My thesis is titled: Safeguarding digital telecinematic history and culture: Archiving film and television visual effects records. It presents a detailed examination of digital records and archival practices in the global film and television visual effects (VFX) industry.
Research approach and outcomes
My doctoral research is the first scholarly investigation of records and archival practice in the digital VFX industry. The research involved working directly with local and international VFX companies, as well as experienced studio archivists and digital preservation practitioners. Through these collaborations, the research directly tackled the issue of how significant VFX records can be preserved, so that they remain accessible, reliable and usable over time?
Drawing on established archival theory and practices, as well as practices from the wider cultural heritage sector, my thesis documents the types of records created by the industry, the current state of archiving and recommendations to make improvements.
The recommendations will help ensure that evidence of the evolution of digital VFX design, process, technologies and people is preserved and documented, so that the historical and cultural legacy of film and television VFX will be protected for many decades to come.