Film vs Digital: The Big Debate || Spotlight

The spotlight we have all been waiting for. Cooke Optics TV shares interviews with world renowned cinematographers to get their insights on how the filmmaking process has changed from the early days of film to the introduction and improvement of digital processes.

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Production Company Credits:
Aardman Animations (presents) (as Aardman Features)
DreamWorks Animation (presents)
ddwalde (Youtube)
Headline Pictures
BBC Films
DCM Productions (co-production)
Finola Dwyer Productions
Wildgaze Films
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Cooke Optics TV

Filmed with a Sony FS100 and FS5 using Cooke Mini S4/i Lenses.

[Kriscoart]

Really enjoyed hearing different perspectives on this topic.
I was fortunate enough to shoot a short on 16mm film and although it had a very distinct look I found the workflow behind it much more cumbersome than digital. Two very different mediums, each there to cater to a particular type of story. It's just very sad that filmmakers in the near future will likely not have film as an option to tell their story in a certain way.

[Nordicus]

My take on the film vs digital debate is that both formats have their advantages. for digital, digital cameras exceed film cameras in low light, and the form factors of digital cinema cameras can be compact such as the Red, Arri Alexa mini, and the Canon Cinema eos cameras. and as for film, the person can scan the footage to digital in any resolution that the cinematographer wish.

[MichaelGAubrey]

@9:11, it'd be difficult to get a roll of black & white film into that Nikon...

[jsward]

The Nikon at @9:11 is the DF, a digital camera, not a film body.

[roehaus]

It's all about story. Here's a good story. I sold my horse and bought a car.

[TVperson]

6:24, sounds like just bad project management, not really an issue with digital.

[Jwilkinsonstudios]

This interview lays out why I think all DPs should at least be able to grade their own footage and should always been in the color suite during finishing. More and more it is where the final image is being created, with the trend towards shooting RAW I think it will become even more important.

[captainbundington]

@6:40 Not convinced that it's easier to reshoot a closeup than have the editor/assistant editor find it...Sounds like hyperbole.

[TheFitchproductions]

I got goosebumps when he said go and get a pentax. I did just that weeks ago and i'm learning more than I could with my dslr. I absolutely love the focus you get with film, every shot is money so you better make them count.

[merkury]

The best conversation on the film vs digital subject I've seen yet.

[bobh]

This video is so good!! I wish I could be on the set with film era discipline, really hate when Directors I worked with before helled " Don't Cut, RESET" all the time

[peterp]

1:05 The number of movies I've been to this year that had wobbly eyes and pixelated faces, it's relentless. I can't believe The Revenant won best cinematography, the whole time Leo's eyes looked like he had a toothbrush in his mouth.

[honkhonkler]

Digital shooting for major films is extremely short sited. Film can constantly (to a certain point) be re-scanned as digital imaging continues to progress for remastering
Without really losing quality (to a certain point). I can watch a Blu-ray remaster of Ben Hurr that was filmed in the 1950s and looks absolutely brilliant because we are able to go back and rescan the original negatives. What happens 20 years in the future when we all have 16K displays but our favorite old films of the 2010s were shot in 8K or worse? Some horrible attempt at upscaling? We're making disposable content now. I understand film has a point where it's too grainy when enlarged too much.... But that is WAY less limiting than a set number of pixels.

[DeanHarringtonimages]

I worked in film in Hong Kong and did sound production as a foley and assistant sound editor for a few films. For me, a mileage of film clips is cumbersome, to say the least. Looking into a flatbed moviola screen with reames of film clips to be mated with sound clips was a tedious process. Thank heavens that has changed!

[DJDDT]

Why can't we have film AND digital?

[TheFitchproductions]

Wonderful stuff from Cooke. Thank you so much. You earned my sub

[neilmarktaylor]

With directors like Stephen Spielberg and Chris Nolan and other directions who are still shooting on film 🎥 I guess Kodak will keep making film stock hopefully for years to come

[mishtaromaniello]

I want to shoot a feature at least on 16mm or even 35mm sometime in my life, just to get the experience and see how it's be done for decades.

[RichShumaker]

This was really helpful to me as I never did Film for Motion I only ever did Film for Stills. I have always done Video or Digital for Motion because of that I never learned the much needed skill of imagining the scene before you turn on the camera. In fact my current workflow would probably appall a Film Based Cinematographer as I turn on the camera and roll as I set the scene up. I make audio notes to myself while recording and when I get the shot the way I want I stop. Then I review the footage to see if I might have missed something or see something I like more. As I said, Thank you very much for this video it really appreciate it.

[billclay]

adapt or die it seems. digital is here to stay. best to perfect it and get on with life.