Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1993-2007 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3,055 Audio materials
· 912 ¼ in. tapes (ca. 12.5 hrs.)
· 86 – ½ in. tapes (ca. 6.75 hrs.)
· 5 – 6 track tapes
· 5 – 3 track tapes
· 625 DAT cassettes (ca. 653.75 hrs.)
· 967 DA88 cassettes (ca. 635 hrs.)
· 279 CDs (ca. 88 hrs.)
· 112 – CDRs (ca. 124.5 hrs.)
· 5¼ in. optical discs (ca. 22.5 hrs.)
· 59 Exabyte hard drives (audio backup) (ca. 22.5 hrs.)
6,446 video materials
· 16 D5 cassettes (ca. 19.75 hrs.)
· 1,971 – ½ in. Digital Betacam cassettes (ca. 1,659.25 hrs.)
· 533 ½ in. Betacam SP cassettes (ca. 441 hrs.)
· 1,610 – HD Cam cassettes (ca. 1241.75 hrs.)
· 14 XD Cam cassettes (ca. 14.5 hrs.)
· 2 Hi 8 cassettes (ca. 2 hrs.)
· 15 Mini DVs (ca. 15.5 hrs.)
· 181 DV Cam (ca. 165.75 hrs.)
· 134 DVCam Pro (ca. 149.5 hrs.)
· 121 – ¾ in. cassettes (ca. 89.5 hrs.)
· 717 DVDs (ca. 536 hrs.)
· 9 DVDRs (ca. 35 min.)
· 154 DVD-RAMs (ca. 72 hrs.)
· 75 S-VHS cassettes (ca. 60 hrs.)
· 780 VHS cassettes (ca. 744.5 hrs.)
· 11 Ultrium LTO cartridges (ca. 121 hrs.)
· 11 DLT cartridges (ca. 3 hrs.)
· 79 floppy discs
· 12 hard drives (animation dailies)
· 1 zip disc
3,445 cinefilms
· 1,575 reels 35mm negative
· 77 reels 35mm print
· 1,785 reels Super 16mm negative
· 6 reels 16mm negative
· 2 reels 8mm negative
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Shaftesbury Films was founded by Canadian Film Centre alumnus Christina Jennings 1987. The initial goal was to produce feature films with strong Canadian content and identity; their first feature, Camilla, was produced in 1992 and followed by Swann and Painted Angels. In 1996, Jennings recruited Jonathan Barker, a former IMAX Corp. executive. Due to the scarcity of funding for feature filmmaking in Canada, Shaftesbury quickly moved into television, producing their first ‘movie of the week’ (External Affairs, based on Timothy Findlay’s The Stillborn Lover) in 1998. After establishing their commitment to adapting prestigious Canadian literary works by such authors as Margaret Atwood, Carol Shields, and Mordecai Richler, Shaftesbury expanded to produce a broad range of television programming for children and adults. In 1998, Shaftesbury established a large format division (SK Films) in partnership with IMAX founder Robert Kerr. The company distributed Bugs!, Journey to Mecca, and Gold Fever, among other films. Also in 1998, Jennings and Barker further diversified their company by launching a feature-film distribution arm in partnership with Oasis Pictures. In 2008, Barker left Shaftesbury Films; he and Kerr now have sole control of SK Films.
Shaftesbury has accumulated a host of awards over its twenty-three year history, including Geminis, International Emmys, Canadian Screenwriting Awards and Directors Guild of Canada Awards. Jennings was awarded the Crystal Award for Oustanding Achievement by the Women in Film and Television organization in 2006.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds is divided into 3 series, based on format. These are: Audio Material; Video Material; and Cinefilms.
The first series, Audio Material, is comprised of raw and mixed soundtrack elements used in the production of the programs.
The second series, Video Material, includes unedited field recordings, various edits and completed television programs.
The third series, Cinefilm, includes unedited camera-original colour negative shot for many of the programs and features.
This fonds includes audiovisual material relating to a number of productions, including:
Camilla (Film, 1993)
Swann (Film, 1996)
Painted Angels (Film, 1998)
Conquest (Film, 1998)
External Affairs (Film, 1999)
Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang (Film, 1999)
The Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries (Television, 2000)
Screech Owls (Television, 2001)
Torso (Television, 2002)
Scar Tissue (Television, 2002)
Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (Television, 2002)
The Atwood Stories (Television, 2003)
In the Dark (Television, 2003)
Hemingway vs .Callaghan (Television, 2003)
The Detective Murdoch Mysteries (Television, 2004)
The Shields Stories (Television, 2004)
Re-Genesis (Television, 2004)
Dark Oracle (Television, 2004)
Terry (Television, 2005)
Mischief City (Television, 2005)
Life with Derek (Television, 2005)
Eight Days to Live (Television, 2006)
11 Cameras (Television, 2006)
The Jane Show (Television, 2006)
In God’s Country (Television, 2007)
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Conditions governing reproduction
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Dates of creation revision deletion
Created 03/17/2015
Language(s)
- English