You are the cheese to my macaroni Preserving the archive of Australia’s oldest film school Donna L. Hensler It has been said that short films are In 2013, in my role as VCA screen just like cheese—they get better with production coordinator, I took on the age.1 Taking this analogy further, good role of distributing the FTV’s short cheese depends on proper care and films, which had generated a buzz storage. It needs to be housed in its beyond academia. It soon became own capacious, gloomy, cheesy cave, apparent that the general vibe among residing at just the right temperature. past and present students was that Attention needs to be given to the the films they directed and produced humidity, and the area should be at the school went into the VCA clean, free of dust, and checked often. vault and died. This is similar to storing celluloid Encouraged by the academic film and magnetic media; unlike chalk staff and the current head of school, and cheese, the moving image and Nicolette Freeman, I became manchego have much in common and interested in helping VCA FTV their similarities go far beyond taste distribute its films online. Following and enjoyment. These living, breathing current digital distribution processes, organisms will alter their state as a which are at the forefront of business consequence of temperature, humidity development in the motion picture and light. It is these reactions that graduates, including directors Gillian and television industries, and with make the preservation and digitisation Armstrong (Little women, Oscar and the aid of the school, I began to of the Victorian College of the Arts Lucinda), Robert Luketic (Legally investigate digital distribution as a Film and Television School (VCA blonde, Monster-in-law), Adam way to disseminate the VCA FTV FTV) audiovisual archive a most Elliot (Harvie Krumpet), Andrew archive holdings. We discovered pressing need. Dominik (Chopper), Justin Kurzel great potential to release the archive Since 1966, VCA FTV (originally (Snowtown, Macbeth), Tony Ayres materials for broad research and Swinburne School of Film and (The slap) and cinematographer education, which would also bring Television) has attracted aspiring Adam Arkapaw (Animal kingdom, other benefits: raising the profile of filmmakers from all walks of life, Top of the lake). our graduates, and promoting the who have gone on to have their films The wish to preserve and digitise course. screened at every prestigious film the large archive of graduate short The idea quickly gained event imaginable. From the Oscars films is not a new one. Former head momentum and in 2015 VCA FTV, to the Emmys, from Cannes to of school David Price actively worked which was fast approaching its Sundance, many high-profile stages for years to get such a project started, 50th anniversary (being celebrated and screens have shown the work of but, due to lack of resources and in June 2016), set about getting the school and its alumni. VCA FTV infrastructure, only small headway the archive recognised as one of has produced an impressive list of was made. the cultural collections of the 8 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 18, June 2016 Opposite: A sample of the collection in storage, 2016. Photograph by Donna Hensler. Below: Scene from The roof needs mowing, directed by Gillian Armstrong, 1971. University of Melbourne. As part and historical importance of the 1967, yet despite an impressive array of this, a significance assessment collection, but also of the pressing of talent sitting on its shelves, the was completed, in order to further need for digital preservation to films are poorly stored on a variety of understand and test the importance start straight away, to avoid any physical media, such as 16 mm and of the collection.2 The results were further deterioration of the magnetic 35 mm celluloid film, and unstable unanimous and the assessment material or loss of film. video formats such as U-Matic confidently confirmed the school’s The archive is home to well over and Digi Beta tape. The need for suspicions—not only of the cultural 1,700 short films, dating back to adequate preservation before it is Donna L. Hensler and Cassandra Gorton, ‘You are the cheese to my macaroni’ 9 too late is urgent, vividly illustrated Cataloguing the The VCA does not have its own in the National Film and Sound uncommon archivist and, strangely, film Archive’s recent report Deadline 2025: Cassandra Gorton students are not eager to correctly Collections at risk, which stresses that, Have you ever seen someone taking fill out tedious spreadsheets by the year 2025, magnetic media will a bath in a tub full of baked beans? that require a standardised have disintegrated to the point where What about a Nazi officer being vocabulary—nor are they taught the content is lost forever.3 murdered by a puppet? A volatile how to do so. As an example from Just like cheese, film thrives on relationship breakdown? students’ own records of their attention, so digitising and preserving Okay, that last one is almost a films, I’ve seen the term ‘squids’ this collection is critical if this rich certainty, but I can guarantee that used to define a genre. When cultural legacy is to stay alive and the others are unique situations. was the last time you went to continue to be seen, enjoyed and Luckily for us, they’ve been caught the cinema and enjoyed a classic studied. At the moment, access to the on film by the past and present squid masterpiece? films in the archive is limited to VHS students of the Victorian College Metadata is vital for a and DVD compilations of some of the of the Arts Film and Television catalogue of films. This detailed film master copies. Not all the films School. Unluckily, that film is and accurate information ensures are on viewing copies, and those that currently stored away, never that the end-user, be they a are can only be viewed by enrolled broadcast to the general public, student of the VCA, a teacher students and staff at the Lenton Parr and gradually disintegrating. or a film-lover, can find exactly Library on the Southbank campus. I am one of a handful of what they’re looking for in the Information on the collection is volunteers helping Donna Hensler collection. The end-user may only also limited, with basic facts such as complete her mammoth task of be interested in dramas, films by the filmmaker, year of production, digitising, cataloguing and properly a particular director, or what’s performers and genre catalogued on a housing more than 1,700 student available on DVD. And that’s the simple software program—or in staff films. Part of my role has included aim of this project—to see the members’ memories. viewing a selection of the films, to films used. VCA FTV’s aims for the collection record the appropriate metadata are simple: to give educational and for a catalogue and YouTube. public audiences the chance to Metadata fields might include the Cassandra Gorton is a recent Master of discover, watch and study short films Information Studies graduate from Charles director’s name, what format the Sturt University and has been working made by students, and to provide film was recorded on, and whether on an honorary basis with the VCA since open access to an historically and it has subtitles, to name but a few. November 2015 as part of the University of internationally important resource for Melbourne’s Cultural Collections Projects Often that information can only Program. She loves digitisation, archives and socially, culturally and aesthetically be gathered from the film itself. Russian literature. significant viewing and research. Digitising this collection safeguards 10 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 18, June 2016 Scene from Blackbird, directed by Amie Batalibasi, 2015. its preservation, and digital access to involve both new and existing Conservatorium of Music has makes our aims a reality. Our next audiences, so that the digital archive gone part way to recognising the step is to decide how best to store becomes a vital learning, research importance of this cultural heritage, the digital versions, using a digital and engagement tool, means that by investing in the digitisation of asset management system (DAMS), this living, breathing organism can 50 films of particular cultural, social and to create standardised and continue to evolve and interact in a and historical significance. These detailed metadata (cataloguing new virtual environment. will be featured on the VCA Film information) to increase its value and The Faculty of the Victorian and Television School’s very own access potential. Developing ways College of the Arts and Melbourne YouTube channel, to be viewed free Donna L. Hensler and Cassandra Gorton, ‘You are the cheese to my macaroni’ 11 Scene from The kid in the closet, directed by Melodie Shen, 2013. like ours can connect with the public emotionally and even transform their daily experience. Wine and cheese are not the only ageless companions. The next time you enjoy a cheese and wine night, why not match it with a film? The shorter the better, I say. Donna L. Hensler is a Melbourne-based film producer and the screen production coordinator at the Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television School. She has been working in the arts and film industries for more than 15 years, predominantly in film and television production. Donna is currently undertaking a Master of Fine Arts (Research) on setting up VCATube, a digital channel for the school’s audiovisual holdings. And yes, she does like cheese. For more information on the 50th anniversary of the Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television School, of charge by anybody, anywhere in underlying rights we can exhibit a see vca.unimelb.edu.au/engage/vca- the world.