This report describes the development and operations of FORMAT, a Canadian database system designed to achieve comprehensive national bibliographic control of Canadian-produced audiovisual materials. FORMAT's developmental criteria are outlined, including its emphasis on Canadian-produced audiovisual documents, French/English bilingualism, computerization according to national and international library standards, and provision of extensive information in a user-friendly manner. An explanation of the system's network structure and information gathering and processing standards covers use of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd Edition, for cataloging; PRECIS (PREserved Context Index System) for indexing; and MARC (Machine-Readable Form) for coding the records. Sources of information for the database and coordination of the network are summarized. Data processing concerns discussed include building the database using UTLAS, Inc., an existing bibliographic processing utility, and additional details on cataloging, coding, and subject access. An example of PRECIS index entries demonstrates the system characteristics of specificity and natural language expression. Access to FORMAT using both batch mode and online access systems are described, and 11 references are listed. A French-language version is included. (LMM)