SEAPAVAA Newsletter
Jan-Sept 1999

Editorial: Copyright in the AV industry

Country Updates

Features

Other Issues

In the last two years, the SEAPAVAA collection committee has focused on developing what has become the ASEAN Database of Film and Television Productions. This project, a joint effort of the ASEAN nations and the NFSA, involves the keying in of information about significant productions from each ASEAN member country. These inputs are made by AV archives from their home base via the internet using the software Merged Audiovisual Information Systems (MAVIS). Since December 1997, it has been technically possible to key in and update this database.

This report focuses on updated information about the database.

Public Access

A website was launched on February 1999 making the ASEAN Database of Film and Television Productions readily accessible to anyone. The website can be accessed in two ways:

• via ScreenSound Australia (www.screensound.gov.au)
• via ASEAN (www.asean-infoculture.org) Designed and hosted by ScreenSound Australia, the website can be readily updated when titles are entered into the MAVIS database. The SEAPAVAA collection committee is now soliciting feedback on the usefulness of this database.

Technical Installation

To date, seven countries have installed MAVIS and are capable of logging in on-line with the server in Canberra. These are: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Laos has sent its entries by fax to be keyed in by the systems manager in Canberra. The VFI has been able to send communications via e-mail but apparently still has not been able to log on to Canberra. As of October last year, the Vietnamese delegate has indicated that they are awaiting clearance from their government.

Countries who have successfully transmitted entries are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Transmission is relatively slow but technical recommendations were made last October to maximize available facilities from member countries.

Inputs from member countries

To date, the following number of titles (or records) have been recorded in the database:

• Brunei Darussalam - 9
• Indonesia - 29
• Laos - 10
• Malaysia - 29
• Philippines - 51
• Singapore - 56
• Thailand - 1

These figures do not include the alternative titles which are usually English translations of the original titles.

Further recommendations for the database management

For the website

As recommended from last October's assessment meeting, the website should also contain a guest book and number of hits.

For member countries

Some countries that have a large production output usually involve other institutions (AV archives) to contribute to the database. Representatives from these archives do the actual keying in. These representatives form the local team (or national "coordinators") who further monitor the country inputs that adhere to the database standards and the quality or "representativeness" of the country database contributions. This practice is followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Further development of the database

1. There should now be a coordinated effort with the rest of SEAPAVAA to actively promote the use of the ASEAN database. The collection committee should monitor its usefulness and recommend activities for improving this database. Other forms of making the database accessible should be explored: i.e., publishing monographs and books, or using CD-ROM. SEAPAVAA member-institutions having their own websites are encouraged to link to the catalogue. Other appropriate websites wherein links can be made are being considered.

2. The SEAPAVAA collection committee will look into the development of a specialized thesaurus for the use of the region.

3. The committee is monitoring the effectiveness of this database in terms of increased inquiry about or use of the collection as a result of internet search.