MASTERCLASS
Archival Research,
Clearance & Storytelling:
The Ins & Outs
Gain the archival knowledge and skills
needed to work with archival content in documentaries and docuseries.


They trust Archive Valley
The Ultimate Blueprint on
How to Find, License & Use Archival Footage
for Docs and TV Productions.
OVERVIEW
The Archive Valley Masterclass
At Archive Valley, we see a lot of Film and TV professionals struggling with archival research. Yet, there is a growing appetite for archival-based stories, and a growing reliance on existing footage for unscripted and nonfiction productions.
Being unprepared to manage the archival complexities involved in a documentary project can impact the production, its budget and its distribution.
That's why we came up with a concrete solution that is quite unique in the Film and TV industry: an online course about the ins and outs of archival research - now also available as a self-paced course.
Engaging and practical, the Archive Valley Masterclass has been built as a step-by-step guide, with the aim to help Film and TV professionals deal efficiently with the many aspects of archival research, from pre-production through to the licensing process and Master deliveries.
Over the course of this masterclass, not only will you learn about the entire process, including best practices from archive producers credited on high-calibers docs and series, but you will also come away with the confidence and methodology to best handle the archival work of your next productions.
Amongst our past attendees, we've been happy to welcome directors, producers, line producers, production coordinators, assistant producers, post-production supervisors, editors, as well as archive researchers.
The course suits all kinds of audiovisual projects and is particularly relevant for freelancers and (junior) team members willing to level up their skills and be ready - and well-aligned- for their future non-fiction projects.
12-Month
Full Access
5+ Hours of
Online Lessons
40
Video Modules
12 Top
World Experts
LEARN FROM EXPERTS
Meet your Masterclass Instructor

Camille Chavanne has been Archive Valley's Head of Research since 2016.
She manages the community of archive professionals and supervises footage research for the many different doc projects that pass through the platform.
Before joining the Archive Valley team, she worked as an archive researcher for several production companies. Camille holds two Master's Degrees in History and in Audiovisual Heritage Management from INA (National Audiovisual Institute, Paris).
Get Exclusive Access to
In-Depth Conversations
with Top Archive Producers












ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
Looking for Archival Content
ARCHIVAL CLEARANCE
Understanding Rights & Costs
ARCHIVAL STORYTELLING Using Archives to Tell Stories Today
The Learning Objectives
- How to organize & coordinate archival workflows with a team
- How to uncover new amazing archival sources to tell your story
- Tips to master research methods and search techniques
- How to build efficient tracking systems & manage archival material
- How to conduct the ordering & licensing process with success
- Understanding rights, agreements, and fair use
- How to budget for archives, anticipate costs & negotiate deals
- How to build a solid network of collaborators and experts
- How to make the most of archival clips and materials
- Assessing the need for colorization and other technologies
- Making narrative decisions with ethics in mind
- Best practices to avoid common mistakes & deal with last-minute challenges
- How to develop a trained-eye & ear to detect great archival stories
"The comprehensive overview and expert
insights you receive on the masterclass
could be a lifeline to many."

Madeline Bates, Consultant and former FOCAL International Director of Outreach
Past attendee (Masterclass #1, January 2021)
ANNUAL PACKAGE FOR COMPANY MEMBERS
Actionable Course
With Self-Paced Learning
A 100% Online Course
to Follow at Your Own Pace
- 1 Year Access -
Some kind words from our past attendees from the Masterclass #1, #2, #3
"Practical, insightful and well-managed"
" A thought provoking course"
"It was invaluable, thank you so much!"
"Great speakers!"
CURRICULUM
Enjoy a Fantastic Resource
to learn how to work with archive
in
documentaries
Click on the + to see more.
Lesson 1 - Archival Research (2 hours)
LOOKING FOR ARCHIVAL CONTENT
– Part 1 : How to tackle a research : guidelines and guidance.
– Part 2 : Uncovering archives for your story.
– Part 3 : Search methodology and techniques.
Lesson 2 - Archival Clearance (2 Hours)
UNDERSTANDING RIGHTS AND COSTS
– Part 1 : Organizing your workflow.
– Part 2 : Rights, licensing agreements, and fair use.
– Part 3 : Anticipating the costs & budgeting wisely.
Lesson 3 - Archival Storytelling (1 Hour)
TELLING STORIES WITH ARCHIVES TODAY
– Part 1 : Code of ethics and the recent debates about innovative techniques
– Part 2 : Stories from the archives.
BONUS : 2 Conversations with Top Archive Producers (Replay)
– A cross-conversation with Rich Remsberg (Bobby Kennedy For President / Netflix) and Lily Yudinsky (Hidden Face).
– A conversation with James RM Hunt (American Murder: The Family Next Door / Netflix, My Generation).
A Conversation Series Featuring Top Archive Producers (8 Hours)
Conversations about Archival Research (replay)
– #1 : A Cross-conversation with Archive Producers Laura Tusi and Maya Avidov
– #2 : A Conversation with Rosemary Rotondi
Conversations about Archival Clearance (replay)
– #3 : A Cross-conversation with Archive Producers James McDonald
– #4 : A conversation with Marianna Yarovskaya.
Conversations about Archival Storytelling (replay)
– #5 : A Cross-conversation with Archive Producers Rich Remsberg and Lily Yudinsky.
– #6 : A Conversation with James RM Hunt.
An Exclusive Roundtable (replay)
– #7 : Roundtable with Archive Producers Mridu Chandra, Dora Ash Sakula and Jillian Bergman.
A Compilation of Useful Resources
More insights on archival and copyrights matters!
For each topic and big lesson, we’ve put together a compilation of insightful articles, documents, podcasts’ episodes and videos to help you go deeper.
Already 65 Film & TV Professionals from 15+ countries have completed the Archive Valley Masterclass.
It's time to prepare your production team
for
the archival stories you can't wait to tell.
