A folder of scanned photographs is not yet a usable film archive. The editor also needs to know who or what appears, when the image was made, where it came from and what the company is entitled to say about it. Collect that context while the people who recognise the photographs are available.
Start by choosing the story the archive will support. If the film concerns the growth of a workshop, prioritise images that explain changes in the workplace. If it concerns a project relationship, identify the people and events relevant to that story. Scanning everything may be worthwhile as a separate preservation project, but it should not be confused with the editorial selection for a film.
Keep the reverse and surrounding material
A handwritten note on the back of a photograph or its place in an album may help explain it. The National Archives of Australia's digitisation guidance includes capturing reverse-side information. For a company film, preserve that information in the handoff even if it will never appear on screen.
Do not detach fragile material or attempt conservation work simply to meet an edit deadline. Ask for appropriate specialist help where condition is uncertain. The production copy should make the image usable without putting the original at unnecessary risk.
Give each image a stable identity
Assign a simple reference number and keep it with the digital copy and notes. The editor can then ask about “Photo 023” rather than “the old building picture”, which may describe several different items.
Record a working caption, the confidence in the date, the source owner and any restrictions. Mark uncertain identifications explicitly. A confident filename can easily become a confident on-screen statement if the uncertainty is not visible in the notes.
Where several people offer different identifications, retain the disagreement for checking. Do not silently choose the most convenient answer for the script.
Select for narrative value
A photograph earns screen time by explaining something the viewer needs. It may locate a place, identify a person, show a change or support an interview memory. Decorative archive can add atmosphere, but should not imply evidence of an event it does not depict.
Ask the editor to preserve enough of the image for its meaning to remain clear. A dramatic crop may remove the sign, landmark or group relationship that makes the photograph historically useful. Any restoration or enhancement should also avoid inventing details that become part of the story.
Handoff checklist
Supply the reference number, digital copy, reverse-side information, working caption, source, date confidence, release status and intended story use. Keep the untouched source copy separate from versions prepared for editing. That makes later corrections much easier if a caption or crop changes.
Hypothetical example
A fictional construction company has a photograph believed to show its first workshop. A note on the back identifies a different location. Because the reverse was captured during preparation, the team corrects the timeline before the image enters the film.
The photograph remains useful, but now illustrates a later move rather than the founding location. The value of the preparation is not merely a sharper scan; it is the prevention of an attractive but inaccurate story.
Leave a useful record behind
Ask whether the final handoff should include the selected-photo index with the film. It can help the company reuse the material responsibly in future presentations without repeating the identification work. The index is a practical asset, provided it retains uncertainties and restrictions rather than presenting every provisional note as settled fact.
Discuss the brief
For a proposed project film, contact Live Images with the audience, available evidence and intended use. The production approach and any specialist requirements need an agreed scope.
Source and editorial note
National Archives of Australia digitisation guidance provides background context, checked 30 October 2026. The film-planning guidance and hypothetical examples are original editorial analysis, not technical operating instructions or a claim about a completed Live Images project. Prepared with AI assistance.