Project summary

I am building a free, open-source stewardship ledger that helps archives, educators and filmmakers keep historical evidence distinguishable from later edits and interpretation. It will record which digital version someone used, what changed, where contextual claims came from, and which uncertainties and use restrictions remain.

The project will produce a documented data format, a standalone validator, twelve worked examples and an accessible offline download. It builds on Stockfilm’s existing public evidence resources, while funding new work over six months.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

The goal is to make archival reuse easier to inspect. Someone encountering a clip should be able to distinguish the source image, catalog estimates, candidate source relationships and newly authored interpretation.

In month one, I will define the ledger’s fields and how unknown information is represented. During months two through four, I will build the schema and validator and prepare twelve examples using qualified public context or clearly labelled synthetic records. During months five and six, I will complete the accessible documentation, offline package and release checks.

The new code, specification and examples will be openly available without requiring a Stockfilm account or purchase.

How will you know it worked?

Success means publishing four usable outputs: a versioned schema and specification, a standalone validator, twelve documented examples and an accessible offline distribution.

Tests will check that valid records pass and deliberately invalid records fail. Examples include treating an estimated date as verified, a candidate source link as a documented relationship, or invented sound as an original recording.

Release checks will verify offline operation, keyboard access and consistency between files and documentation. I will publish the actual results, failures, repairs and remaining limitations. These checks establish technical behavior; they do not certify historical truth or prove audience impact.

How will this funding be used?

The $12,000 target budget is:

• $4,000: New ledger schema, specification and validator.

• $3,000: Twelve worked examples and plain-language documentation.

• $2,000: Accessible offline interface and text equivalents.

• $2,000: Testing and independent release checks.

• $900: Project-specific public delivery for twelve months.

• $100: Distribution and replay-testing batches.

The work estimates use a $50 hourly rate. Existing hardware and completed tools will be reused without charging for their past creation.

At $6,000, I would deliver the core schema and validator, six examples, a compact accessible download and a smaller delivery allowance. Funding will be tracked separately from Stockfilm’s commercial archive operations.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

I am Phil Maher, founder of Stockfilm.com, LLC, established in 2015 and based in Broomfield, Colorado. I am the project lead and currently the only confirmed team member. An independent release reviewer would be selected within the verification budget.

My relevant work includes publishing Stockfilm’s versioned Visual Memory Index, its methodology and archive-integrity guidance, and a public offline evidence workbench. The July 2026 Index reports 162,603 searchable catalog clip records. The workbench includes eight controlled checks that distinguish evidence roles and flag unsupported changes to claims.

I have also presented at technology conferences to audiences of hundreds.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

The most likely failure is a technically functional ledger that people find too cumbersome to use. Other risks include underestimating documentation and accessibility work, finding insufficient source context, and users mistaking validation for historical authentication.

The likely outcomes would be limited adoption, a smaller release than planned, or false confidence in uncertain claims.

I will reduce these risks through a small format, worked examples, explicit unknown values and clear validation limits. Synthetic examples provide a fallback when source reuse is unsuitable. If the full scope becomes infeasible, I will discuss a narrower release with the funder, publish useful completed work and limitations, and handle unspent funds according to the grant agreement.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

Over the last 12 months, I have personally invested approximately $10,000 USD of my own funds in Stockfilm’s archive work. This personal contribution is separate from the new public-benefit work proposed in this application.