BBC opens up natural history archive to the public

by Heydon Prowse, Brand Republic 03-Mar-06, 15:00

LONDON - The BBC has opened its natural history archives to allow the public access to unique footage from some of its top nature documentaries.

The launch of the Open Earth Archive is part the BBC's Creative Archive initiative, which will make a wide range of BBC footage freely available to people in the UK to watch, download and edit for non-commercial purposes.

Unbroadcast rushes from the highly anticipated new series 'Planet Earth', which will be broadcast on Sunday March 5, can be viewed on the site. Footage from series such as 'The Natural World', as well as images and David Attenborough audio clips, are also available.

As part of the launch of the Open Earth Archive, the BBC is running a competition to make a short "advertisement for planet Earth". Novice editors can use footage and stills available on the archive to cut their own films in the Easy Edit Suite -- an editing application designed by media production company Illumina Digital that is available through the site. The winner will get to spend time in a BBC edit suite, learning from the professionals.

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