Page 28 - 2005-12

THE FILM AND VIDEO UNIT

AT THE BEAULIEU MOTOR MUSEUM
Alan E. Lott FACI.

Forward by Editor:
The Beaulieu Motor Museum, located close
to Southampton on England’s south coast
is a world-renowned motor museum. This
article tells of another activity involving
activities close to our areas of interest.

proprietor of Avion Video, a firm which
Film and Video Unit was formed in 1991 publishes both DVDs and VHS tapes of
and has no published literature or obsolete aircraft types. The purpose of the
catalogue. However there has been a visit was to transfer some 5,000 ft of 16mrn
steady building up of a collection of film plus a short length of 35mm film to
donated films of historic value, not all digital tape. From this tape Avion Video will
confined to the motoring industry. For be compiling an historical record of the
instance a collection of films from the Handley Page Dart Herald aircraft, one of
Whitbread Archives. the main exhibits at the Museum of
Berkshire Aviation. The particular machine
This unit, although housed in part of the at the Museum of Berkshire Aviation was
main building, is not open to the general the first production model flown by Prince
public and whilst receiving modest financial Philip on a series of worldwide promotional
assistance from gate takings of the main tours in the
museum does not receive any other
support, government or otherwise. 1950s. It has been lovingly restored to
Therefore it has to rely substantially on exhibition standard by Museum staff.
charges for the services it offers to other
organisations. These are at commercial Currently facilities at Beaulieu provide for
rates which means they are out of reach of the transfer of 16mm and 35mm films to
amateur film/video makers. video format as required by the client.
Running speeds are 18 an 25 fps with com-
Typical customers are the Police, Hospitals mag available. 35mm nitrate
and Broadcast Organisations. Fortunately it
does benefit from other professional MAY be accepted for transfer PROVIDING
organisations by their donation of surplus it is not shrunk and is otherwise in good
equipment when they reorganize or close. condition. Super 8mm may be added later
In February they were awaiting delivery of but no date has yet been decided.
an Ampex two-inch quadruplex video
recorder donated by Meridian Television. The workhorses of the film-to-digital tape
transfer are two Rank Cintel. Mk3-X2
In February 2005 in my capacity as the machines with Quarto SC-AM Store and
Film and Video Archivist of the Museum of Digigrading. Fig 1. These machines are
Berkshire Aviation I visited this facility equipped with Com-Mag for reading
accompanied by Mr. Howard Asbridge, magnetic tracks.