Search Results for: Heidi Holmstrom

50 Years Makes a Difference! How Film Research Has Changed Since the 1972 Conference on Audiovisual Archives

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

You may have heard that the National Archives is partnering with the University of Maryland Cinema and Media Studies Program to present Films of State, an online conference on government-produced moving images (if not, check out my last blog post for more background). What you may not know is that the National Archives sponsored a … Continue reading 50 Years Makes a Difference! How Film Research Has Changed Since the 1972 Conference on Audiovisual Archives

Introducing Films of State, a Conference on Government Films

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

Today I am thrilled to tell you about something we’ve been working on: Films of State, a three day online conference focused on government films and NARA’s holdings, scheduled for April 7-9, 2021. We’ve partnered with the University of Maryland Cinema and Media Studies program and gathered an international slate of scholars to discuss some … Continue reading Introducing Films of State, a Conference on Government Films

Spotlight: Finding Footage for National History Day Projects

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Films, Motion Pictures

In recent months, the National Archives’ Education Updates blog has posted a series of pieces focusing on award-winning National History Day documentaries. National History Day is an annual contest for students in grades 6-12 to produce a variety of project types, including exhibits, websites, papers, performances, and documentaries. NARA’s Education Specialists have covered three fantastic … Continue reading Spotlight: Finding Footage for National History Day Projects

Christmas Thoughts: Giving for the Holidays

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

This post was produced with help from Heidi Holmstrom and Ivy Donnell, who made the GIFs. In December of 1920, Ford Motor Company sent prints of the film Christmas Thoughts (FC-FC-328) to Ford dealers around the country. The film encouraged viewers to establish a local Goodfellows’ Club, with their local dealer serving as the headquarters. … Continue reading Christmas Thoughts: Giving for the Holidays

“The Camera Tells the Truth”: Camera Rolls from the Battle of Tarawa

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures, World War II

Five days before Thanksgiving 1943, American forces bombarded a tiny, Japanese-held island in the Tarawa Atoll. Eighteen thousand Marines would land on the shores of Betio, and over 1,000 would lose their lives there. On November 23rd, the United States claimed victory. Recording the Battle Three men of the 2nd Marine Division landed on Betio … Continue reading “The Camera Tells the Truth”: Camera Rolls from the Battle of Tarawa

Favorite Film Finds of 2017

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

This post was written with Heidi Holmstrom. In the past year, staff in the motion picture preservation lab handled millions of feet of film. Films might come to us for inspection and repair, photochemical duplication, or digitization. To continue an annual tradition, we’ve identified a handful of films that were digitized in 2017 and found their … Continue reading Favorite Film Finds of 2017

“Tunisian Victory”: Operation Torch Gets the Hollywood Treatment

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

This post was written with Heidi Holmstrom. In the spring of 1943, Frank Capra, Hollywood director and colonel in the Army Signal Corps, began work on a film about the Allied campaign to take North Africa. The stakes were high—the film needed to demonstrate the strength of the Anglo-American relationship and build support among the … Continue reading “Tunisian Victory”: Operation Torch Gets the Hollywood Treatment

Favorite Film Finds of 2016

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures

This post was written with Heidi Holmstrom. In the past year, staff in the motion picture preservation lab handled millions of feet of film. Films might come to us for inspection and repair, photochemical duplication, or digitization. To follow up last year’s list, we’ve identified a handful of films that were digitized in 2016 and … Continue reading Favorite Film Finds of 2016

In Search of…Leonard Nimoy

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Fun Films, Motion Pictures

A few months ago, I spent more time than usual with a film reference request. The film copy that came down for Clear Skies, Clean Air (1971) was 35/32mm, which meant that I had to make a print before I could run it on the film scanner. I listened to the soundtrack several times while … Continue reading In Search of…Leonard Nimoy

Film Preservation 101: This 80 Year Old Film Printer Still Contributes to Preservation

by Audrey Amidon, posted in Motion Pictures, Preservation

This week we celebrate the National Archives’ 80th birthday. For the motion picture lab, this anniversary was an opportunity to look back to the beginnings of the organization, when the Archives was still in its teen years and William T. Cooper, Jr. posed for photographs with the Depue optical reduction film printer. The photos, taken … Continue reading Film Preservation 101: This 80 Year Old Film Printer Still Contributes to Preservation