{{Short description|Trade body representing the film archive industry}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}} {{multiple issues|{{Notability|Organizations|date=September 2012}} {{primary sources|date=September 2012}} {{advert|date=September 2012}} }} {{Infobox organization |image = FOCAL International logo.jpg |image_size = 200px |name = Federation of Commercial Audio Visual Libraries |caption = |abbreviation = FOCAL International |formation = 1985 |extinction = |status = [[Non-profit organization|Non-profit company]] |purpose = [[Trade association]] for the [[film archive]], [[filmmaking]] and [[stock footage]] industry |location = 27 Mortimer Street, London, W1T 3BL |region_served = Worldwide |membership = [[Stock footage]] archives, industry skills and services companies |leader_name = |leader_title2 = Chair of Patrons |leader_name2 = [[David Puttnam]] |leader_title3 = Patron |leader_name3 = [[Greg Dyke]] |main_organ = |parent_organization = |affiliations = |budget = |website = [http://www.focalint.org FOCAL International] |remarks = }}
'''FOCAL International''' is the [[trade association]] representing [[Stock footage#Libraries|stock footage]] companies, [[post-production]] facilities and individuals involved in the use of [[stock footage|footage]], [[stock photography|still images]] and [[stock sound effect|audio]] in all forms of media production. It represents more than 300 companies and individuals involved in media production, asset management, preservation of historical archives, [[film restoration]] and [[post-production]].
==History== FOCAL International was founded in 1985 by an international group of [[stock footage|library]] archive leaders, specialising in film, television and news content who knew each other largely through licensing film and television archives. The high cost of Archive management, preservation and storage and the introduction of new formats was also endangering many film based collections.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nitrate Won't Wait: A History of Film Preservation in the United States|first=Anthony|last=Slide|publisher=MacFarland & Company Ltd|year=1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZIq5-_hu5cC&dq=jill+hawkins%2C+focal&pg=PA144|isbn=0-7864-0836-7}}</ref> The founders included Jill Hawkins from [[BBC Enterprises]] (now [[BBC Worldwide]]), Pam Turner of [[Visnews]], David Warner of [[ITN]], George Marshall of [[British Pathe]], Sten Frykholm from the Swedish broadcaster [[Sveriges Television|SVT]], Jacque Blanchard, from the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]], and Patricia Gang of [[National Geographic Channel|National Geographic]]. With the support of a close group of individuals from both BBC and Visnews including Alan Stoner, Jeremy Cantwell, David Wratten as well as researchers Kirsty MacCalman and Jane Mercer, FOCAL launched officially at MIPCOM in 1987.
Its first patron was [[David Puttnam]], who became Chair of Patrons in 2005.
==Structure== FOCAL International is run by a small administration team in the UK, reporting to an international Executive Council, comprising a chair, and a number of representatives of member bodies.
FOCAL International seeks to implement its objectives through its [[committee]]s, which are made up of industry experts and representatives. These committees include: the Editorial Committee, responsible for the quarterly magazine "Archive Zones"; the Events & Exhibitions Committee, responsible for organising the [[FOCAL International#FOCAL International Awards|FOCAL International Awards]], and FOCAL International's presence at relevant trade and industry events; the Training Committee, responsible for providing and promoting training in the archive industry, and raising awareness of the need for preservation of archives; and the Funding & Lobbying Committee, which lobbies governmental and institutional bodies on behalf of its members.
==FOCAL International Awards== The FOCAL International Awards were established in 2004 to support and honour the researchers, technicians and producers who uncover, preserve and utilise archive footage in their work. The award ceremony is held annually in [[London]], UK.
The Awards cover categories for the best use of footage in factual productions, history arts & entertainment, music, sports, natural history, short format and cinema. Further categories include best restoration or [[film preservation|preservation]] project, Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year, plus two additional personnel Awards for FOCAL Member Company of the Year & Footage Person of the Year. The FOCAL Executive Board also bestow the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Notable winners have included: * [[Rick Prelinger]]: Lifetime Achievement Award, 2012<ref>FOCAL International Awards 2012 http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2012/the-focal-international-awards-2012 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717202925/http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2012/the-focal-international-awards-2012 |date=17 July 2012 }} Retrieved 12 July 2012</ref> * [[Pathe News]]: Footage Library of the Year, 2012 * Britain At War:,<ref>[[Imperial War Museum]]'s "[http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/press-release/IWMFilmBritainatWarWinsFocalAward.pdf IWM Film Archive’s ''Britain At War'' wins prestigious FOCAL International Award]" Retrieved 27 June 2012</ref> by the [[Imperial War Museum]] Film Archives: Best Use of Footage in a Home Entertainment Release, in 2012 * [[Senna (film)|Senna]]: Best Use of Sports Footage and Best Use of Footage in a Cinema Release, 2012 * [[Fire in Babylon]]: Best Use of Footage in a Cinema Release, 2011<ref>FOCAL International Awards 2011 http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2011/the-focal-international-awards-2011 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515095918/http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2011/the-focal-international-awards-2011 |date=15 May 2012 }} Retrieved 12 July 2012</ref> * [[Martin Scorsese]]: Best Restoration or Preservation Project, 2010 (for the restoration of [[The Red Shoes (1948 film)|The Red Shoes]])<ref>FOCAL International Awards 2010 http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2010/the-focal-international-awards-2010 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515095245/http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2010/the-focal-international-awards-2010 |date=15 May 2012 }} Retrieved 12 July 2012</ref> * [[JFK: 3 Shots That Changed America]]: Best Use of Footage in Factual Productions, 2010 * Focus on Film, run by [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]: Best Use of Footage on Non-television Platforms, 2008.<ref>FOCAL International Awards 2008 http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2008/the-focal-international-awards-2008 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617121528/http://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2008/the-focal-international-awards-2008 |date=17 June 2012 }} Retrieved 12 July 2008</ref> *[[Stewart Binns]]: Archive Award, 2004 & 2005
==Members== Companies and organisations that are members of FOCAL International include:
* [[Agence France-Presse]] * [[Associated Press|AP Archive]] * [[BAFTA]] (Industry Partner) * [[British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies|BAPLA]] (Industry Partner) * [[BBC Motion Gallery]] * [[Bridgeman Art Library]] * [[British Pathe]] * [[Channel 4]] * [[Branded Entertainment Network|Corbis]] * [[Film Archive Forum]] (Industry Partner) * [[FremantleMedia|Fremantlemedia Archive]] * [[Getty Images]] * Huntley Film Archives * [[Imperial War Museum|Imperial War Museum Film and Video Archive]] * [[ITN Source#ITN Source|ITN Source]] * The [[Japanese Broadcasting Corporation|NHK]] Visual & Audio Archives (Japan) * The [[National Archives of Singapore]] * The [[National Film and Sound Archive]] (Australia) * The [[National Film Board of Canada]] * The [[National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales]] * [[Natural History New Zealand]] Moving Images * The [[NRK|Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]] * [[The Pinewood Studios Group]] * The [[Press Association]] * [[S4C]] (Wales) * [[Science Photo Library]] * [[Seven Network]] (Australia) * [[Sveriges Television|SVT]] (Sweden) * The Scottish Screen Archive at the [[National Library of Scotland]] * [[T3Media]] * [[Wellcome Library]] Moving Images & Sound Collection * [[Yle]] (Finland)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.focalint.org FOCAL International]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Arts and media trade groups]] [[Category:Film organisations in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Film post-production]]