The Archive Room

The Archive Room
  • 3.7 (3)
  • TV & Film

🎙️ The Archive Room Step inside the hidden world of archive footage — the material that powers documentaries, feature films, and visual storytelling across generations. Hosted by Dominic Dare and Sandra Coelho, The Archive Room brings you conversations with the producers, researchers, curators, and detectives behind the reels. From NASA’s 70mm moon footage to lost music performances, each episode reveals how history is uncovered, restored, and brought to screen — one frame at a time. 📼 Featuring award-winning guests from film, TV, and the archive industry. 🎧 New episodes drop weekly.

  1. How Paramount Restores Hollywood's Greatest Films with Charlotte Barker

    Jun 17

    How Paramount Restores Hollywood's Greatest Films with Charlotte Barker

    What does it actually take to restore a Hollywood classic? In this episode Dominic Dare and Sandra Coelho sit down with Charlotte Barker, Senior Director of Film Restoration and Preservation at Paramount Pictures, where she has worked since 2005 and led the restoration team since 2019. Charlotte oversees one of the most significant film libraries in cinema history, spanning over 114 years of filmmaking and including the full Republic Pictures catalogue. Her restoration credits include To Catch a Thief, White Christmas, Sunset Boulevard, Chinatown, Dragonslayer, Ragtime and Harold and Maude. In 2023 her team won the inaugural Hollywood Professional Association Award for Best Restoration for The Godfather, and in 2025 the Sunset Boulevard restoration received the first DEG NTEC Award for Technology Innovation in Film Restoration. In this conversation they get into what preservation actually means versus restoration, how Paramount selects titles for its programme each year, what happens when 14 frames of Sunset Boulevard were simply missing, and why VistaVision — a format most people had never heard of two years ago — is now being shot by filmmakers like Brady Corbet on The Brutalist. They also cover nitrate handling, frozen vaults, the silent heroes of any restoration project, and the very particular pressure of working on somebody's favourite film. The Archive Room is presented to you by Silver Salt Restoration, the UK's foremost film and television restoration company and a John Gore Studios company. Find them at silversaltrestoration.com.

    58 min
  2. AI and the Fight to Protect Archive Footage — with Rachel Antell and Laura Rooney - (Audio Only Version)

    Jun 11

    AI and the Fight to Protect Archive Footage — with Rachel Antell and Laura Rooney - (Audio Only Version)

    Generative AI is producing 34 million synthetic images every day. For archives, documentary producers, and footage researchers, that changes everything about what can be trusted, what can be licensed, and what history will look like on screen. In this episode of The Archive Room, we sit down with Rachel Antell, Co-Founder of the Archival Producers Alliance (APA), and Laura Rooney, Executive Director of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), to discuss the Trust in Archives Initiative — the most significant collective response the archive and documentary community has produced to the AI challenge. TAI has published a practical toolkit designed for archive professionals, footage researchers, and documentary producers. We go through all four components in detail: the Due Diligence Checklist for authenticating archive footage in an AI-saturated landscape; two adaptable licensing templates that protect collections from unfettered AI use; a shared taxonomy so the whole field is finally speaking the same language; and a ten-consideration framework for any archive being approached by a tech company wanting access to their collections. We also get into the access paradox — how the footage archives need to make public to serve researchers is now the same footage being scraped without consent — and what the IMLS defunding means for institutions already operating on the thinnest of margins. Plus: the moment a major streaming platform responded to a TAI licence by asking for unfettered use of generative AI on the licensed material. The Trust in Archives Initiative is a coalition of the Archival Producers Alliance, the Association of Moving Image Archivists, the Society for American Archivists, FootageFest, FOCAL International, and the Digital Object Authenticity Working Group. TAI is running a free four-part webinar series on the toolkit. Register below. Assessing Authenticity: Due Diligence in the Age of AI | 16 June https://www.eventbrite.com/e/assessing-authenticity-due-diligence-in-the-age-of-ai-tickets-1988961465284 Content Licensing: Navigating Rights in the Age of AI | 23 June https://www.eventbrite.com/e/content-licensing-navigating-rights-in-the-age-of-ai-tickets-1988961933685 Strategic Engagement with Technology Companies | 8 July https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988962119240 Speaking the Same Language: Taxonomies for AI-Generated and Altered Media | 14 Julyhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/taxonomies-for-ai-generated-and-altered-media-tickets-1988962319840 More at trustinarchives.org | archivalproducers.org | amianet.org This episode is presented by Silver Salt Restoration — the UK's foremost film and television restoration company, and a John Gore Studios company. Find them at silversaltrestoration.com. The Archive Room is a video podcast about archive footage — the people who preserve it, license it, restore it, and fight for it. Hosted by Dominic Dare and Sandra Coelho. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podbean.

    56 min

  3. May 26

    How to Make Money From Your Content Library with Matthew Frank - Audio Only Version

    Matthew Frank has spent over 30 years at the top of television rights and distribution. He built RDF Rights from the ground up, ran Zodiak Rights as CEO generating revenues exceeding $80 million across 200 broadcasters worldwide, and now runs Rocket Rights and Rights Booster, helping content owners exploit their libraries across VOD platforms, FAST channels, and YouTube. In this conversation Matthew breaks down exactly how the content monetisation landscape has shifted and where the real opportunities are right now. He explains why linear broadcasters are no longer the gatekeepers they once were, how FAST channels and YouTube are reshaping what distribution actually means, and why brands are becoming the new commissioners of content. We also get into the story behind Wife Swap — the format that nearly never got made — and the remarkable case of French YouTuber Inoxtag, who turned a 9 million subscriber following into a 50 million view documentary that sold out 200 cinemas in France before it ever hit YouTube. Whether you are a documentary filmmaker, archive manager, rights executive, or content owner trying to navigate a fragmented market, this episode gives you the frameworks and honest industry intelligence you need.

    38 min

  4. May 13

    She Found the Secret NYPD Surveillance Footage of John and Yoko — with Rosemary Rotondi

    What does archival research really look like on some of the most powerful documentaries of the last decade? Rosemary Rotondi is a New York based archival producer and researcher with over 30 years of experience. Her credits include Attica (Oscar nominated), John & Yoko: One to One (Apple TV+), and American Murder: Gabby Petito (Netflix, 90 million views worldwide). In this episode she takes us behind the scenes of all three films. We hear how she tracked down NYPD surveillance footage of John and Yoko at anti-Vietnam War protests in the New York municipal archives, how Attica footage had simply vanished from upstate New York's small local archives through years of neglect and lack of resources, the story of a film crew who felt threatened filming drone footage outside the prison, and the reality of working on the Gabby Petito police body cam case — including what happened to the officer in that footage two years later. Rosemary also reflects on the emotional toll of working with traumatic archive material, who makes the ethical decisions around disturbing images, the stark lack of diversity in true crime documentary coverage, and what it actually takes to break into archival research. If you work in documentary film, care about film history, or want to understand how archival storytelling really works — this is essential listening.

    54 min

  5. Apr 29

    Gordon Craig: Inside Fremantle's Secret Archives (Ep.11) - Audio Only Version

    Fremantle makes Got Talent, X Factor, The Price Is Right and Baywatch. But behind those formats sits one of the most extraordinary broadcast archives ever assembled, stretching back over 100 years and spanning drama, documentaries, news and entertainment across every continent. Gordon Craig has spent nearly two decades at Fremantle overseeing archive licensing, home entertainment and in-flight sales. In this episode he opens the vault on how a commercial TV archive at this scale actually works: the reality of digitising tens of thousands of tapes, why a production's rushes policy can make or break a licensing deal years later, what it takes to clear talent across global format shows, and why Gordon once uploaded 28,000 clips to YouTube simply because there was no search engine. We get into the Thames Television archive, running since 1968, which contains news footage, landmark documentaries and celebrity interviews that still sell around the world today. We talk about the Take That Netflix documentary, the Angela Davis jail interview, the remastering of The Sweeney and Baywatch, and the complicated rights picture facing anyone licensing a clip from a modern co-production. Gordon also shares his take on fast channels, AI and whether authentic archival footage can hold its ground. The video version of this episode is available on YouTube. Search The Archive Room or find the link at lolaclips.com. The Archive Room is hosted by Dominic Dare and Sandra Coelho, produced by LOLA Clips

    44 min

  6. Apr 15

    Tom Jennings: Peabody Winner on Making 42 Archive Films Without a Narrator (Ep.10) - Audio only Version

    Tom Jennings is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of 1895 Films and one of the most decorated documentary filmmakers working today. A Peabody and Emmy Award winner, Tom has written, produced and directed more than 500 hours of programming and pioneered a format that now spans 42 films: no narrator, no modern interviews, pure archive from start to finish. His work includes Diana: In Her Own Words, Apollo: Missions to the Moon and a Peabody winning film on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this episode Tom takes us through the full arc of his career, from print journalist covering the OJ Simpson trial to the moment he cut a ten minute proof of concept reel and snuck into the Television Critics Association to pitch it. He explains how that single meeting with National Geographic in 2009 launched a format the industry had resisted for fourteen years. We go deep on what it actually takes to build an archive film: throwing a wide net, going through every single tape, and why the Christa McAuliffe rehearsal footage that won the Challenger Emmy was sitting on tape 39 of a 40 tape collection that most producers never finished. Tom talks about the seven hours of Diana tapes locked in a publisher's office in London, the funeral home phone call it took to clear a song, and why he steers clear of fair use. He also speaks candidly about what AI can now do to historical voices, why it sits like a loaded gun on the table, and what that means for audiences who trust archive films to tell the truth. An essential listen for documentary makers, archive producers, rights professionals, researchers and anyone who wants to understand how the most powerful non fiction storytelling gets made. The Archive Room is produced by LOLA Clips. Find us on YouTube for the full video version, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode.

    48 min
  7. Reelin' In the Years - 'Music, History and the Archive Hunt' (Ep. 9) - Audio Only Version

    Apr 1

    Reelin' In the Years - 'Music, History and the Archive Hunt' (Ep. 9) - Audio Only Version

    What does it take to build one of the world's great music archives from scratch? David Peck, founder and president of Reelin' In The Years Productions, has spent over three decades tracking down, preserving and licensing performance footage and interview material spanning more than a century of cultural history. In this episode, he takes us through the discovery of previously unknown Doors footage at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the painstaking process of onboarding the Merv Griffin and David Frost archives, his role as a historical fact checker on major documentary films including the Bee Gees and Stax stories, and why he believes real archive will always outlast AI generated content. He also makes the case for why the music archive business is as much about cultural stewardship as it is about commerce, and shares the ethical lines he will not cross when it comes to licensing.

    49 min

  8. Mar 18

    Andrea Kalas — Digital Preservation & the Future of Film Archives (Ep. 8) - Audio Only Version

    Andrea Kalas is one of the leading figures in global film and media preservation. She currently serves as Vice President of Media and Archival Services at Iron Mountain, where she leads large-scale preservation, digitisation, and access projects for studios, museums, and cultural institutions worldwide. Her career spans UCLA Film and Television Archive, the British Film Institute, Discovery Communications, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks. She has overseen the restoration and preservation of more than 2,000 titles — including The Godfather — and is a former President of AMIA, the Association of Moving Image Archivists. In this episode, Andrea talks honestly about the challenges facing film and media archives today: the ticking clock on magnetic tape, why digitisation is not the finish line for moving image archiving, and why below-zero storage remains one of the most powerful tools preservationists have. She also explores what AI could genuinely unlock for archive access, the impact of federal funding cuts on cultural collections, and the restoration of Wings (1927) — from deteriorated nitrate film to a full sound presentation. Plus the principle every archivist lives by: one copy is no copies. The Archive Room is a podcast about archival footage, film restoration, media rights, and the people who dedicate their careers to keeping the world's film and television heritage alive. If you work in documentary filmmaking, moving image archiving, or the film and TV industry, this is the conversation for you. New episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.

    42 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

🎙️ The Archive Room Step inside the hidden world of archive footage — the material that powers documentaries, feature films, and visual storytelling across generations. Hosted by Dominic Dare and Sandra Coelho, The Archive Room brings you conversations with the producers, researchers, curators, and detectives behind the reels. From NASA’s 70mm moon footage to lost music performances, each episode reveals how history is uncovered, restored, and brought to screen — one frame at a time. 📼 Featuring award-winning guests from film, TV, and the archive industry. 🎧 New episodes drop weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    The Archive Room
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Archive Room

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