ORDERING VIDEO AND FILM COPIES FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES (NARA)

An ordering packet is available from NARA with info on how to order broadcast-quality copies. It can also be downloaded from the nara.gov website. Government advice can be a bit cumbersome. Thus I offer this advice:

1. take out the Item Approval form (2 pages) and make a xerox for your files
2. fill in all of the information requested on the top portion
3. fill in column 1 with the archive number (BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE DOUBLE-CHECKED THE INFO BY COMPARING MY LOG TO THE SLATES ON THE VIEWING COPIES) EX: 200 UN 2-45-3
4. fill in column 2 with a word or two EX: “helicopters” or “riots”
5. fill in column 3 TYPE OF COPY with what you want EX: beta SP
6. limit each order to 25 reels .... A multi-reel film must be listed reel by reel
7. FAX to the number listed at the top of the form
8. telephone one of the labs in the NARA list and tell them what you have faxed to NARA; your technical specs; your payment arrangements; and your FEDEX #.
9. when you get the Item Approval back from NARA (it will now have the running times and rights status of each reel) ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK THE ARCHIVE NUMBERS AGAINST YOUR ORIGINAL ITEM APPROVAL!
10. FAX the new Item Approval to the lab .....   OR   ask NARA to return your Item Approval via email and then email it to the lab.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

A)VIDEO COPIES:  the typical reel from NARA runs 10 minutes and a betaSP copy runs about $100. Longer reels are more. PAL is more. If the source is video, it is less

B) FILM COPIES:  copies to film are significantly more expensive. Only Bono Labs and ColorLab do film-to-film.

C) from the time that the lab gets your approved Item Approval, expect at least a two week turn-around. If you are in a rush, talk to lab. Miracles do happen!