Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Video Archivist

🎯 Role Definition

A Video Archivist is the custodian of an organization's moving image history and a key enabler of its future content creation. This role is responsible for the entire lifecycle of video assets, from their initial acquisition to their long-term preservation and strategic reuse. More than just a gatekeeper, the Video Archivist meticulously organizes, describes, and manages vast collections of digital and physical video media. By ensuring that valuable content is secure, discoverable, and accessible, they empower creative, marketing, and legal teams to leverage the full value of the organization's media library, preserving its legacy and fueling new narratives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Archival Assistant or Technician
Production Assistant
Junior Video Editor
Library Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Video Archivist or Media Archivist
Digital Asset Manager
Head of Archives / Collections Manager
Media Systems Administrator

Lateral Moves:

Metadata Specialist or Taxonomist
Digital Preservation Specialist
Post-Production Supervisor
Content Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the end-to-end ingest process for all incoming video assets, including transcoding files to preservation and proxy formats, and performing rigorous quality control checks to ensure technical specifications are met.
Meticulously catalog and index a high volume of video content by applying rich, descriptive metadata, subject headings, and time-based logging in alignment with established schemas like PBCore or Dublin Core.
Administer and serve as the primary subject matter expert for the organization’s Media Asset Management (MAM) or Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, managing user access, system integrity, and workflows.
Fulfill a wide range of media requests from internal departments (such as production, marketing, and communications) and external partners, ensuring the timely and accurate delivery of assets.
Develop, implement, and oversee digital preservation strategies to safeguard the long-term viability of video collections against format obsolescence, bit rot, and media degradation.
Research and document rights, clearances, and licensing information associated with video assets, collaborating closely with the legal department to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.
Conduct the digitization and preservation of legacy analog video formats (e.g., Betacam, U-matic, VHS) and film, adhering to archival best practices for handling and conversion.
Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for all archival workflows, metadata standards, system configurations, and best practices to ensure operational consistency.
Train and support colleagues across the organization on the effective use of the MAM/DAM system, empowering them to self-service their search and retrieval needs.
Collaborate directly with video editors and post-production teams to establish and streamline the seamless handoff of project files, raw footage, and final masters into the archive.
Systematically manage the organization’s controlled vocabularies and taxonomy, making thoughtful additions and revisions to ensure they evolve with the collection and business needs.
Monitor archival storage systems, including cloud, on-premise, and LTO tape libraries, and work with IT to forecast capacity needs and plan for expansion.
Perform regular, systematic audits of the digital archive to verify file integrity, confirm metadata accuracy, and identify and correct organizational inconsistencies.
Provide crucial research support for creative and editorial teams by expertly navigating the archive to locate and curate relevant historical footage for new productions and projects.
Stay proactively informed about emerging technologies, new standards, and evolving best practices in digital archiving, media management, and preservation science.
Enforce consistent file naming conventions and directory structures for all media, maintaining a highly organized and scalable archive environment.
Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to file transcoding, media corruption, metadata application, and MAM/DAM system errors.
miscellaneous archival projects, such as collection assessment, processing backlogs, and migration to new systems or storage platforms.
Generate and present insightful reports on archive usage, asset lifecycle statistics, and system performance to help guide strategic decision-making.
Ensure the robust physical and digital security of all archival assets by managing access controls, backup routines, and disaster recovery plans.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc media requests and provide in-depth research assistance for various departments, including legal, marketing, and executive teams.
Contribute to the organization's long-term digital preservation strategy and the development of formal collection policies.
Collaborate with production, marketing, and legal teams to understand their asset needs and ensure archival procedures support their workflows.
Participate in technology evaluations and improvement projects for the Digital Asset Management (DAM) system and related toolsets.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Digital & Media Asset Management (DAM/MAM): Deep proficiency in operating and administering systems like CatDV, Iconik, Dalet, Reach Engine, or similar platforms.
Video Codecs & Formats: Expert knowledge of professional video/audio codecs, containers, and file formats (e.g., ProRes, DNxHD, H.264, XDCAM, MP4, MOV).
Metadata Standards: Practical experience applying and managing metadata schemas such as PBCore, Dublin Core, EBUCore, and internal taxonomies.
Video Editing Software: Working knowledge of non-linear editing (NLE) software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer for QC and clip creation.
Digital Preservation: Understanding of digital preservation principles, including fixity checking, format migration, and LTO/tape-based workflows.
Database Fundamentals: Basic understanding of database concepts and the ability to perform queries (SQL) is a significant asset.
Scripting & Automation: Familiarity with scripting languages (like Python or Bash) to automate repetitive tasks is highly desirable.
Legacy Media Formats: Knowledge of handling, evaluating, and digitizing analog video and film formats.
Taxonomy & Controlled Vocabulary: Skill in developing and maintaining logical and user-friendly classification systems.
Networking & Storage Concepts: Familiarity with concepts of on-premise, cloud (S3, Glacier), and near-line storage architectures.

Soft Skills

Meticulous Attention to Detail: An absolute requirement for ensuring the accuracy of metadata and the integrity of the archive.
Exceptional Organizational Skills: The ability to manage a high volume of complex data and tasks in a structured, logical manner.
Systematic Problem-Solving: The capacity to diagnose and resolve technical and logistical issues with a methodical approach.
Clear Communication: Ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and to document procedures clearly.
Collaborative Spirit: A proactive, team-player attitude, eager to support the needs of various departments.
Adaptability & Eagerness to Learn: Enthusiasm for staying current with a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Research & Discovery Skills: A knack for investigative thinking and locating "needle in a haystack" content.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

A Master's Degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), Archival Studies, Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP), or a closely related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Library & Information Science
Archival Studies / Museum Studies
Film & Media Studies
Communications
Information Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-5 years of professional experience in an archival, library, or media-centric environment.

Preferred: Direct, hands-on experience working with large-scale video collections and administering a Media Asset Management (MAM) or Digital Asset Management (DAM) system within a corporate, broadcast, or production environment.