6.6 Boundaries between Manifestations and Events
As mentioned at [INSERT INTERNAL LINK TO RELEVANT SECTION IN MANUAL], there is no rule within EN 15907 as to the categories of Manifestation Type there can be, only that its values come from a controlled vocabulary list. The only one stipulated value that exists is that of a category of ‘Unknown’.
Overlaps that have evolved between use of Manifestations and Events, and Manifestation types and Event Publication types, have partly been due to some ambiguity within the EN 15907 standard itself. But also, how the latter has been interpreted and evolved since it was conceived in order to deal with the nature and range of actual moving image material and technological developments; as well as the realities and practicalities for institutions using different cataloguing systems and databases, and user access needs.
| Manifestation types | Event Publication types |
|---|---|
| Theatrical distribution | Theatrical distribution |
| Non-theatrical distribution | Non-theatrical distribution |
| Broadcast | Broadcast |
| Internet | Online transmission |
| Pre-release | Pre-release |
| Home viewing | Home video publication |
| Unknown | Unknown |
The boundaries between Manifestations and Events and structuring decisions will be dependent on the types of records, architecture, and concatenation and display capabilities of multiple linked data within an institution’s database or other cataloguing system.
The absence of Date and Country as Manifestation Elements and specific different “Target” related Events in the EN15907 standard implies a structure of a Manifestation always having at least one Publication Event (i.e. release/broadcast) and/or a Preservation Event (to link with in-house production of Items).
That would imply something like this
Some system databases may not have the ability or full functionality to have Events records, but do have Manifestations; in which case they may make use of a wider list of Manifestation Types and have fields relating to EN 15907 Events data embedded within the Manifestation record itself. These systems will be more likely to make use of a structure of multiple Manifestations rather than one Manifestation with multiple publication Events. For example:
As previously mentioned, the EN 15907 standard does not have date or release country as being core elements of a Manifestation, envisaging that information being in an associated Event. However, many systems do include those fields within their Manifestation records, as actual attributes of the Manifestation, as can be seen in some of the examples featured in Appendix I.[ADD LINK] In systems with no, or minimal, Events records capabilities it is the most logical alternative place to capture that important relevant data.
Other systems may have developed and utilise Events more in line with EN 15907 to reflect data about different releases in various countries, e.g.
Structuring decisions around Manifestations and Events may also depend on the nature, size, use, and user needs of an institution’s moving image collections.
In many cases, an institution is only going to create those Manifestations that pertain to acquired Item(s) in their collections, rather than add data about all international releases generally, so there will not usually be a need for a complexity of multiple linked Manifestations and/or Events records and data.
A broadcast as a Publication Event could suit where collections consist solely of cinematographic films. However, several institutions have collections consisting of both films and television programmes, where there needs to be a consistency and standardisation in structuring hierarchical metadata .
For a television programme, its broadcast is the actual primary, and often only, manifestation of its Work not simply an event in the life-cycle of the Work. With the flexibility offered by Manifestation type it is possible and preferable to have a ‘Broadcast’ Manifestation type that can be used with television programme Works, thus maintaining the integrity of the EN 15907 hierarchical structure.
This means that the one standard and structuring can be applied with mixed collections within the one moving image database system, rather than try to use EN 15907 with films and another standard, such as PBCore, with television programmes.
Institutions may also not only collect and acquire items, but stream their own VOD (Video on Demand) channels, e.g. BFIplayer which provides a mixture of Free, Subscription and Transactional VOD, using digital items to stream the content.
Thus, having an Internet Manifestation type means that both acquired or produced VOD materials can be captured within an EN 15907 structure. The actual digital Items held and representing records for the files used in streaming can then be linked to these Manifestations.
Where institutions use a 4 or 3 level hierarchy and have moving image collections that include both film and television programmes, significant amounts of production materials, digitisation projects for preservation/restoration, and streaming content, then there seems less complexity and more structural logic and sense to developing use of Manifestation Type, e.g.
Or in a 4-level hierarchy this:
Those archives opting for this sort of structuring tend to have date, publication country, and broadcaster/streamer fields within their Manifestation records – effectively Publication Events data is embedded within the Manifestation record itself.
There is also the consideration of a pure EN 15907 structure approach meaning disparate pieces of relevant and related data sitting in the Manifestation and the Event and how that may impact user access. Also, how to cope with potential complex structuring with a variety of materials in a collection for the same Work, and contexts such as the realistic resourcing and capabilities of differing database systems used by Archives and institutions. This manual recognises both the purist and pragmatic approaches and it is for an institution to assess and choose.
For those cataloguing in non-relational databases, paper or card catalogues, or Excel, then many of the elements that EN 15907 sees as being linked “related” records, including Events, will always be an attribute of the main 1-level hierarchy moving image record.
As with the ability to utilise EN 15907 within a 4, 3, 2 or 1-level hierarchy, the same fundamental principle applies with use and structure of Events with Works, Variants, Manifestations or Items; namely, that it does not matter what data systems or structures an institution uses – whether index card or complex computer systems - as long as their records capture the relevant data concerned.
With a fundamental aim of EN 15907 being interoperability, then use of types such as those in the list of Manifestation Types at [INSERT INTERNAL LINK TO RELEVANT SECTION] is key to the flexibility and use of the data architecture reflecting the standard and makes this a lot more achievable; especially in systems where Events structures are minimal or do not exist. Because there is an overlap in Manifestation and Event type terms it could make potential mapping and interoperability achievable.