From Grain to Pixel: The Archival Life of Film in Transition (AUP - Framing Film)

321 Pages·2010·6.67 MB·English

by  Giovanna Fossati

GIOVANNA FOSSATI
FRAMING
FILM
FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL
G
I
O
V
A
N
N
A
F The Archival Life
O
S
S
FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL of Film in Transition
A
T
I

Film is in a state of rapid change, with the transition from analog
Giovanna Fossati is Curator
to digital profoundly affecting not just filmmaking and distribution, F
at the Nederlands Film- R
but also the theoretical conceptualization of the medium film and
O
museum. She holds a PhD in
the practice of film archiving. M
Media and Culture Studies

New forms of digital archives are being developed that make use G
from Utrecht University and R
of participatory media to provide a more open form of access than teaches in the MA Preserva- A
I
any traditional archive has offered before. Film archives are thus tion & Presentation of the N

faced with new questions and challenges. Moving Image at the Univer- T
O
sity of Amsterdam. P
From Grain to Pixel attempts to bridge the fields of film archiving IX
E
and academic research, by addressing the discourse on film
L
ontology and analysing how it affects the role of film archives.
Fossati proposes a new theoretization of film archival practice as
the starting point for a renewed dialogue between film scholars and

film archivists.
‘GiovAnnA fossAti does more thAn simPly Give the most thoUGhtfUl,
thoroUGh And UP-to-dAte AccoUnt of the trAnsformAtion in motion
PictUre ArchivinG over the lAst decAdes. she forces Us to re-consider the
nAtUre of the movinG imAGe And PrePAre for A new erA of commUnicAtion
And PreservAtion.’
tom GUnninG – Professor of cinemA And mediA stUdies, University of chicAGo
AmsterdAm
ISBN 978 90 8964 139 7
University Press
FRAMING
FILM
www.AUP.nl AmsterdAm University Press
nederlAnds filmmUseUm
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from grain to pixel

Fossati DEF.indd 1 2-7-09 14:02
FRAMING
FILM
framing film is a new book series dedicated to
theoretical and analytical studies in restoration,
collection, archival, and exhibition practices, in
line with the existing archive of the Nederlands
Filmmuseum. With this series, Amsterdam Univer-
sity Press and the Nederlands Filmmuseum aim to
support the academic research community, as well
as practitioners in archive and restoration. Please
see www.aup.nl for more information.
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GIOVANNA FOSSATI
FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL
The Archival Life
of Film in Transition

amsterdam university press
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Cover illustration: Amour et science (H.J. Roche, Éclair, France, 1912 – courtesy of the
Nederlands Filmmuseum)

Cover design and lay-out: Magenta Ontwerpers, Bussum
ISBN 978 90 8964 139 7
e-ISBN 978 90 4851 069 6
NUR 674
© Giovanna Fossati / Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2009
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no
part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner
and the author of the book.
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to gloria

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TAble OF CONTeNTS
Acknowledgements 9 | 7

Framing Film (in Transition): an Introduction 13
part one
practice and theory of (archival) film
1 Film Practice in Transition 33
2 Theorizing Archival Film 103
part two
theorizing (archival) practice
3 Film Archival Field in Transition 149
4 Restoration Case Studies: Theorizing Archival Practice 211

A New Mindset for (Archival) Film in Transition: a Conclusion 255
Notes 261
Glossary of Technical Terms 285
List of Illustrations 291
Filmography 293
Bibliography 297
Index 311
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ACkNOwledGemeNTS
I would first of all like to thank Frank Kessler and Nanna Verhoeff at Utrecht | 9
University and William Uricchio at Utrecht University and Massachussetts
Institute of Technology who have encouraged and supported this project from
the very beginning. Their stimulating input has added greatly to the substance
of this work.
This book has also benefited from the advice and the fruitful suggestions by
Tom Gunning (University of Chicago) whom I would also like to thank for his
support.
The research for this book has been made possible by the support of the Neth-
erlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).
Special thanks also to the Nederlands Filmmuseum, and in particular to

former Director Rien Hagen and current Director Sandra den Hamer, who
believed in this project and have made it possible for me to carry it out.
Among the people who have helped me at the Nederlands Filmmuseum,
I would like to especially thank Mark-Paul Meyer, not least for all that he has
taught me in the past thirteen years. His comments on this project have been
of great value.
Many thanks also to my colleagues Leontien Bout, Andreas Busche, Cath-
erine Cormon, Guy Edmonds, Anne Gant, Irene Haan, Rixt Jonkman, Nico
de Klerk, Annike Kross, Simona Monizza, Ad Pollé, Emjay Rechsteiner, Geke
Roelink, Elif Rongen-Kaynakci, Frank Roumen, Jan Scholten, Dorette Schoo-
temeijer, Walter Swagemakers, Ronny Temme, Frédérique Urlings, Jeannette
Verschure, and to my ex colleagues and friends Eef Masson (Utrecht Univer-
sity) and Claudy Op den Kamp (Haghefilm).
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