Portrait of an Archivist: Dino Everett
by Siyuan Li (NYU Cinema Studies)
Dino Everett is a highly respected film preservation and digitization expert whose work focuses not only on the content of film works but also on the formats in which they are created, preserved, restored, and projected. Fifteen years ago, he became the archivist for the HMH Moving Image Archive, part of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He has led the preservation of film reels, video tapes, and as well as hardware in its collection.
In his view, unusual formats are often overlooked but may be the only way to preserve many precious film works. He cited the 28mm format as an example, noting that it is because of this format that there are surviving copies of silent films.
Dino Everett has long been committed to the preservation and dissemination of film cultural heritage. He has led a number of important projects, including the preservation and digitization of classic film works from all ages, genres, and genres. Everett insists on not being influenced by personal preference, but on deciding which films are worth preserving based on the historical and cultural value of the work. In the interview, a film called Captain Peep was mentioned, which did not receive much attention at the time of its creation, but was later valued for its historical significance. This example demonstrates his selfless dedication to preserving the heritage of cinema, free from external recognition.
In addition, Everett talked about his own story as a “punk rock archivist.” He says his punk rock past has influenced his attitude and approach to film preservation, making him more open to trying new approaches and tackling challenges. He also mentioned the Punk Rock Media Archive project being established at USC and his personal commitment to preserving and restoring punk cultural heritage. (Note: He told us his punk band’s spring 2024 tour is scheduled so as to avoid conflict with the Orphans dates.)
Regarding the role of archival preservation as a community service, Everett stressed the importance of positive interaction with the local community. He is not only a holder of content, but also a protector of history, so he strives to bring the archive closer to the community, providing resources and support. He gave examples of working with Echo Park Film Center and how together they advance filmmaking and the arts.
Finally, Everett talks about his passion for lost movies. Everett’s focus is not only on preserving the material itself but also on bringing it back into the public eye. He is actively involved in the planning of film screenings, exhibitions, and educational programs so that more people can know and enjoy these precious films, and his pursuit of some lost films is still full of passion. He hopes to retrieve some of his prized film works, such as Roland West’s The Purple Unknown, and restore them and show them to the public.
In general, Dino Everett is a passionate and dedicated film conservator whose work is not only to preserve and disseminate the cultural heritage of film but also to promote community engagement and cultural exchange. In his own unique way, he combines personal interests and professional work to bring new energy and inspiration to the field of film preservation.
Sources: A Dinography
Dino Everett has a YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@aytab
Kaitlin Conner, “The Punk Rock Archivist: Dino Everett, Archivist for the Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive,” Moving Image Archive blog, Indiana University Bloomington, Jul. 9, 2013, blogs.libraries.indiana.edu/filmarch/2013/07/09/the-punk-rock-archivist-dino-everett-archivist-for-the-hugh-m-hefner-moving-image-archive.
Todd Kushigemachi and Dino Everett, “‘Touch of the Orient’: Negotiating Japanese American Identity in The Challenge (1957),” in Screening Race in American Nontheatrical Film, ed. Allyson Nadia Field and Marsha Gordon (Duke U Press, 2019) 175-193.
Dino Everett and Jennifer Peterson, “When Film Went to College: A Brief History of the USC Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive,” The Moving Image 13.1 (2013): 33–65.
Marsha Gordon and Dino Everett. “3mm: The Smallest Gauge.” The Moving Image 16.2 (2016): 1–20.
Marsha Gordon and Dino Everett, “Dusting Off that Old Projector: Preservation through Projection.” American Archivist 84.1 (2021): 139–164.
Dino Everett, “Introduction to Bio-Fiction Classification Theory: Remix Methodologies and the Archivist.” The Moving Image 8.1 (2008): 15-37.
Directory: Dino Everett, USC website, cinema.usc.edu/directories/profile.cfm?id=4860
“Dino Everett | Member #190,” AMIA website, WeAreAMIA.org/dino-everett-member-190.
“Shock Value: The Movie: How Dan O’Bannon and Some USC Outsiders Helped Invent Modern Horror,” https://www.uschefnerarchive.com/project/shock-value-the-movie. (“Dino Everett assembled a feature-length compilation of SCA student works from the late ’60s and ’70s.”)
Chenghao Wen and Yangyang Xu, “Rural Film Projection: China’s 8.75mm Cinema Revolution,” March 30, 2024, wp.nyu.edu/orphanfilm/2024/03/30/8-75.
Dino’s presentations at the Orphan Film Symposium:
2024 with Ann Lyuwenyu Zhang, “Thinking Out of Sync: A Presentation of the Chinese Obsolete Film Format 8.75mm.”
2022 The rediscovered film Camp Kinderland (New York and Los Angeles Workers’ Film and Photo Leagues, ca. 1932)
2018 with Allyson Field, two presentations and 35mm projection of the rediscovered film Something Good: Negro Kiss (1898)
2013 at the Academy Film Archive – demonstration of a rare but restored 16mm sound-on-disk projector of 1929.
2011 at UCLA, projecting a 28mm New Hampshire home movie (ca. 1920) on a New Premier Pathéscope projector (ca. 1919). https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/OrphansProgram.pdf