DEFINITION November 2019

FEATURE | COMMERC I ALS I N CELLULOI D

Film is all about interpretation. It doesn’t need to be super sharp or super HDR. The hyperrealism in digital cinematography is just a trend

on the benefit that there aren’t any ads. So, what happens to this rise in film for shooting commercials if we send linear TV into retirement? Cristea says: “With the rise of subscription services, such as Netflix, we’re seeing far fewer adverts in our day-to- day TV viewing. But on the other hand, people are on average spending more time looking at screens and using free services where they’re exposed to ads. Various research seems to suggest that people don’t necessarily mind seeing ads, but what they really object to is bad advertising. This has been exemplified in recent years with the release of the John Lewis Christmas commercial, which is now a cultural event in the UK. We always strive for excellency in our industry, just as those content creators for subscription services already have by upping their production values.” She continues: “If you’re looking to make a high-end commercial, the consideration of whether to shoot on film is going to be part of that conversation. And we’ve seen a lot of the high-end brands, especially in fashion, return to shooting their spots on film. I wouldn’t bet on the death of film in advertising quite yet.” With online video, we’ve been plummeted into a world where differentiation in video content matters more than ever – and Link stresses that “commercials have to be entertaining”. But it also goes back to quality, and he concludes: “Film just looks beautiful. And I think some people will look at it and think it’s just a fad. But it’s not a fad, it’s a way we work, and I think it’s great that people are discovering or rediscovering it.”

I’m not a DOP and I’m sure they know what they’re doing, but with film, you can choose the right stock and get a beautiful image. If you’re shooting a night scene, all you need is a stock with a higher ISO.” This reminded Cristea of a quote by the famous DOP Roger Deakins, she says: “Don’t be afraid of the dark.” And continues: “Just because the information is there, in the shadows behind some character out of the window, it doesn’t mean that you need to see it. Film is all about interpretation. It doesn’t need to be super sharp or super HDR. This hyperrealism in digital cinematography is just a trend. I don’t think it’s the other way around.” The process of grading film isn’t too dissimilar to digital, because film is digitised before it makes its way into the editing suite. But if it’s digitised, does that defeat the idea of shooting on film for the soulful image? Cristea doesn’t seem to think so: “It’s about the image captured through the lens and I think it looks better on film than it does digital. Sure, you’ve got the additional process of scanning the film and turning that file into a DPX, which is a high-range file that is sent to us on a hard drive, but if the image is better, it’s going to require less work in the grade. Also, a lot of DOPs are after the filmic look, but why not just use film to create that?” GOODBYE TELEVISION? While it’s become increasingly popular for film to be used for shooting commercials, there has been a simultaneous increase in the use of OTT services as our main mode of TV viewing, and many of these services have subscription options that are sold

TOP DOP Ben Link (middle) who shot the Philips’ commercial on film

62 DEF I N I T ION | NOVEMBER 20 1 9

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