SCENE 01 / ARCHIVAL PRESERVATION
Archival & Preservation
Professional archival solutions ensuring your content remains accessible and protected for generations.
Here is how this works in practice. Archival preservation makes sure finished shoots and their source materials are stored in formats and conditions that keep quality and accessibility over time. Pro archival practices have creating preservation masters, migrating media to today's storage standards, and keeping organized metadata and records.
Here is the short of it. We set up archival and preservation services that protect your production's assets for long-term accessibility. Our team arranges creation of preservation masters, secure storage solutions, and records systems that make sure your content stays easy to reach and in tech viable for future use and re-distribution.
Capabilities
Archival Excellence
We safeguard your valuable media assets through industry-standard storage solutions designed to protect content integrity for decades into the future.
01
LTO Technology
Industry-standard tape archiving for reliable long-term storage.
Proven
02
Secure Storage
Protected multi-site preservation with geographic redundancy.
Security
03
Future-Proof
Format migration strategies ensuring accessibility for decades.
Longevity
04
Asset Management
Searchable metadata systems for easy content retrieval.
Access
Archival Services
Preservation Standards
Why Us
Why Choose Our Archival Services
01.
Proven Reliability
Decades of preservation experience.
02.
Easy Retrieval
Quick access to archived content.
03.
Scalable Solutions
Growing with your archive needs.
04.
Global Standards
Following global best practices.
On Location
LTO and national-archive preservation through LAC, NFB / ONF, and major post houses
Here is how the work lines up. Archival preservation for Canadian shoots sits at the intersection of commercial post-house infrastructure and the country's two indispensable cultural memory institutions: Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in Ottawa-Gatineau. This preserves work registered under the Canadian Copyright Act and accepts statutory deposit of broadcast and feature material. The NFB / ONF (Office national du film, founded 1939 — many Oscar-winning preservation program), whose Montreal vault has held the source negatives, audio elements, and digital masters of generations of documentary, animation, and Indigenous-voices work.
Here is the layout. We set up LTO-9 archival writes through DNEG, Pixomondo, and Tattersall Sound & Picture, making dual-copy LTFS tape sets — one geographically separated copy in the post house's primary vault and a second copy held in cold storage with the production's nominated long-term partner. Checksum manifests (MD5 / SHA-256) go with each tape, with a six-month / twelve-month read-back verification schedule baked into the archive plan so silent bit-rot is caught while the data is still recoverable.
Here is how the work shapes up. Preservation masters cover the full chain Canadian rights-holders need to keep their catalogues productive: camera-first RAW, conform AAF / XML, full-resolution picture master (ProRes 4444 XQ + DNxHR HQX), IMF SMPTE 2067 package, separated stems and printmasters for the 5.1 / 7.1 / Atmos / Auro 11.1 mixes, score sessions for Howard Shore / Mychael Danna / Murray Gold-scale composer archives, and full subtitle-and-caption deliverables in EN, FR, and the Indigenous-language tracks (Inuktitut, Cree, Anishinaabe) where APTN or NFB Indigenous Voices delivery is in scope. CBC and Radio-Canada catalog restoration projects, Atanarjuat-era Inuit cinema and Isuma Productions / Wapikoni Mobile Indigenous archive material, and the deeper NFB / ONF library each carry their own metadata schema, and we structure the MAM ingest so search, rights-window queries, and re-release pulls stay straightforward decades downstream.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LTO tape archiving?
Here is the breakdown. LTO (Linear Tape-Open) is the industry standard for long-term media archiving. LTO tapes give top longevity (30+ years), high capacity, and low cost per terabyte. We use LTFS (Linear Tape File System) which makes tapes as easy to use as hard drives while giving the security gains of offline storage.
How do you ensure data integrity over time?
Here is what that looks like on the ground. We implement many safeguards including checksum verification at each stage, redundant copies stored in different locations, site-level tracking of storage facilities, and regular integrity checks. Our systems automatically flag any issues so they can be addressed before data loss occurs.
What happens when formats become obsolete?
Here is how the picture comes together. We proactively monitor format lifecycles and plan migrations before obsolescence becomes key. Our preservation strategy has keeping access to legacy playback systems and systematically migrating content to today's formats when appropriate, making sure your content stays easy to reach no matter technology changes.
Can you help organize and catalog existing archives?
Here is what we have to work with. Yes, we give complete digital asset management services including cataloging existing archives, creating searchable metadata databases, and implementing MAM systems. We can help transform disorganized media libraries into well-structured, easily easy to reach archives with full search skills.
Related Services
Productions in Canada that need this often pair it with Broadcast Delivery Services, Digital Cinema Package (DCP), and Format Conversion & Encoding Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Delivery & Output Services and Audio Mixing & Mastering.
On Set
Protect Your Media Legacy
Let's create a comprehensive archival strategy for your valuable content.