An old company video may survive as a presentation export, a website download, a camera file and a copy someone emailed years ago. The version that opens most easily is not necessarily the best source for a new film. Begin with an inventory before asking the editor to build a history sequence from whatever is immediately available.
The goal is a usable production handoff, not an improvised preservation programme. If material is damaged, stored on obsolete media or difficult to interpret, identify the need for specialist assessment rather than repeatedly trying random conversions on the only copy.
Separate source, working and viewing copies
Keep the original files unchanged and make working copies for the production process. Record where each came from and whether it is believed to be an original recording, an edited master or a later compressed export. If that history is uncertain, say so.
The NFSA's digital-preservation guidance distinguishes preservation, distribution and access purposes. For a company film, that is a useful reminder that a convenient viewing file and a source suitable for future reuse are not always the same deliverable.
Do not rename or overwrite the only surviving file while trying to tidy the archive. A clear index can supply human-readable descriptions without destroying the original identifiers.
Review the content before choosing the format solution
First determine which moments are relevant to the new story. A five-second archive extract may need a different treatment from a long historical chapter. The editor should know the intended use before spending time preparing an entire collection.
Check whether the old video already contains music, captions, logos or client material that affects reuse. The fact that a file belongs in the company's archive does not settle every permission for a new film. Refer uncertain material to the appropriate rights reviewer.
Record technical observations without guessing
List what is known about duration, picture shape, audio and visible defects. Do not describe a file as high quality merely because its dimensions are large. It may be an enlarged copy of an earlier low-resolution version.
Ask the production team to assess the available sources and propose treatment. The brief should preserve historical integrity rather than demand that every clip look like current footage. Some material may be best presented within a frame or alongside an explanatory caption instead of aggressively altered.
The archive-video checklist
Include file reference, source location, likely generation, content summary, relevant time ranges, known permissions and any playback issue. Keep a note of alternative copies so the editor can compare them rather than discovering a better source after the edit is complete.
If conversion or restoration is required, define it as part of the scope. Do not assume that an ordinary edit allowance includes recovery from every obsolete format.
Hypothetical example
A fictional business supplies a small website download of an early project video. The inventory reveals a separate older master on an archive drive. The editor assesses both and uses the better available source for the selected extract, while retaining the original files unchanged.
The final film labels the period and uses the archive for its historical value. It does not claim that enhancement has recovered details that were never present. The preparation improves both the finished sequence and the company's understanding of what it holds.
Leave the archive clearer than you found it
The final handoff can include an index of the sources used and the prepared working versions. That record helps a future team locate the same material without repeating the search. It should supplement, not replace, the preserved originals and their known history.
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
NFSA digital preservation 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.