Top Tips

1Go to the experts Start with the BFI National Archive then branch out into regional archives. 2Carefully analyse what you see

Ask the five key questions: who; what; when; where; and why was this film made? 3Not every event was filmed

Something we tend to forget in this era of cheap and easy access to cameras and screens. 4Revisit online catalogues

New and ongoing digitisation projects constantly update and improve the available information. 5All film was silent prior to 1927

However, cinema musicians always provided an accompaniment. By the early 1930s, commercial film had embraced sound. All TV film has sound. Until the 1960s, most amateur film rarely used speech or sound effects, although cine club members were more likely to have the expertise. 6Subscribe on YouTube

Many archives have a YouTube channel (eg, the BFI) and most allow viewers to subscribe to email updates.