Why our video archives are safer than the NASA moon landing tapes
Losing a client's raw footage is inexcusable. In fact, we think the issue should be addressed by firing squad. But because accidents do inevitably happen, it is our job to make sure we take every preventative measure to avoid disaster.
On this glorious 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, it still seems incomprehensible that NASA archivists deliberately ERASED THEIR ORIGINAL TAPES of the event. Oh yes, according to NASA senior engineer Dick Nafzger, 45 of the original reels vanished in a black recycling hole in the 1970s and 80s.
The specially formatted tapes were reused to record something else. This reminds us of the "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode in which Ray taped over his wedding video to record the Super Bowl.
At Award Productions, we won't tape over your raw footage for a football game, sitcom or anything else. But more critically, we take great safeguards to make sure your original material doesn't disappear, period. And if it does, we've got backups.
Your raw tapes are sealed in airtight, waterproof containers -- but only after being digitized and archived on two separate mirrored hard drives that are stored in two different locations.
Isn't keeping three copies of your original footage a little bit of overkill?
Ask that question to NASA!