Professional Estate Media Management in Victoria
You handle the legal and financial complexities; I handle the physical history. For lawyers and executors, a box of “mixed media” is a liability. At The Meticulous Archivist, I provide a turn-key solution that transforms chaotic estate assets into organized, audit-ready digital records.
Local. Manual. Secure.
Unlike big-box stores that ship assets to industrial “factories,” every item remains in my Colwood workshop. I reject automated industrial hoppers. By inspecting every slide and tape manually, I eliminate the risk of equipment-led damage to fragile estate assets.
How It Works
- Secure Intake: Detailed cataloging of all storage bins and media types upon receipt.
- Forensic Cleaning: Manual dust removal and “sticky-tape” stabilization for at-risk media.
- High-Fidelity Capture: Multi-pass digitization using format-native equipment for maximum clarity.
- Redundant Delivery: Assets delivered via encrypted hard drive for the estate file, plus private cloud links for remote heirs.
Project Capabilities
- High-Volume Capacity: Specialized in family archives exceeding 1,000+ items.
- Format Expertise: VHS, Hi8, 8mm Film, 35mm Slides, and fragile physical albums.
- Digital Restoration: Signal stabilization and color-correction included as standard.
Project Profile: The Williams Estate
The Challenge
The collection included unmarked 8mm film reels and “sticky” photo albums that were at high risk of degradation. The lack of organization made it impossible for the executor to value or distribute the assets fairly without professional intervention.
The Solution
I provided a full-service chain of custody, including manual cleaning of reels and frame-by-frame digitization. If a “rough spot” appeared in the old media, I performed multiple passes on different native machines to capture the highest possible signal quality.
The Result
The firm received a consolidated digital inventory for their records, and heirs across the country received private download links. The project saved the firm dozens of billable hours in logistics and ensured the assets were preserved before further decay.
Complimentary Professional Assessment: I will review a sample of your estate materials to provide a precise estimate and a quality demonstration for your clients.
Dave Phillips
dave@davephil.ca
250-208-3739