The Digital World Picture

Jean‐Pierre Geuens

Film Quarterly · 2002 · 21 citations · 4 references

Concepts

TL;DR

The Hollywood industry’s shift from film to digital replaces one medium with another, yet it may fundamentally alter cinema. Digital cameras and nonlinear editing systems enable effortless capture and retroactive manipulation, while a wide range of special effects allow frame‑by‑frame modification, giving filmmakers unprecedented pixel‑level control. Digital filmmaking opens avenues for visual and narrative innovations.

Abstract

For the Hollywood industry, the move from film to digital merely involves the replacement of one medium by another. However, this technological shift potentially changes cinema as we know it. Not only do digital cameras allow for an unprecedented ease in capturing content, but digital nonlinear editing systems make it possible to manipulate the footage retroactively. A vast array of special effects can transform the nature of the image in that each frame can be individually modified. The ability to master every pixel undoubtedly seduces filmmakers to exert absolute and perfectionist control. Yet digital filmmaking also opens up avenues for visual and narrative innovations.

References

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