Moving Image Metadata

I wish I would have known about this symposium on metadata from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not that I could have made it... But I'm excited to watch the online presentations!

Lucky?

Ask and you shall receive? Not to be overly religious (especially since I work at Catholic University), but this morning my questions about the BEXT chunk were answered via the ARSC listserv. Thank you William McQuay, Supervising Audio Engineer from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology!

However, even though I now have access to an explanation of the BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) and the BEXT chunk, that doesn't mean I will be able to create/edit/play BWFs on my computer...

Another question--why don't I pose all of my questions to the ARSC listerv? Or better yet, why isn't there an audio engineer setting up this system, or working here even part-time? I don't want to pollute the listserv, and I'm working on finding a local mentor. The Archives simply doesn't have the money to hire anyone (or buy new equipment for that person to work with). That's not a "bad" thing, it's an inconvenient thing brought on because of the bad economy that I'm adjusting to. What do you do when you have little to work with? Get creative!

Metadata Madness

The post title says it all. I'm trying to create a listing of Dublin Core metadata for the School of Music Audio and I'm getting bogged down by the technical standards mentioned in my reference books. I'm not an audio engineer. What the heck is a "BEXT Chunk," and should I really attempt to edit it with my limited knowledge?

Even the non-technical is making my head spin. Basically, I'm trying to compile a listing of descriptive metadata (and probably some structural) so my student can start creating an inventory. I consulted the CUA music librarian last semester and ran into problems when he thought the test listing I compiled was too technical, and a musican would have difficulty searching for a piece. We also discussed who should be listed as "contributors." The performing ensemble, names of individuals of smaller ensembles, conductors, soloists, composers? When cataloging music records in a library, this is so much simplier--everyone has their own field. Should a composer's full name be listed (as with the name authority field), or should we list only what is written on the recording? Should I expect a non-music student worker to know which Bach wrote a piece? Getting the authorized heading means nothing if it's the wrong one! The only thing I decided upon at that time was that I will end up creating "user teminology" for the end-user display instead of the Dublin Core.

I know I'm over analyzing, but it seems to me (more and more) that this project seems like an MARC project, not a Dublin Core one, but because this is an Archives project...
I am using the Indiana University's Archives of Traditional Music catalog records as my reference, but it isn't stopping my head from spinning fast enough!