CBC Archives: documentary dream factory

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Where do documentary filmmakers go to find that historic clip or interview nobody else has? Many turn to the CBC Archives in Toronto. 

The vast, climate controlled vaults at the CBC Broadcast Centre are home to approximately 1.5 million hours of digitized material. Those restored holdings are drawn from over 90,000 cans of film, 215,000 videos and over 270,000 audio assets. Classic CBC shows such as The Friendly Giant, This Hour Has 7 Days, and Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts dating back to 1952 are among the holdings.

Two who oversee the operation are Dan Dimopoulos, Senior Manager, Content Lifecycle, and Ann Cox, Senior Manager, Library Services. They make sure these rare gems are fully restored and searchable for filmmakers from around the world.

Every month, thousands of hours of footage are retrieved for reuse. For example, the makers of the Netflix feature “Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan” found a mid- ‘60s interview with the variety show host conducted by Patrick Watson. Executive producer Margo Precht Speciale says it is the best interview her grandfather ever gave.

Other docs recently featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, including those celebrating the Toronto production of Godspell, Lilithfair and “Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert,” all raided the CBC Archives.

I admit, as a film collector myself, I kinda nerded out talking to Dan and Ann. Listen to us now at brioux.tv: the podcast.