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Post by Wright Blan on Aug 27, 2005 4:23:34 GMT
Lance - Would you let a stranger off the street in to rummage in your tape and DVD collections ? If they paid to learn how to work the equipment and handle the archival material, then yes. But only if they passed the course.
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Post by Gareth R on Aug 27, 2005 10:07:10 GMT
The BBC could maybe send some of its own employees over, but even then I don't think that they would have the money Neither the money, nor the inclination. Why the hell would they waste public money sending staff to New Zealand for months, even assuming that TVNZ wanted extra bodies cluttering up the place? It's not as if any missing episodes they managed to find (and there probably aren't any there anyway) would earn megabucks for the BBC or TVNZ anyway. Some people's obsession with Doctor Who really has given them a spectacularly unrealistic attitude about the value of old episodes to the BBC. Still, why not prove us wrong? Don't waste your time debating this idea here, get in touch with TVNZ and see what they say. Well? What are you waiting for?
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Post by Stephen Neve on Aug 28, 2005 17:57:40 GMT
To Jeff Stone -- James is certainly not being a troll. A Troll is someone who posts something absurd or controversial in order to illicit an emotional response from people. All he did was point out that your proposal was unlikely to have much success. Given my experience as a film collector for nearly 20 years, I have to tell you that I agree with him. There's no chance that the NZBC (or any other broadcaster) would let untrained individuals anywhere near their archives. It's very easy for important films to be damaged if they are mishandled by people who don't know what they are doing. Moreover, even if you could gain access - do you have any idea how long it would take to go through all of the film cans to see what was actually in them?? The only chance you might have would be to find a Dr. Who fan who has a connection with the NZBC - or who works there, who has proper training and who they trust and who would be willing to spend his or her own time searching through the films -- seems pretty unlikely that such a person even exists... Lastly - I want to point out that the Dr. Who prints were last used 30+ years ago , plus there have been some official searches done in the past - so the probability that you'd find anything is miniscule. James is certainly not being a troll. A Troll is someone who posts something absurd or controversial in order to illicit an emotional response from people. All he did was point out that your proposal was unlikely to have much success.Obviously James has been taking lessons from Mr Bignell, the way he pointed it out was in a rude, arroagant manner. I totally agree with him on the fact it would not be very viable, but expressing it in such an aggresive manner as he did is not the way to express a valid point. The only chance you might have would be to find a Dr. Who fan who has a connection with the NZBC - or who works there, who has proper training and who they trust and who would be willing to spend his or her own time searching through the films -- seems pretty unlikely that such a person even exists...Neil Lambesses and his friend Jon Preddle would be a good bet. They has built up a good rappor with the NZ Broadcasting corporation. However I am certain they woulden't be interested though. Now if Ian Levine was kiwi that would be a different matter. Regards Stephen
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Post by LanceM on Aug 29, 2005 19:45:52 GMT
Well, there could be a very,very,very slight chance that TVNZ might let you in the archives. However someone like Jon Preddle probably has a greater chance of gaining access to the archives.
Lance.
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Post by Ian Levine on Aug 29, 2005 22:26:48 GMT
I think it's a wonderful idea for people to go and have a really deep search. It can do no harm. I shall discuss it with Paul Vanezis tomorrow. I'm sure we can get an official BBC letter to obtain permission. How many New Zealand fans who are responsible and trustworthy are willing to undertake this I REALLY think it's a great idea.
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Post by Ian Levine on Aug 29, 2005 22:29:02 GMT
I didn't add the frowning face in my above posting. It just appeared and I can't seem to get rid of it.
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Post by Brad Phipps on Aug 30, 2005 1:00:24 GMT
Coming from someone that's actually been inside TVNZ's archive, I can tell you they won't take it lightly for just 'anybody' being there. For a start, a security guard was with me from the moment I entered the front door to the moment I left the front door. Second, it's pretty big. Third, from my understanding TVNZ hold little if any film material in their vaults anymore. I believe they transferred the films they wished kept to BetaSP/DigiBeta then binned the rest, or transferred them elsewhere (if Nigel Windsor is watching maybe he can help me with that one, I could be thinking of another NZ institution). It's not an *impossible* task, but it will take a lot of effort and time. My advise would be to contact TVNZ and offer your services to 'audit' the archive, properly cataloguing the material and noting quality, duration, content, etc. You would have to do *all* the material in the archive, but at least you would know that you've covered all of it. They may require you to provide them with a background check, and a tv background would be preferable. I'd gladly help out (been in the NZ TV industry 7 years) but I moved to Dunedin 2 months ago and don't really wanna go back to Auckland. Plus I've worked in a tape library and it's really boring...
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Post by James Phillips on Aug 30, 2005 8:54:39 GMT
Well, good luck, Ian. Personally I have doubts that they'll let anyone who isn't technically qualified to handle film and tape anywhere near it, but if you think you (or rather Paul) can blag it, then all power to you.
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Post by Derek Jennings on Aug 30, 2005 9:20:45 GMT
I think it's a wonderful idea for people to go and have a really deep search. It can do no harm. I shall discuss it with Paul Vanezis tomorrow. Isn't that rather akin to asking the Health Service to give a letter of authority to a butcher saying that he has permission to do surgery because he knows a bit about anatomy? Who in their right mind would allow it? And who pays for it when something gets damaged?
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Post by Ash Stewart on Aug 30, 2005 11:37:17 GMT
I didn't add the frowning face in my above posting. It just appeared and I can't seem to get rid of it. When you put three question marks next to eachother, it automatically converts it into a "Huh" smiley.
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Post by Wright Blan on Aug 30, 2005 17:44:32 GMT
I think it's a wonderful idea for people to go and have a really deep search. It can do no harm. I shall discuss it with Paul Vanezis tomorrow. Isn't that rather akin to asking the Health Service to give a letter of authority to a butcher saying that he has permission to do surgery because he knows a bit about anatomy? Who in their right mind would allow it? And who pays for it when something gets damaged? Probably not. I make an educated guess that Ian and Paul both probably know how to handle fragile material like film and video tape. I don't think anyone is suggesting that NZTV or whoever let anyone who isn't experienced in handling archival material do so. I'd rather have someone who knows what their doing and what to look for be allowed to invertigate the various archives brought up.
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Post by LanceM on Aug 30, 2005 19:10:42 GMT
I thought I would take this opportunity to say " thanks Ian , for taking this request to a higher power, and for the fans of the classic era of Doctor Who." I think this is a really positive development, that operation Go and look has made it to the ears of the BBC. Good luck in your search of TVNZ, I only wish I could be there with you.
Lance.
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Post by Richard Bignell on Aug 30, 2005 21:11:02 GMT
I make an educated guess that Ian and Paul both probably know how to handle fragile material like film and video tape. Yes, but whatever skills Paul and Ian may possess are hardly relevant when it comes to physically searching an archive in New Zealand are they? But that's precisely what *is* being suggested - that fans be allowed access the archive to search through the material available. And how many fans are there who are trained in the use of Steinbecks and broadcast video equipment and who are willing to give up months, if not years of their lives searching through material even if they were allowed? Not many, I think it's safe to say! And as Brad quite rightly indicates, ploughing through archives trying to find material that you don't even know is there in the first place can be horrendously boring after a while. I've done it often enough to know! ;D Richard
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Post by Matthew K Sharp on Aug 30, 2005 22:29:38 GMT
Of course, the other thing is that if you're going to have someone trawling through your film & VT archive, you might as well audit everything in it properly. There's no point in just having people go through the film canisters going "Not Doctor Who, not Doctor Who, not Doctor Who...".
As it happens, the ABC has been digitising its archive over the last couple of years, and from Brad's comment above it looks like TVNZ have been doing the same, so if there is anything there, it will surface during that process.
Why are we all talking about New Zealand specifically anyway? Is there any reason missing episodes are more likely to be there than anywhere else?
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Post by ethantyler on Aug 30, 2005 23:34:56 GMT
As it happens, the ABC has been digitising its archive over the last couple of years, and from Brad's comment above it looks like TVNZ have been doing the same, so if there is anything there, it will surface during that process. That's exactly what I keep saying... although no one listens to me. [sulks]
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