BFI implementing Cambridge Imaging video platform
Cambridge Imaging’s Imagen Enterprise Video Platform is at the heart of a winning bid to manage the BFI (British Film Institute) film archive. As part of the BFI’s ‘Unlocking Film Heritage – Digital Infrastructure’ project, Imagen Enterprise Video Platform has been selected as the key piece of management software that will provide best in class preservation for the nation’s cultural assets. It will also offer quick and easy access to all archived content while maintaining a high degree of protection and security.
The overall contract was won by Ovation Data which, as part of its bid, chose Imagen as the fully integrated capture, storage and preservation solution. The proposal presented a solution that ensures all data is preserved for the long-term while still permitting ready access to the user community.
The Unlocking Film Heritage project aims to make the UK’s film heritage available for everyone to enjoy by investing in digitisation, preservation, interpretation and access. By 2017, the ambition for the project is to digitise 10,000 titles from the BFI National Archive and the UK’s regional Screen Archives and make the films accessible to the public. The Digitisation Fund has up to £5m over three years to support the digitisation of films from significant public and rightsholders’ collections across the UK.
Tom Blake, managing director, Cambridge Imaging Systems, said: “The BFI’s film archive is precious beyond words, not only preserving the UK’s film history but also documenting our changing way of life since 1895. We are thrilled that Imagen will play a major part in enabling the BFI and the public to access the archive, some of which hasn’t been seen for decades.”
Imagen’s storage management system will allow the BFI to connect and archive its content on a range of cutting edge storage appliances – all selected for either long-term preservation or fast access across its various sites. Staff at the BFI will be able to search the entire catalogue, review material via a secure and customisable website, and request high resolution or original files – for reissue or licensing.
The Digital Infrastructure project brings together a wide range of technologies with Imagen at its heart, providing a central point for connectivity and management through its powerful API. The solution will include integration with technical partners File Catalyst for accelerated file transfer, Black Pearl for low-cost tape storage and management, and Isilon storage for fast access by the user community.