960’s     Psycho (released in 1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Company: Shamley Productions (last film was presented in 1965)
• 1970’s     Star Wars (released in 1977), directed by George Lucas, Company: Lucasfilm
• 1980’s     Empire Strikes Back (released in 1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Company: Lucasfilm
• 1990’s     The Sixth Sense (released in 1999), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Company: Barry Mendel Productions,  Hollywood Pictures, Kennedy/Marshall Company, Spyglass Entertainment
• 2000’s     Lord of the Rings (released in 2001, 2002 and 2003), directed by Peter Jackson, Company: New Line Cinema

We are proud to say at STiL that some of these great studios have film reels sitting confortably in our containers and even certain films listed above!

1. 8th European Conference on Digital Archiving, Geneva - April 28th to 30th, 2010
   The 8^th European Conference on Digital Archiving will be held in Geneva from 28-30 April 2010. It will follow in the footsteps of the European Conferences on Archives of recent decades. By emphasizing digital elements and archiving as a function instead of the archive as an institution, however, it aims to take a new approach.
   http://www.bar.admin.ch/eca2010/index.html?lang=en
2. 66th FIAF Congress, Oslo, Norway - May 2nd to 8th, 2010
   The International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) brings together institutions dedicated to rescuing films both as cultural heritage and as historical documents.
   http://www.fiafcongress.org/
3. During the FIAF Congress : JTS (Joint Technical Symposium) Oslo, Norway, May 2nd to 5th 2010
   The international gathering for all specialists of the audio-visual, cinema and sound heritage
   http://www.jts2010.org/

Hope to see you there!

1. 8e Conférence européenne sur l’archivage digital, Genève - 28 au 30 avril, 2010
   La 8^e Conférence européenne sur l’archivage digital se tiendra à Genève du 28 au 30 avril 2010. Elle vient s’inscrire dans la tradition des conférences européennes sur les archives qui se sont tenues au cours de ces dernières décennies. Toutefois en mettant l’accent sur le numérique et sur l’archivage en tant que fonction et non pas sur les archives en tant qu’institutions, elle entend également innover.
   http://www.bar.admin.ch/eca2010/index.html?lang=fr
   
2. 66e Congrès de la FIAF, Oslo, Norvège - 2 au 8 mai, 2010
   La FIAF regroupe les institutions qui consacrent leurs activités à la sauvegarde des films, considérés tant comme des oeuvres d’art que comme des documents historiques.
   http://www.fiafcongress.org/
   
3. Pendant le Congrès  de la FIAF:  JTS (Joint Technical Symposium) Oslo, Norvège, 2 au 5 mai, 2010
   Le rendez-vous international pour tous les spécialistes de l’audio-visuel, le cinéma et le patrimoine sonore.
   http://www.jts2010.org/

En esperant vous voir!

First of all, we would like to congratulate all the athletes who participated in the Vancouver Olympics! As the Olympic Creed states: 

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

The Olympic Museum itself was an idea of Pierre de Coubertin, mentioned for the first time in 1915 after having established the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne. However, for a long time - several decades - this remained in an embryonic phase. On September 6th 1921, Lausanne signed the agreement which placed premises at the disposal of the IOC for the first time. When it moved from the Montbenon Casino to the Villa Mon Repos in 1922, however, the Olympic Museum was only a collection of the Baron’s personal possessions. It was after the election of Juan Antonio Samaranch as IOC President, in 1980, that the project for a new Museum was launched. In 1982, a provisional Museum opened its doors in the centre of Lausanne, on Avenue Ruchonnet, where its task was to prepare for the future by making an inventory of the existing collections and develop them further. In 1982 and 1984, the City of Lausanne and the IOC acquired the two properties which today house the Olympic Museum and Park. In 1988, work began, The Olympic Museum was inaugurated on June 23rd, 1993.

And do you know what?

  Yes…the archives of the past games are preserved in STiL cans!

If you wish to have a virtual tour of the Museum, take a look at this link: http://www.olympic.org/en/content/The-Olympic-Museum/Museum-Tour/ 

Tout d’abord, nous tenons à féliciter tous les athlètes qui ont participé aux Jeux Olympiques de Vancouver! Comme l’indique la croyance Olympique :

 ”Le plus important dans les Jeux Olympiques n’est pas de gagner mais de participer, tout comme la chose la plus importante dans la vie n’est point le triomphe mais le combat. L’essentiel n’est pas d’avoir vaincu mais de s’être bien battu. “

Le Musée Olympique lui-même est une idée de Pierre de Coubertin. Le baron l’a émise pour la première fois en 1915, après avoir installé le siège du CIO à Lausanne. Mais il est resté longtemps - pendant des décennies - à l’état embryonnaire. Le 6 septembre 1921, Lausanne signe la convention qui met la première fois des locaux à la disposition du CIO. Mais quant il déménage, en 1922, du casino de Montbenon à la villa Mont Repos, le Musée Olympique n’est encore qu’une collection d’objets personnels du baron. C’est à la suite de l’élection de Juan Antonio Samaranch à la présidence du CIO, en 1980, que le projet d’un nouveau Musée est lancé. En 1982, un Musée provisoire ouvre ses portes au centre de Lausanne, à l’avenue Ruchonnet, où il est chargé de préparer l’avenir en inventoriant les collections existantes et en les développant. En 1982 et 1984, la Ville de Lausanne et le CIO acquièrent les deux propriétés qui accueillent aujourd’hui le Parc et le Musée Olympique. En 1988, les travaux démarrent. Et l’inauguration du Musée Olympique a lieu le 23 juin 1993

Et vous savez?

  Oui, les archives films des jeux passés sont préservées dans les boîtiers STiL!

Voici un lien pour une visite virtuel du Musée Olympique: http://www.olympic.org/fr/content/Le-Musee-Olympique/Visite-du-Musee-Olympique/