From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Digital film?
- Digital film refers to cinema production and performance systems which work by using a digital representation of the brightness and colour of each pixel of the image. There are three inportant steps of digital film: processing/editing, image transferring and representing. (Wiki)
- The processing of digital film is the technique of posting film digitally, usually before outputting to film as a final step. The film-originated project is transferred to video or data (usually HD, 2K or even 4K) for editing, Visual FX, titling, and color grading prior to it's final output back to film. Obviously, the digital film special effect is one of key techniques when filmmaking. The digital transferring and representing are a continuous process. The digital film file is transferred by the owner of copyright through satellite or optical cable network, or saved in CD, disk or tape and distribute to cinema. The digital film is represented by special digital cinema.
- There is a concept of confusion. A lot of so called digital films made by independent filmmaker who use DV format digital video camera are not real digital film. The individual ‘digital film’ uses 1:5 compression ratios. So the quality is different with real digital film.
Central issues.
- There are for aspects of central issues. Firstly, the advantages of digital film compared with traditional film. The advantage is the key reason that the digital film can be developed and popular rapidly under the previous traditional film environment. The advantages come from various aspects, the quality, cost of process, copy and storage, non-pollution, quick release, and enlarging the usage of cinema. Second is the digital filmmaking. Digital filmmaking looks like making true lie. Started from 1980s, digital technique developed so quickly and infiltrated into every step and sector of filmmaking. Digital filmmaking includes preparation, scene process, editing and rearrangement, and digital special effect. The third issue is the effect on film culture. The film culture is the extending of visual art. From the beginning of film record, the film video camera is the only method to record image. As the development of human think and concept, traditional film cannot meet artist’s imagination. Digital film enriched the creative ways. The digital film also can be considered as the innovation of film industry. As the usage of computerize camera, the camera can capture things that cannot be seen by human’s eyes. The last one is the misusage of digitalization. Cost 137 million, the film ‘Final Fantasy’ presented in 2001 became the final fantasy. The technology always has two sides. If people are crazy in technique, they must be disinterested in the essence of film. Whether the high technology created by human would be misused, and then produces side effect, that is a big problem. So how to avoid getting into such misusage would be one of the central issues.
Important.
- All the important of digital film is indicated by its technique advantage compared with traditional film. The obvious advantages of such a process are quality, control and flexibility. Unlike film finishing in a traditional lab sense, the color, contrast, and brightness of the image can be controlled separately, allowing for greater image control to create a desired look. Visual FX and titling can be consolidated onto one final tape or file, and there is no generational loss going straight back to film negative. In a traditional laboratory finishing, the reproduction of film elements to produce the final theatrical release prints can be visually degrading, inconvenient and expensive.(Intermediate)
- Another important aspect is its special effect. From <Star War>, <Gladiator>, < Terminator 2: Judgment Day>,< Jurassic Park>, to latest <The Day After Tomorrow>, <Troy>, <Spider Man> and <I Robot>, some famous movie contain rich digital technique. It can be believed that digital technique is one of the most important factors in current film industry.
- Digital film helps people to re-explore the essence of film. A question has been debating, that is film used for recording real world or virtual world? The result proves that visual lie overthrown the traditional idea of ‘real’. Digitalization not only changed the film itself, but also changed the features of film as a medium.
See also
Reference List
- 1. “Digital Intermediate� Digital Film Group http://www.digitalfilmgroup.com/english/digital_intermediate.html [Accessed 7 Sep. 2004]
- 2. Wikipedia “Digital Film� Wikipedia: The Free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_film [Accessed 7 Sep. 2004]
- 3. Dancyger, Ken. (1997) The Technique of Film and Video Editing: Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Focal Press, ISBN 0-240-80255-1.
- 4. John Borland (2003) New Technologies, the Evangel for Film Industry http://www.blogchina.com/new/display/10787.html [Accessed 27 Aug. 2004]
- 5. Xiong Chenyu (2003) From TV, flim to digital film http://ent.sina.com.cn/2003-11-01/1519225422.html [Accessed 29 Aug. 2004]
- 6. Robert Burgoyne (2003)"Memory, History and digital imagery in contemporary film", in Paul Grainge (ed.) Memory and popular film, Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, pp. 220-236, ISBN 0-7190-6375-2.
--Hao Zhang 16:49, 9 Sep 2004 (EST)
