Written by Kobina Monney
Since the inception of cinema as an art form over a hundred years ago, the medium has seen various advances and few have stayed for long: Cinemascope, smell-o-vision, 3D and so on. Film stock has improved, the resolution of cameras has increased and the scanning of film for theatrical distribution is at 4K resulting in terrific looking films.
We’re entering into a new age for cinema, the digital format is becoming standard and its presence can be felt all the way from production (editing, sound, filming, CG) to exhibition (digital projectors). With IMAX, 3D, digital distribution and faster frame rates either here on the rise, the idea of filming on film is becoming more expensive and archaic with each year.
As audiences we’re wary of new technology, especially when we can see the effects it has on our consumption. Motion capture hasn’t been fully embraced but with Avatar three years ago (has it been that long already?) Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Adventures of Tintin all suggesting a relative comfort zone with motion capture, more adventurous and ambitious productions could be on their way. Or we could get Mars Needs Moms again. The perception of 3D is low but with faster frame rates and the improvements they bring, that could change. Post-conversions to 3D on film add a few million, if not more, to a film’s budget, a problem that shooting in digital may soothe. IMAX is imperious and anyone who saw Mission Impossible recently will understand that there’s a very clear visual gain in using the format.
Moreover, there’s a gradual movement of filmmakers, James Cameron (Avatar), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Stephen Soderberg (Haywire), cinematographer Roger Deakins (InTime), David Fincher (Dragon Tattoo), Ridley Scott (Prometheus) et al, towards digital. Unless you’re Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan, you’re drifting against the tide. With film labs and producers slowly phasing out the production of traditional film cameras, the end is almost nigh.
Film exhibition as we know it is not enough anymore; or at least it’s not bringing in the punters like it used to. If you believe what the film industry tells us (and, as we know, they tend to exaggerate figures), then piracy is a bane, one that film studios/distributors/exhibitors have been rallying against for years. The idea has been to add something to the film experience; to change it in a way that reduces piracy or to improve it somehow.
This is where digital filmmaking comes into the equation. Whether you like 3D or not (and as a wearer of glasses, it’s not an experience I’m fond of), it’s not going to disappear like previous incarnations of 3D have.
There’s simply far too much time and money invested in it from a monetary perspective. The promise of faster frame rates (with Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit leading the charge) could mean that the eye strain that 3D produces could be rendered irrelevant with a clearer, crisper image. All the imperfections that film produces, the strobing, the blurs when the camera pans will disappear but the visual clarity would be welcome.
It’s IMAX that’s the real game-changer, something that truly enhances the experience by enlarging it, surrounding you with sound and picture in a way that feels like an aggressively enjoyable assault on your senses. It harks back to the roadshow days of Classical Hollywood, making a true event out of films that is lacking in today’s marketplace. With IMAX creating a digital version of their monster of a camera, along with their DMR system of ‘upconverting’ traditionally shot films (Batman Begins, Superman Returns, Inception); it’s another sign of film’s importance in the industry.
This repurposing of old technology and technology we’ve had access to for a few years could improve the ‘film’ experience. I say ‘could’, for all we know Hollywood could botch up the integration or look to skimp on costs in favour of making more money. I reiterate, however, that we are truly on the verge of a movement that could change cinema for the better. With every change there’s always the tension of moving to another format (vinyl to digital CDs/FLAC) but that’s a discussion for another post and one that we won’t be able to provide a definitive answer on until we’ve seen digital applied properly.
So like all movements, the move to digital will come at the cost of film. Film is held in fond respects by many filmmakers but it’s slowly running out of time. Most of us older than twenty will have come to recognise the impact of ‘film’ but those growing up now, thanks to DVD/Blu Ray/streaming won’t know the difference. The transition to digital is coming and it can’t be stopped.
