2020 IASA - FIAT/IFTA Joint Conference

In 2018 the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) launched its film digitisation initiative, which will result in over 50.000 16mm and 35 mm film reels digitally preserved by the year 2028.
Partnering with two service providers has resulted in a high throughput scanning and mastering workflow. To meet its ambitious timeline and quality requirements, BR has additionally created an extensive automated and manual quality control workflow to guarantee specifications for aural and visual quality and structural standards are met.
This presentation will provide an overview of the BR film digitisation project, including the early phase of needs assessment and implementation planning. Details will be given on how the realisation of this large-scale film digitisation activity including quality control needs and its implementation with BR’s practical experience in using VidiCert, the film and video digitisation quality control software. The software checks thousands of files in both ways: efficiently and cost effectively.
We will discuss the innovative approach to quality control for film which automates error detection for the QC operator to quickly review files and make decisions that guarantee high quality preservation and reuse, and that enable partly cassation of the film media. Examples of human verified, critical scanning issues, such as framing errors, monochrome frames, low contrast, freeze frames, unsteadiness and loudness issues will be shared along with the practical experiences made in the first two and a half years of operations where more than 1500 hours have been QC’d and consequently partially be re-scanned.
Overall conclusions for the planning and the realization of such large-scale projects will be given.