Description
Appraise, preserve, and manage motion picture and audiovisual collections, including film, video, and digital assets. Conduct research and support access, restoration, and long-term safekeeping of historically significant moving images.
- • Build and maintain film and audiovisual asset databases and digital repositories using current preservation technologies.
- • Organize and arrange film elements and related materials; develop classification and cataloging standards to facilitate access.
- • Authenticate and appraise film prints, negatives, videotapes, and digital files for provenance, condition, and historical value.
- • Provide reference services, research assistance, and access copies for scholars, producers, and the public.
- • Supervise staff and volunteers in inspection, cleaning, cataloging, rehousing, and exhibition preparation.
- • Create filmographic records, metadata, condition reports, and finding aids to enable efficient discovery and retrieval.
- • Inspect, repair, and reformat at-risk media via photochemical duplication, scanning, and digitization; create access and preservation masters.
- • Establish and enforce policies for handling (including nitrate safety), climate-controlled storage, access, rights management, and reuse.
- • Identify, acquire, and accession film and AV collections through donation, purchase, or transfer; plan displays and screenings.
- • Research and document production histories, rights status, and cultural significance of films and footage.
- • Specialize in areas such as silent cinema, documentary, animation, or broadcast to guide selection and preservation priorities.
- • Coordinate screenings, lectures, tours, and workshops on film history, preservation, and archival practice.
- • Select and edit moving-image excerpts and stills for exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms with accurate context and credits.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
