What impact does the digital technology have on the film industry?

Technology has come a long way, we have seen many forms of technology from the first film

recorder to the latest, and technology has taken the world by storm. We are now in the age of

access where the digital revolution is empowering the traditional technology, throughout the past

decade the use of digital technology has taken over. There is no doubt that digital technology is

gradually replacing the good old film that we as an audience are used to. I will debate whether

modern technology is the way to go or whether we should stick to our old ways and keep filming

with film or at least that it should be an option.

Digital technology is now used in most films being made in the modern day, as it provides what the

technology before didn’t. For the film industry this means new editing software, more powerful

digital imaging programs and new formats like digital projection, DVDs and Blu-ray. Digital cinema

provides a clearer picture, a better cinematographic experience and faster and easier distribution

and is now becoming an industry standard, we don’t have technology as it once was, technology is

benefiting from this paradigm shift in technology. The use of DV cameras, as well as the introduction

of new technologies has decreased in price over the last decade, making them available to more

people, and increasing the quality of the product. The use of DV cameras has benefitted the film

industry, in that the audience can create their own productions, and extend the brand of the film,

where users can upload their own ‘films’ to the internet, on websites such as YouTube, due to the

increased number of people being able to access the internet in the comforts of their own homes,

people can access these things very easily, any one could go home and make a film if they wanted

to, which is what happens. Audience always look for the next thing and digital provides them with

that, that is why it Is becoming more and more successful these days.

Some directors argue that digital camera’s unlike film can capture the realness of a scene and it also

provides a better quality for less, camera’s such as ARRI are commonly used these days because of

their good quality and speed, unlike the Thomson Viber which was once adored by most directors

however in this modern day it doesn’t fulfil the need of the directors and cinematographers as it

doesn’t provide them with quality and it doesn’t provide the audience with a good experience which

will keep them coming back for more. Camera’s that followed the Thomson Viber, genesis which

allowed recording to be in high definition, which was then followed by the RED1 which had 4k pixels,

which was good with bad weather and in some directors views it created good movies, these

camera’s had speed something that film did not provide, with film directors would have to wait a

whole day to see their recording but with the RED1 you could see your work as soon as you made it ,

there is an immediate response from the filmers. The Silicon image which was another camera that

filmed scenes that were impossible to film, this camera was used in the making of Slumdog

millionaire. James Cameron’s Avatar that was shot stereoscopic 3D, this movie was the highest

grossing movie of all time after its making the world of digital had opened.

3D seems to be the new way to get audiences to cinema. Movies of recent are being made in

3D these days, after the making of the avatar 3D has taken the world by storm. Some would say

that 3D is now the future it provides the audience with a good experience that will have them coming back for more;.it only provides them with a moment of excitement but for the long run

for the movies being made in 3D is not the way to go. The audience find that keeping up with

the movie is not easy in 3D, the price 3D is ridiculous why go to the cinema when you could

access much better quality at the comfort of your own home, they’re paying twice as much for

something that will soon enough die down. After watching a 3D movie for more than 2 hours your eyes can start hurting and your vision once outside the cinema is affected, audience also

complain that they get headaches after watching a 3D movie. Another problem that the

audience face is the fact that despite the extra depth and immersion that 3D supposedly brings the audience, some people argue that the glasses put a barrier between them and the film reversing these effects, this will therefore affect their experience with the film and whether they will come back for more or not this problem especially involves those who wear glassed and have to wear the 3D glasses on top. Whereas in 2D film we sit watching a screen and aware of the entertainment purposes of the cinema, yet with 3D films there is more of a sense of involvement. Audiences who are for 3D would argue that 3D provides them with a good experience, they feel as though they are a part of the film they are watching, this is what keeps them coming back for more. James Cameron’s avatar was the highest grossing movie of all time and maybe that was because of the 3D effects, the whole movie was produced in 3D and people seemed to enjoy it, so why not make more movies similar to this. The movie was produced 5 years ago and technology has obviously moved on and we are no provided with better quality product and why not make the most of it, people are able to avoid piracy when making 3D films as it not possible. There is a supposed added value to a 3D film, with the perceived enhanced viewing experience and special glasses that make the new generation of films far less headache-inducing than earlier iterations. For 3D might be the buzz word of the industry currently, but it dates back to the early 1920s, building on principles practiced in early photography. The difference now is that cinemas have invested heavily with the UK’s biggest chain, the Odeon, leading the way.

The number of people with access to the Internet and mobile networks has been increasing and

the reach of networks is expanding beyond developed nations, although a digital divide still remains in Canada, especially in the North and rural communities. The estimated global

population of Internet users in June, 2010 was 1.97 billion. People are able to access the internet in their fingertips this could be good as it makes things easier for everybody however people are able to do things that shouldn’t be done by inexperienced people. Digital technology is also easily accessed these days; this allows normal people who are inexperienced to make films in the comfort of their own homes, meaning that movies will not have their value, they will be made with easily accessed camera’s and will not have the same value as the big blockbuster movies do. With digital technology movies also lose their value too, as movies are made to be seen in the big screen when they come out but people have ways of watching in the comforts of their own home or downloading to their laptops, in this modern day we also have access to Netflix and lovefilm whi ch provide us with movies and TV shows of all sorts. This affects the money making process for the movie and the cinema.