Job Opening: Chief Motion Picture Timer (Motion Picture Preservation Specialist)

[Frank Wylie]

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/750970800

 Open & closing dates:  09/25/2023 to 10/09/2023

The position of Photographic Preservation Specialist (Chief Motion Picture Timer) is a preservation administration/conservator position in the Film Preservation Laboratory of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC), Library Collections and Services Group at the Library of Congress in Culpeper, Virginia. The incumbent uses expert knowledge and skills to preserve and conserve the Library's oldest, most fragile nitrate-base and safety-base motion picture films with a great deal of independence in an exemplary manner. The incumbent maintains high standards of practice as defined by relevant professional associations for the long-term preservation and photochemical duplication of the Library's unique, historic, fragile and irreplaceable collections.

The Library of Congress holds the largest public collection of nitrate-base and safety-based 16mm and 35mm film in the country. The Film Preservation Laboratory is responsible for preserving the collection at the Library’s photochemical film lab. This lab opened at this location in 2007. The laboratory staff inspects and prepares film for printing. The motion picture printers include a BHP contact wet/shrunken (model 7700 RD) and dry/non-shrunken (model 6127) and an Oxberry 1500 wet gate step optical printer for 35mm, 28mm, 22mm, 16mm and Super 16mm, 8mm and Super 8mm blow-up printing to 35mm. The lab also includes photochemical processing for black and white positive and black and white negative, and a 35mm QC theater.

Performs in more than one specialty area. As a motion picture timer, incumbent sets equipment parameters and conducts testing as needed for black and white motion picture film processes. Makes daily densitometer checks by plotting density readings obtained from a pre-calibrated step wedge against standard readings.

Examines and times film for printing, whether for prints, master positive, or duplicate negatives, for both picture image and soundtrack. Selects light intensity to be used for each scene; prepares a punched tape for automatic light change control consistent with the recorded light selections. Assigns the proper gamma level for duplicate negatives to be made from masters or prints. Selects the printing equipment best suited for printing the film in each production job.

As a technical expert, the incumbent assigns jobs to the inspector/printers, tracks the progress of jobs through the lab, gives technical assistance on difficult and complex work problems, and inspects completed work to assure it is of acceptable quality. In addition, they participate in the design of special test equipment when existing equipment fails to provide acceptable results. Modifies testing programs to obtain and evaluate required data under varying operating conditions. Develops innovative procedures and equipment to meet specialized and unique requirements and recommends changes in procedures or equipment when existing procedures and equipment do not produce acceptable quality prints.

Modifies established testing programs to test entire systems. Determines characteristics, capabilities, and limitations and performance of conventional systems. Applicable guides and precedents are available. Establishes a program to test required data under varying operating conditions. Analyzes data for evidence of improper function. Determines cause of malfunction. Analyzes and evaluates the significance of test data and writes an evaluation report of findings and recommendations.

Develops innovative photographic systems and equipment to meet specialized challenges associated with the preservation, conservation, and reproduction of photographic media. Evaluates projects for the application of new technological developments in the field. Addresses unexpected situations, for which no precedents exist, nor any relevant preservation, conservation, or reproduction procedures.

Evaluates work representing the most difficult and most unusual problems with preservation of audio and moving­ image materials. Evaluates the technical quality of audio and moving image preservation materials. Evaluates such image factors as proper image registration, density, gamma, critical focus, granularity and gradation, as well as audio synchronization, sibilance, modulation, noise, and frequency range to determine if they meet archival standards of quality.

Determines the correct light value for each scene, the printing equipment that can best duplicate the original nitrate-base and safety-base film, and the proper gamma to control the developing of the film.

The position description number for this position is 056784.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

That is an odd job to find people for me thinks. Looks like you don't need a degree in film preservation, you need real world, actual knowledge and experience. More and more of them are pushing up daisies Who knows, maybe they got some. It will be interesting to see who takes the job. Tell them to come here to answer our questions. You have been a go-to fixture here answering questions no one has a clue about. Thanks for all your help over the years, Frank.

 

 ...on another topic.

 

The L.O.C. is terrible to deal with. They only offer super low-res postage stamp size jpegs of images or super high size, subpar TIFF files that don't deserve their massive size of 200 or 400mb. They are not hi-res, just high file size. And if it is anything good, you got to visit D.C. to get access. Just terrible for the peoples' archive. 

 

I know they can do better. I downloaded the famous image by Dorothea Lange of the Migrant Mother. It didn't need a thing, couldn't improve on it with any PP...perfect! OK, it was a special photo, but the L.O.C. does terrible with much of the rest.

 

I model my Archive after the old Getty Open Content Archive. They used to give out high grade 30mb and 40 mb jpeg images for any use. While I don't have a large format copy camera like a Phase One, I give out decent scans and copy images in the 10 to 30 mb range on average. (If asked). Funny thing is; Getty cut back on the generosity and scaled back the image size to maybe 5 - 8 mb. No more super high-res jpegs from the Getty Museum. 

 

Well...good luck in your endeavors, Frank!

 

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Park View Citizens Assn. Store L.O.C. - Glass Plate

Post Processing: D.D. Teoli Jr.