Jul 19 2010 |
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Preserving Abu Dhabi's precious history: ADMC uses DMA Media to restore film archive
Sheikh Zayed Archive to be preserved for posterity
Abu Dhabi- UAE, 19 July 2010 - Abu Dhabi Media Company ( ADMC ) is restoring and digitising a unique video archive, including the Sheikh Zayed Archive and more than 30,000 pieces of film and video, of unseen footage that records the foundation and development of Abu Dhabi.
The company has appointed broadcast services company DMA Media to preserve the archive, much of it recorded before the formation of the UAE, for future generations, including historians and students of recent Middle Eastern political history.
Some of the footage has degraded to a dangerous level and could be lost forever without urgent intervention now, says DMA Media's CEO Rob Beynon.
Ahmed Al Menhali, director of broadcast technology at ADMC , said: "We are fortunate to have thousands of pieces of footage that document our heritage and key events in the history of the UAE. We have identified in DMA Media a company with the necessary expertise and technology to preserve these items, without which a significant period of our past would be lost forever."
DMA has started cataloguing, restoring and digitizing the material. The archive is in several formats, each one posing specific challenges.
Most of the material is 16mm and 35mm safety film, but there are also 30-year-old items on two-inch Quad video tape. This is difficult to restore as the foam used to protect video reels frequently breaks down and coats the tape. Some of the material can only be played once before it degrades completely.
The film will be inspected, cleaned and physically repaired before being scanned and digitally restored. Images will be kept in digital formats while any 35mm films will be kept in HD and will be meta-tagged for easy retrieval.
DMA is bringing international experts to the UAE and is training staff to work with the damaged and unstable media to ensure the best possible results. Chris O'Hearn, an international archive expert and one of the DMA team, said the problem of preserving national archives was not unique to the UAE and other countries in the region needed to act fast before it was too late.
-Ends-
About
ADMC
:
Abu Dhabi Media Company
is one of the fastest growing, multi-platform media organizations in the GCC region. The company owns and operates a range of television channels (Abu Dhabi Al Oula, Abu Dhabi Al Emarat, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya 2, Abu Dhabi +1 and National Geographic Abu Dhabi) as well as network of radio stations, a number of publications and other media related businesses.
ADMC
employs 2098 people across its operating units. For more information please visit: http://www.admedia.ae/en/index.php
About DMA Media:
DMA Media provides consultancy, outsourced support and production services to media companies globally. The company has offices in London and the UAE. Its principals have executive experience at the highest levels of news and factual content and, between them, have launched numerous TV channels and services. DMA Media help create and manage media operations, recruit and train staff, and launch or operate on any delivery platform, including broadcast, mobile and IPTV. The company also make videos and programmes in any language, for TV or corporate clients, to the highest international standards., It has particular expertise and a strong record in the GCC and the Middle East. For more information, please visit: http://www.dma-media.com/middle-east/
For more information, please contact:
Omar Abed Rabbo
Abu Dhabi Media Company
Omar.abedrabbo@admedia.ae
Sawsen Al Faraj or Marwa Yehia
Spot On PR
Tel: 009714-3491686
Sawsenf@spotonpr.com
marway@spotonpr.com
© Press Release 2010
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