America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: the First 100 Beyond Memory Securing Our Dance Heritage Sustaining America's Dance Legacy Dance Videotapes at Risk A Copyright Primer for the Dance Community Cataloging Guidelines Processing Procedures Manual for Dance and Other Performing Arts Collections Learning Applications to Document Dance Magnetic Storage and Tape Handling

COPYING AND REFORMATTING

Copying and reformatting are essential steps in preservation. Having only a single tape of any important subject involves too many risks from deterioration, abusive handling, loss, theft, or building disasters. Reformatting is critical as older formats become obsolete. Digital remastering to DVD may seem to be the easy answer, but DVDs should be used only for reference or access copies, NOT for preservation (see page 13).

• Use new (previously unrecorded), high-quality brand name tapes when making new copies. Always record at the fastest speed; do not use extended play.
• Copy the most complete version or the earliest generation of a recording. Analog tape recordings suffer from reduced quality with each generation.
• Copy any original videotape needed for routine use, such as display, study, or loan. Always provide a reference copy in fulfilling such requests.
• To produce a new master, use a video laboratory staffed with skilled technicians and state-of-the-art equipment whenever possible.
• Update the inventory or shelf list when new copies are added.

What should be copied first?

Prioritize your collection for copying and reformatting purposes, and begin a systematic program for making new copies, based on available funding.

Look first at recordings that have the most historical, cultural, or institutional value. Those with the highest “intellectual” value that have badly deteriorated or those recorded on obsolete or unusual formats should be placed high on your priority list. Age must also be a factor. A tape older than 10 years should be considered for copying; one older than 20 years should be a definite candidate. A tape fitting all of the above criteria that is also the sole master or recording of an event should be given the highest priority.

When prioritizing, look at both physical and electronic deterioration. Physical defects include damaged containers or cassette shells, severe oxide shedding, sticky tape, stains or discoloration, the presence of dirt, residues, mold/fungus, and jamming, creases or wrinkles, and the like. Electronic defects include dropouts or signal loss manifested as poor picture or sound. Give priority to evaporated metal (ME) tapes (e.g., Hi-8)—although of high resolution, these tapes have a shorter shelf life than some other formats.

Prioritize your holdings based on: 1. Intellectual (historical /cultural / institutional) value 2. State of deterioration /age 3. Format obsolescence

Videotape formats are considered obsolete when manufacturers no longer support them with new equipment and supplies. Although more than 60 formats have been used since Ampex introduced video recording in 1956, a much smaller number were commercially viable. Performing arts groups are most likely to encounter 1/2-inch open reel, 3/4-inch U-matic, 1/2-inch VHS, S-VHS, and Hi-8, all analog tapes that have sold widely since the 1970s. All are considered obsolete except VHS. Digital tapes (DV, MiniDV, DVCPRO) are at risk because their small size (0.25 inches in width, 7-9 microns in thickness) makes them extremely vulnerable to physical damage. It makes sense to copy them at an early opportunity.

Which formats are recommended for copying?

For technical acceptability and cost effectiveness, there are two basic rules for choosing a new video format: copy analog to analog; and copy digital to digital.

For analog recordings, your best choice is Betacam SP, a durable 1/2-inch professional format widely used in the broadcast industry. Unfortunately, however, low cost, consumer equipment is unavailable for either recording or copying onto Betacam SP, so you must use a professional laboratory. A Betacam SP master, together with a VHS or other reference copy, will ensure continued survival in a high quality format for several decades.

If you cannot afford to reformat onto Betacam SP, your only choice is to copy any at-risk videotapes onto the highest quality tape that you can afford, provide them with the best possible care, and stay in touch with technical developments in the field so you’ll be aware when a practical alternative appears. Some years from now, analog recording will no longer represent a viable choice because all video technology will have moved to digital platforms. At that time, you will be able to transfer your Betacam SPs (or other formats) to a more universal storage format that will be cost effective and relatively easy to manage as digital information.

WARNING! DVDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PRESERVATION PURPOSES! As the cost of digital recording devices continues to fall, many people are turning to DVDs for reformatting their at-risk videotapes. For reference or access copies, DVDs are fine. As preservation copies, however, DVDs have severe limitations: 1. DVDs are highly compressed versions of the originals (unlike Digi- Beta, which is only mildly compressed): selective data is irretrievably discarded in making the new DVD copy. 2. The variety of encoding systems in use cannot assure compatibility from one machine to another, and a standard has yet to be firmly established. 3. The life span of this medium is not yet known; sufficient age testing results have not been made available to the archival community. 4. Failure of a DVD usually ends in total failure; failure of a tape, by contrast, may involve only limited portions of the tape, making other recovery techniques possible.

For copying digital tapes, your best choice currently is Digi-Beta, a 1/2-inch professional format widely used in the broadcast industry. Digi-Beta, while slightly compressed, provides an extremely high quality image. Like Betacam SP, however, Digi-Beta remains prohibitively expensive for the average consumer; conversions to Digi-Beta must be done in a professional video lab. If you cannot afford to re-format to Digi-Beta, again, as with analog tapes, give your digital tapes the best possible care and remain alert to the latest developments in preservation technology.

Digital storage devices, such as hard-drives and datatape cartridges, are not yet a viable solution for most dancers and arts organizations. At the present time, only well-funded institutions with access to specialized skills and resources can make proper use of these devices.

Following the procedures outlined above will not prolong the life of your videotapes indefinitely, but they will slow down the deterioration process while we all await a more permanent solution. As funding dollars for performing artists continue to dwindle, dancers and arts organizations often find themselves without any “extra” money for videotape preservation. But saving these collections is not a task that can be delayed indefinitely— videotapes deteriorate and become obsolete, and as they do, all traces of important dance history may be lost forever.

Dance video collectors must remain steadfast and creative in seeking grants for videotape preservation. Funds may be available for videotape preservation projects through local, state, and regional arts councils or preservation organizations. Investigate possible granting agencies in your own community. Also remember that public libraries, university libraries, or specialized dance archives may be able to provide a permanent home for original or one-of-a-kind dance videotapes.