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Answers to the most common questions
Q1? Who is this film archive primarily made available for?
A1. The archive will appeal to anyone seriously interested in the evolution of the automobile and other aspects of motoring and social history.
Q2? Where exactly have these films come from?
A2. These films have originated from many different sources. These include car manufacturers and associated companies, major film archive libraries, private film collections, government departments, military organisations, film and television production companies, cinema newsreel producers, and elsewhere. The films actually cover every continent, although the vast majority are from the English speaking world, especially the UK and the USA.
Q3? How long do the films last?
A3. The duration of most of the films is between two and 10 minutes, although, exceptionally, some films are less than one minute in length, such as some old TV advertisements and cinema newsreels.
Q4? What is the quality of the films?
A4. As with all archive films, the quality varies from one film to another. While most films are of a high standard, there are some which have deteriorated more than others over the years and are of a lesser quality, but are included here because of their rarity and newsworthiness. However, every effort has been made to use modern digital technology to try and enhance the quality of each film to maximise the viewing experience.
Q5? Do all the films have narration?
A5. Almost all the films have narration and all the narration is in English. Some of the very earliest films were originally made silent, but have had an explanatory commentary added in more recent times.
Q6? Are these films professionally made?
A6. All the films have been professionally produced, although some are higher quality productions that others.
Q7? Could I have seen any of these films before?
A7. We can't say who has seen what film before, but we believe 90%+ of all the films featured will not previously have been seen by 90%+ of today's car enthusiasts. In fact, as many of the films have been "lost" or hidden away for more than 50 years, many of them should be completely original to most people who view them.
Q8? How is it possible for me to view the films at the highest possible quality?
A8. You can purchase the entire film archive on a portable, plug-and-play, computer hard drive which will enable you to watch all the films at full TV quality and at full screen size. The cost of the hard drive is £149.99 (approximately $250), which includes complementary reference material, as well as supplementary information about all the films in the archive. To purchase the hard drive, please visit our dedicated motoring history shop, which also possesses an extensive range of motoring history DVDs and other related products. To go to the shop, click here.
Q9? If I have some old motoring films, can I offer them to you?
A9. We welcome contact from individuals or companies who have old motoring films which may be of interest to other car enthusiasts. However, we would only acquire them if (a) they passed our own quality threshold; (b) if the person/company offering them was the copyright holder and (c) the footage was unlike anything already in our possession.
Q10? What do I do if the demo films do not play on my computer?
A10. The demo films, as with the films on the computer hard drive, have all been created as wmv files, and should work on all modern PCs. If you have a MAC or another type of personal computer, you may need to download the latest Windows Media Player (wmp) or other additional video conversion software. You can get further information by clicking on the following link. http://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/all-in-one-video-converters | 