PRODUCTION. FILM AND DIGITAL
the Frenchman had planned to dazzle his prospective patrons, crafting mutually experienced fantasies that sculpted the fundamentals of cinematic language. Anticipating the grand announcement, his wife had even prepared an impromptu theatre in their US home. Although he’d never truly realise his dream (Edison and the Lumière brothers would pip Le Prince at the post), it was clear that something truly original was afoot, manifest in the seeds of his imagination. Rooted in its ability to transform still images into action, Le Prince’s creation was conceived as illusion. Its deception was part of its DNA: a succession of stills, sped up to create an impression of movement that wasn’t there. Dubbed ‘the persistence of vision’, the trick was mesmerising. For well over a century, the mirage would come on leaps and bounds, entrancing audiences all around the globe. THE DIGITAL UPSURGE “I grew up with celluloid as the majority,” says Adrian Bull, chief executive officer of Cinelab. “I guess I’ve received this conditioning where I just accept the kinds of artefacts it produces. The dirt, the sparkle, the scratch – they’re all comforting, and a reflection of that enchanting tradition.” When technology improved, the advancements invariably followed. Frame rates got better, colour was added, aspect ratios enlarged. Production companies began to test more cost-effective methods, and soon, digital tools overtook the once ubiquitous medium. “When compression took hold, you ended up with certain digital by-products like mosaicism, and there’s a reason why that didn’t catch on. It wasn’t an image the brain could accept as true to life, whereas film grain was.
GRAIN OF TRUTH Compared to a crisp digital image (top left), the DFD process creates a remarkable facsimile of film (top right)
clear-cut: as 4K systems equalled the dynamic range capabilities of cinema’s global standard, celluloid was seen as outdated. Industry titans were forced to adapt, as new companies made inroads. Projectionists bowed out to a new normal. Film’s supremacy was all but gone. A relic for most, the aesthetic qualities remained distinct to a select few. Its warmth and grain were unrivalled in a world of ones and zeroes, where the sterility of a pristine image reigned supreme. As resources dwindled, stock was meagre. Shooting on 35mm became a
“But then, of course, digital got better.” As discrepancies were ironed out, a great digital upsurge swept through the industry, rendering its predecessor all but obsolete by the mid-2010s. By 2017, only 8% of American productions were shot on 35mm. The metamorphosis was
“I just accept the kinds of artefacts it produces. The dirt, the sparkle, the scratch – they’re all comforting, and a reflection of that enchanting tradition”
The DFD workflow
DIGITAL FILE Preferred format: DPX Sequence Alternative format: ProRes HQ Preferred colour space: Cineon Film Log Alternative colour space: Rec. 709, DCI-P3
DIGITAL TO FILM ARRILASER Record to negative
FILM TO DIGITAL SPIRIT/SCANITY Resolution: Matched to source
OUTPUT Deliverable: DPX Sequence Alternative deliverables: ProRes HQ, Avid DNx
DEVELOP NEGATIVE
Resolution: 4096x3166 max Stock: Kodak 2254/250D/50D
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