Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career at Disneyland Paris?
My name is Marie-Geneviève Masseron. I joined the Audiovisual Broadcast teams at the end of 2008 as the manager of the photo library.
At the time, the photo library occupied a very large space. People mainly came in person to browse the photographs, many of which still existed as film, slides or ektas. We transitioned to digital photography starting in 2002 and really expanded our digitization efforts from 2015 onward. My role then evolved: I became responsible for the media library when we also began receiving and managing video content.
Previously, videos were managed separately by the video studio and belonged to a very specific division. Most of the footage was stored on tapes and reels.
What are your main day-to-day responsibilities?
I handle a very large number of requests because we serve as a central resource by preserving Disneyland Paris’ archives. I also work with Emilie, who does incredibly valuable work as well.
A significant part of our daily work involves managing the digital database. When we receive finalized photographs that have been retouched and approved by the various teams, we need to catalog them. We also work with the photo and video production teams to collect content from different shoots and filming sessions so we can add it to our media library.
Our goal is therefore to pool together and centralize content, both for current use and for long-term heritage preservation. We follow the official naming conventions for attractions and locations, as well as include copyright or trademark notices when required. We need to describe the subject of the image, its location and the people featured in it as accurately as possible. The more precise the indexing, the better the chances that someone searching for that photograph or video later will be able to find it.
We receive requests from departments across the company. Since we are part of the Marketing division, a large share of those requests is related to communication initiatives. Right now, for example, we are working extensively on Halloween and Christmas. More recently, we have also been heavily involved in managing productions and post-production related to Disney Adventure World. We have delivered a huge amount of photo and video content for Press, Marketing, Sales teams and agencies.
Are some photographs still preserved only in the physical archives?
Yes. We still have what we call the “small photo library.”
We continue to store drawers filled with film and small- and medium-format ektas. There is still a tremendous amount of content left to digitize.
I work closely on this with Christophe, our graphic designer, who scans many batches of images. Together, we select the best photographs from the original contact sheets, since some images may be unsuccessful or there may be many very similar shots. The selected photographs are then scanned. Christophe cleans them up, removes dust and may also make slight color adjustments or restore some of the original vibrancy. We can then add them back into our platform.
However, these images are not automatically made available to everyone, particularly because of image rights. Many photographs no longer have valid distribution rights or feature elements that have since become outdated. They can still be retrieved, however, when a Cast Member or department sends us a specific request.
We still have so many hidden gems that have yet to be discovered. Even though I have been here for quite some time, we have never had the opportunity, given all our other responsibilities, to go through the entire archive. Sometimes we come across some very amusing finds.
We are digitizing the collection chronologically. We started with images from 1991 and are currently working through 1993. Recently, for example, we came across photographs from a concert held at Billy Bob’s featuring country musicians who were apparently very well known. It gives us the opportunity to rediscover little gems that even people who were here at the time may not necessarily have known about.
We continue to uncover and bring back to light many small treasures from our archives.
After working with archival photographs for so long, have you developed an eye or expertise that allows you to date an image just by looking at it?
Yes. First of all, there is an obvious difference between film photography and digital photography. They have two completely different looks.
Even when a film photograph is scanned and digitized in the database, it retains a distinctive grain. Digital photographs are much more precise. Today’s technology makes it possible to capture extremely detailed images with a level of sharpness that was not always possible with film.
At the same time, photographers working in the film era also had a different way of composing and taking photographs. There is a strong technical dimension to consider.
Then, clothing can provide a lot of clues. The way people dressed in the 1990s is very different from how people dress today.
Of all the archives you have handled or rediscovered, is there one image, series of photographs or period that particularly stands out to you?
What has probably stayed with me the most, even if it may seem fairly classic, is all the aerial photography taken before the park was built. Those images are truly impressive. You can see how the site evolved and watch simple fields transform, in a very short period of time, into a fully developed and absolutely incredible place.
So there are still many images of things that can no longer be seen today. Knowing that they still exist somewhere is pretty amazing.
Yes, we preserve an enormous amount of material. We even have videos that used to be shown on hotel televisions, for example. Some people have very strong memories associated with that kind of content.
Even things that are not considered heritage today will become heritage tomorrow. Images created today could already be considered part of our heritage next year. We are always working with the goal of preserving images over time and making sure they can still be found in the future.
We all have our own way of documenting an image, but we always ask ourselves the same question: will someone still be able to find it easily in ten years, when I am no longer here? You constantly have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and think in terms of continuity and consistency, so that the work remains easy to understand.
It is a profession that involves working with the past while always thinking about the future.