2023 Personnel Categories

Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year Award

The recipient is an individual Footage Researcher (or team), who has demonstrated outstanding achievement whilst being primarily responsible for the footage research undertaken for a production(s) or project(s) premiered or released during the qualifying year (2022). Such production(s) or project(s) can include series that have been aired over many years, providing the cited episode was premiered in 2022.

The Jury will be looking for an individual or team who displayed some or all of the following qualities:

• Depth of knowledge;
• Tenacity;
• Thoroughness;
• Imagination;
• An ability to enhance and protect the integrity of the footage.

The above is not an exhaustive list and the submitter may wish to highlight other areas of excellence to the jury. Nominations can be made by anyone, except the person themselves, but all submissions must include authorisation from the nominee.

Anyone can nominate a Researcher for this award which is not restricted to FOCAL International members.

For more information please read the eligibility guidelines. Submissions are now closed for the Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year Award.

Kate Griffiths and Tess McNally-Watson – Winner 2022, The Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year Award for the production The Sparks Brothers

Footage Company of the Year

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The recipient is a FOCAL International company member to include footage libraries or agencies, postproduction, facilities, or services provider. To be eligible, the company nominated must be a paid-up member of FOCAL International.

Criteria:

Please note, you will need to have been a member of FOCAL for at least 2 years to enter into this category.

The company should outline how and where they have introduced a new service, initiative, or improvement in the past year to the benefit of their business and clients, and the work undertake during this time.

For example, the company could have introduced one or more of the following:

• New, or improved services for users;
• Sales and marketing initiatives;
• Cataloguing, preservation or digitisation projects or work that has had a positive impact on the industry

The above is not an exhaustive list and the submitter may wish to highlight other areas of excellence to the jury.

Nominations can be made by anyone including the company themselves, all submissions must include approval from the company to ensure they are aware and agree to be put forward for consideration.

The jury will be looking for evidence that demonstrates how and where the company meet the above criteria, this can also include testimonies/letter of support from the wider industry of the positive impact the company has made.

Documents Required for Entry:

A statement (minimum 250 words – maximum 750 words) to detail how the nominated company has met one or more of the suggestions on the criteria list above.

At least one testimonial/letter of support, please ensure contact details for each industry statement are included.

Submissions will be reviewed by the FOCAL office to ensure it has met the criteria. The shortlisted nominees, once announced, will then be voted on by a special Jury composed of members from the library, facilities and individual membership base.

There is NO submission fee for this category.

Footage Person of the Year

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The recipient is an individual member of staff working for a library, archive, or facility company, which is a member of FOCAL International, and who, over the past year, has shown outstanding achievement, skills and/or dedication to their role by:

• Provides consistently outstanding service in supplying content to users or,
• Innovation or work that has had a positive contribution to the company and/or industry or,
• Archive preservation/restoration or,
• Cataloguing/management.

The submitter may wish to highlight other areas of excellence to the jury.

Nominations can be made by anyone, except the person themselves, but all submissions must include approval from the nominee to ensure they are aware and agree to be put forward for consideration.

A statement (minimum 150 words – maximum 500 words) is required to detail how the nominee meets the above criteria for this award.

Submissions will be reviewed by the FOCAL office to ensure it has met the criteria. The shortlisted nominees, once announced, will then be voted on by a special Jury composed of members from the library, facilities and individual membership base.

There is NO submission fee for this category.