EVIA Digital Archive Project Basics

For Depositors

For Researchers

• What can I do in the field to prepare my materials for EVIA Project deposition?

  There are two major things you can do in the field that will make it much easier to deposit your video materials in the EVIA Digital Archive Project: (1) gain appropriate permissions for use of the material, and (2) make sure your data is as complete as possible.
  
  Currently, the EVIA Project only requires that videographers sign an agreement stating that they were the primary videographer of an event and that they believe that they are not infringing on any individual's rights by depositing their video. The Project does not require any other permission forms. However, in order to better protect the rights of performers and their communities, we encourage scholars to gain permissions whenever possible. This can be done in two ways. First, you can design a simple form that collects certain principal types of permissions, including (a) human subjects/consent, (b) permission to film and broadcast an event, (c) a license agreement with composers to record their performance, and (d) a license agreement with performers to record their performance (if the composer and performer are not the same person). A second method that you can use to gain permissions is to orally record (on video if possible) a general agreement by performers that follows the basic tenants of the written form. The EVIA Project has two sample forms to help you with this process.
  
  It also is important to take advantage of your time in the field to fill in any gaps in your research data. During the Project's annotation process, you will be asked to view your tapes and write as much information as possible about the content. Since some of the information needed in an annotation is often neglected in fieldwork—the names of every performer, for instance, or other details—viewing your videotapes in the field may be useful. Viewing and annotating your videos soon after they are filmed will provide a good sense of the information you need to gather while you are still at your research site. It also will better prepare you to describe your videos once you begin the annotation process.

For Instructors