User:Massimocanalplus

Canal + Image UK is responsible for the licensing of the Studiocanal film collection with a focus on footage and stills licensing. It offers media professionals in advertising, commercials, television, film, interactive and corporate video production access to one of the largest film library in the world.

History

The library was originally part of British International Pictures (that took over from British National). Based at Elstree Studios, it started operations in 1927 and many of Hitchcock's early works are included in the collection. With the purchase of British Pathe the company was renamed Associated British Picture Corporation and their holdings steadily increased when in 1945 they became joint owners of Anglo Amalgamated. This heralded an era of great British films with some of the most famous war films being produced in the 1950s, such as “The Dam Busters” forming the backbone of the library. In 1955 they moved into television when they launched ABC television Moving into the 1960's they expanded even further producing musical films such as “The Young Ones”. In 1968 EMI Films took over the ABPC holdings (subsequently it became part of Thorn-EMI). In 1986 it was acquired by the Cannon Group until 1987 when it was sold to the Weintraub Group. At this point British Pathe was sold off as a separate concern as the Weintraub management wanted to focus its attention on the feature film library. The library was then sold to Lumiere Pictures in 1990 and in 1998 to UGC who held onto the library for a year until the Studiocanal group purchased it in 1999. Since 2006 and its acquisition by the Studiocanal group the film distribution company Optimum Releasing has managed the assets and operations of the archive in the United Kingdom.

Functions Canal + Image UK footage encompasses some of the most celebrated British film collections, including Ealing Studios, British Lion, Anglo-Amalgamated, as well as international collections such as Carolco and Embassy. Content from the archive has appeared in several television programmes, usually of a historical nature, feature films, TV commercials and publications. Clients can contact the archive for research and licensing projects. The licensing model is rights managed.

Studiocanal Film Library The Studiocanal Archive dates back over 80 years. It includes over 2,500 titles with more than 150,000 film and television elements and in excess of 300,000 publicity items including stills, posters and paper assets. The collection includes titles such as: The Third Man, The Dam Busters, Don’t Look Now, The Lavender Hill Mob, Ladykillers, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Bad Boys (1983), The Wicker Man, Summer Holiday and amongst the television titles The Avengers, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Oh Boy and Redcap. This historic archive is currently in the process of being restored and digitized.

See also BFI National Archive Focal International External Links Studiocanal Optimum ReleasingCategories: Archives in the UK Film Archives Media companies in France Canal Pllus Studiocanal Ealing Studios British Lion Films ABC TV ABPC Television Organizations Film history