Saving Tape

Since the 1970s people have recorded events on videotape. But can you still watch them? This series of articles, written by video conservator Jamie Lean, explore the issues surrounding the preservation of videotape.

Part 3 - Why Save Videotape?

You may as well ask why save films, books or paintings? The content of videotape is just as important.

Whether a personal record of a 40th birthday party complete with topical references or the proceedings of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (both recently deposited with the Archive), videotape provides a basis for research into life in the early 21st century. As with film, the Archive collects and preserves videotape from across the spectrum – from broadcast masters to digital media and home video.

In terms of access, preserved images provide a rich source of programming and research. Over the last few years we have seen many television programmes, both foreign and New Zealand, that have relied extensively on archival footage. The People’s Century, The Colour of War, The New Zealand Wars, Our People Our Century and Magic Minutes have all been popular. These programmes relied on nitrate film and early newsreels. When it comes time to review the late 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries the raw material will be found on magnetic tape. People love to see themselves on screen and local content reinforces a sense of cultural identity. At a recent meeting of Pacific Island television producers, concern was expressed that local culture was being swamped by American programming beamed in by satellite. One solution to combat this is to raise the level of local content through the use of archival footage. Cook Islands TV, for example, asked people to bring in home movies and videos that could be put to air. These proved to be very popular broadcasts.

On a domestic level the large number of camcorders in use today means videotape took over the role of the family photo album from the 1990’s onwards. Movement, sound and colour define our memories at the start of the 21st century as surely as we see the beginning of the twentieth in black and white. These images represent a culture that defines itself through its audiovisual record.

Tape Tips #3
If the picture from the tape you are watching starts to break-up rapidly and turns to snow, it is most likely that dirt has clogged the video heads. Sometimes this can be cleared by cueing the tape back then forwards again but usually the VCR will need cleaning. A common source of dirt is from tapes that are used frequently, such as rental titles.

Saving Tape - Part 4 How Do We Save Videotape?