Presentation made at the FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2014 in Amsterdam.

1. Evolution of the technical and professional
skill sets & roles within the digital
audiovisual archive sector
FIAT /IFTA Conference Amsterdam 2014

2. 01
Introduction: archiving scene and jobs in transfer

3. Introduction :archiving scene and jobs in transfer…
Digital technology entered the television domain about 20 years ago replacing
progressively and unavoidably analogue television.
Digital has introduced lot of changes in the audiovisual domain and therefore
archiving: new technical systems, new uses, new delivery modes….
Today:
•Production and post production systems have totally shifted from tape based
workflows to tapeless workflows
•Files have replaced analogue and digital video tape formats
•Servers and networks have replaced video tape recorders
•A high percentage of content produced today is digital and volumes grow faster
and faster
•In a IT world, automated systems play an important role data management
and data control have become key factors.
technical skills and roles | 6 octobre 2014 3

4. Introduction :archiving scene and jobs in transfer…
Though, fundamental functions of Archives remain the same: acquisition,
preservation, access, documentation…roles and skills change.
Some traditional skills and roles are disappearing, some have evolved, new ones
have appeared or are still appearing.
The dilemma is that archivists ,while trying to follow and assimilate/digest the
faster and faster changes in digital technology, must still continue to keep
alive some traditional skills and roles.
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5. Introduction:archiving scene and jobs in transfer…
The following presentation will try to answer the following questions:
• What are the major evolutions of the technical side of archiving : what has
already changed ? What is changing?
• How current skills and jobs are(will be) affected by those changes ? Which
main topics archivists must take care of ?
• What are the required new roles and skills?
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6. 02
deliver
Archiving functions in a digital world
Ingest
Store document

7. Archiving functions in a digital world
In order to define the technical skills and roles in a digital archiving system, it is
interesting to use a diagram based on the OAIS - Open Archive
Information System model which details the main functions and, map on
it the required skills and roles.
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8. 8
Preservation planning/management
Ingest
Access
/delivery
Data
management
Archival
storage
Producers/
sources
Consumers
/ users
Queries
Query responses
Descriptive orders
Descriptive information
information
Master/
viewing
file
formats
Master/
viewing
file
formats
Administration
film
V/A
tapes
files
Delivery
formats
and
media/
browsing
formats
technical skills and roles | 6 octobre 2014

9. BWF
MP3
03
Ingest entity
JPEG
2000 TIF
MPEG
1
MPEG2
H264
HEVC
JPEG
DV
DVC
pro
MXF
MOV
Betacam
SP/SX
AVI
AVC
intra
WAV
AAC
AC3
DIVX
2 inch
1 inch
B
1 inch
C
IMX
film

10. From analogue to digital…
Analogue to digital processes can be considered as part of the ingest entity.
There are still many film and analogue video formats over the world to preserve
and digitize but also early digital video formats now obsolete.
To ensure a successful film digitization 2 types of work are required:
> Film restoration or mechanical repairmanual work
> Film transfer and color correction  Evolving from telecine to scanning operation
To ensure a successful video (audio) tape digitization are required:
> A good preparation of the tape is the first important criteria to preserve the quality of a
content: cleaning, baking and repair…if needed
> a good playback of the original tape is the second criteria to preserve the quality of a
content. requires tape players in good condition
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11. From analogue to digital: roles at risk
Concerning these activities ,there are several traditional roles at risk:
Film restoration:
> Less and less people are interested in this job
> Film laboratories are closing and disappearing less and less opportunities to work on film media.
> Only large digitization of film could make this job last
> More generally skills and knowledge on film media are disappearing.
Video playback:
> Main problem to face is to maintain old obsolete machines.
> maintenance skills and knowledge on old tape machines 2 inch 1 inch are rapidly disappearing combined with
lack of spare parts.
> Almost impossible to motivate young people on these old technologies
> To play more recent tape formats (Beta, Beta SP,DVCpro… ) there are still possibilities to find machines and
spare parts. how long ?
> More generally, video tape recording (even digital) and associated role (video tape recorder
operators and maintenance technicians) are inevitably disappearing in the broadcast and post
production field and therefore in archives.
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12. From video to file…
Encoding is the function allowing conversion from either analogue or digital
video signals to file.
A file is a combination set of :
> Essence ( image, sound) ie MPEG2, DVCpro, JPEG2000, WAV…
> Metadata: technical metadata, identification metadata…
> Wrapper:/container MXF, MOV, BWF,AVI…
To preserve quality of the original content, the choice of the destination file
format is essential.
A file is defined and set by parameters, and technical metadata which are
essential to make it usable and understandable.
> spatial resolution ,bit rate, GOP, field order, interlaced/ progressive scanning, aspect ratio,
audio tracks….
A file must be at least standardized but this is not enough to ensure
interoperability.
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13. File format conversion/transcoding
File format conversion/transcoding system is a central function of the
ingest entity but also for the access entity.
> In the ingest entity, the transcoding system is used to convert various file formats
(ephemeral, experimental, old, proprietary…) into others file formats (for example into a
master/mezzanine file format or a viewing format)
> In the access entity, it is used to generate file formats compatible with diverse receiving
platforms for diverse uses.
File format conversion is required to solve interoperability problems.
But, transcoding is neither a “transparent” or a “so easy” task:
> It may introduce some quality problems or impairments on the content.
> Even if a file is “well defined” , some interoperability problems may occur:
> A file may be corrupted
> Some parameters of the file may not be taken into account by a specific device or tool
> A file may be accepted/perfectly used by one tool (transcoder, editing system, players…and not by another
according trade marks and standard implementation…)
> Unexpected problems
How to face these problems?
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14. A new role: « file specialist »
Encoding and transcoding in the digital process require very skilled and trained
people , “file specialists” :
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Main roles
To determine and set the best
parameters to ensure quality and
sustainability of the file.
to test/check interoperability with tools
of the market.
to analyze, understand and solve all
potential interoperability problems and
set corrections if required
Set the parameters of quality control
systems
Main skills
He/she must perfectly understand the
deep structure of the various files and
the role of each parameter
the characteristics of various
coders/transcoders, file players …
He/she must be able to understand,
analyze specific problems and bring a
solution. ( tools are required) .


15. A validation function: quality control (QC)
In the past, QC consisted in checking video and audio on video tapes.
Because processes are more and more automated, most important work for AV
technicians has become “monitoring systems and performing QC”
Before storing and archiving files, quality control is required in order to make
sure that :
> During digitization, the play back of the original media has been performed successfully ( checking levels,
clogging, drop outs sound presence….)
> The file structure, essence or wrapper is OK / not corrupted
> The parameters of the generated file are respected.
> The files are correctly named ( identification)
> The coding and/or the transcoding systems have not introduced new impairments.
> The content is complete (beginning and end) but also that received files correspond to the expected ones.
There are now automated tools able to check content quality and syntax of files
delivering time coded reports that can help an operator and make him focusing
on the detected problems
> Baton (Interra systems), Cerify (Tektronix)…
If a QC operator cannot analyze a problem, he/she can ask for help from file
specialists
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16. QC operator
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Main roles
Detect what are the artifacts due to the
original and/or its playback ( general or
specific)
Detect what are the artifacts specific to
coding or transcoding
Detect syntax/structure problems
Analyze reports from automated QC
Propose corrective actions
Main skills
Ability to analyze image and sound
Know and understand what are the
artifacts due to the original and/or its
playback ( general or specific)
Understand file syntax problems
know what are the artifacts specific to
coding or transcoding
Understand reports from automated
tools


17. 04 LTO digital library-Ina
Archival storage entity

18. Archival storage entity
Because of the ever faster growth of data volumes and diversity of uses , a
hierarchy of storage ( off line, on line, near on line) is generally implemented.
A hierarchy of storage requires some management rules to set and follow.
Archival storage management requires a broad IT knowledge in servers and
networks :hardware/software and data administration, hard drive, tape
robotics, and corresponding software (HSM….) The required skills of an
archival storage manager are more or less those of an IT administrator
In large companies, tasks may be split between several IT specialized roles and
responsibilities: hardware engineer, network engineer, security manager, help
desk…
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19. Role : storage manager/engineer
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Main roles
Common/usual tasks performed by a digital storage
manager are to:
Receive, provide/deliver , to delete, replace, back
up data  organize data, collect technical
metadata (produced at each step of the process)
Warranty operation :acquisition and delivery…
He/she also monitors permanently storage activity status
( streams, capacity, and performance… )
Objectives are to prevent system from failure and
data losses use of software to monitor data
tape libraries for example RVA ( read Verification
appliance) in data tape libraries.
Other important tasks are :
To check/ensure data integrity ( prevent data
from corruption, calculate check sums…) and
security ( backup data and setting disaster
recovery function and processes)
To plan/set strategies ( according to quantities)
and perform data migration from one
type/generation of storage to another ( for
example from LT04 to LTO6)
Assume scalability of the system
Prevent system from obsolescence: technological
survey and planning evolution
Main skills
Understanding networking
Understanding operating systems and related
files systems.
Understanding storage architectures (NAS,
SAN, HSM….)
Undersanding file formats
Software /hardware installation
Development/Programming


20. AC3
05
Access entity
H264
HEVC
JPEG
MOV
AVC
intra
DnX
WAV
MP3 BWF
JPEG
2000
Pro
Res
MXF
BWF
TIF

21. Access entity
The objectives of the access/delivery entity is to provide technical services as
“simple data formatting” :
> file format conversion to deliver the expected file format.
> Partial restore / extract creation: to deliver a sequence,
> Logo or burnt in time code insertion
But also “advanced” formatting functions like: (when required)
> publishing, editing functions, digital restoration…
Access activity: queries request and queries response, orders
Delivery on various modes:
> copy on digital video tape (less and less)
> Files on IT media: removable hard drives, data tapes, memory sticks and cards…
> File over networks (more and more)
Ensure quality of what is delivered
Protect data.
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22. Acess entity roles
Simple delivery can be implemented in an automated process/workflow.
(Request through tools allowing viewing/ selection/setting time code in and
out/order, buy, deliver)
:
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Main roles
Monitoring the activity:
check if customers orders have been satisfied on
time (for example, if it is linked to an urgency news)
Monitor if the technical system is OK.
If not, alert concerned department( for example IT
department if a server a network has failed e or the file
specialist)
Monitoring the delivered quality and apply corrections if
needed
of what is delivered (has been delivered) with the
help of automated tools , Analyse the problem and correct
if possible or ask to a file specialist
Secure the delivery services
In case of urgency or if the technical problem lasts,
use alternative delivery modes to deliver the expected
content.
Main skills
Understanding installed processes
Understanding files and their problems and
possible solutions see ingest entity skills
Understanding delivery modes 

23. Access/delivery entity roles
Sometimes, the delivery of a content requires some specific formatting
actions ( ie. which cannot be automated)
Editing, post production ( subtitling, dubbing…)
« Advanced » Up conversion--< reframing the pictures
Color grading
Authoring for DVD, Blu ray, publishing…
Digital restoration of image or sound
… All these jobs require specific «technico-artistic skills ».
Digital restoration is an increasing need in order to match today quality needs
and give new opportunities to archive contents.
In order to respect the original work, digital restoration requires not only to
master the tools but also a to have real knowledge of history of production,
the way it has been produced …
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24. Other access skills and roles
Data protection management according to the adopted protection system
( signature, water marking…)
> Marking content
> Monitoring use of content
> Detect illegal use
Publishing over multi platforms: Web masters…
> Web
> VOD
> Mobile
> I tunes
> …
Data mining
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25. 06
Temporary conclusion

26. Summary: roles
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Technical roles
Traditional roles: handling old
media
Still required in archives but
regularly decreasing
File specialist New essential role in the jungle
of files
Monitoring activity and QC
control
main new roles for AV
technicians
Data /storage management Central technical role of a digital
archive
Linked roles Publishing, data protection, data
mining, digital restoration, post
production…..

27. technical skills and roles | 6 octobre 2014 27
Ingest includes knowledge
of:
Old media use and behaviour
file formats and their
transformation
record keeping systems
programing languages
database administration
validation tools including QC
Identification
Preservation needs
knowledge of :
Technological history of the
archive
original record/ media either
analogue or digital
Original tools (ie tape player or
original operating system)
Migration between operating
systems ( for born digital
records)
Storage requires to
understand:
Operating systems and related
files systems
Management actions like
Software installation issues
Security
Back up
Data mining
Access needs to understand:
Networks and distribution
infrastructures and modes
(internet, VOD…
file formats and their
transformation
Validation tools (QC)
Protection tools
Management requires:
To understand broad technical and
IT concepts and their application
To plan and evaluate solutions .
Bring together a team of experts of
various disciplines
Make people speak the same
language
 Digital archivists?
Summary: knowledge

28. Some axes of technical training…
General Knowledge managers + all
Practice of file formats and AV compression:
> Fundamental knowledge of standards , formats and uses. Quality parameters and
comparisons
Understanding video ad audio for computer people
More specialized trainings: file specialists
Optimization of compression:
> Setting parameters of different formats and tools ( encoders/transcoders) to get the best
results, automation of tools, analysis tools…
Specialized trainings on each format ( MPEG2, MPEG4JPEG2000, HEVC, MXF,
DCP..
> Deep knowledge of parameters and related problems, performance analysis.
Quality control:
Basics of quality control of picture and sound
Practice of quality control tools: of Baton, Cerify….
Media server administration: storage managers
Server technologies and architectures, exchanges , security of data, users
profiles….
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29. Thank you for your attention
jvarra@ina.fr
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