We are one step closer to the death of film

[Makeshift Python 22]

I don't think those sticking with film are just trying to avoid progress, they're more concerned with the quality of their image, and many filmmakers don't think digital has totally trumped the image of film yet.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Compared to 1950's film stock?

[scallenger 483]

Don't know if people follow the Jurassic World thread, but originally it was going to be filmed digitally and in 3D. But then somehow, before filming began, they decided to change it to film, and just do a post-conversion 3D. I think that is quite something that this change happened due to the way the filmmakers wanted this film to look. Perhaps Spielberg Executive Producing helped this decision happen, but its still nice that it did.

[Makeshift Python 22]

Compared to 1950's film stock?

Yes. The one big advantage to shooting in that black and white film is that it results in a true black and white image, whereas on digital it's shot on color and later gray-scaled. If you've ever shot on both film and digital, you know what the difference is.

[nightscape94 965]

I believe that's what the Coen Brothers did on The Man Who Wasn't There, right?

[Makeshift Python 22]

Yes. Other films that come to mind done that way were Good Night, and Good Luck and The Good German.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

Was "Minority Report" graded, or was it bleach-bypass?

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Don't know if people follow the Jurassic World thread, but originally it was going to be filmed digitally and in 3D. But then somehow, before filming began, they decided to change it to film, and just do a post-conversion 3D. I think that is quite something that this change happened due to the way the filmmakers wanted this film to look. Perhaps Spielberg Executive Producing helped this decision happen, but its still nice that it did.

Or how about... don't do it in 3D?

[Hitch 57]

Shhh, Hitch loves Gustavo.

Do I? That's news to me.

You can say the same for Williams.

Williams has 5 Oscars too many.

Then tell me why has he never won a Cinematography Oscar after 11 nominations?

And how many director Oscars did you win, Sir Alfred?

I won for best behaviour 1969.

Film's only for the cool directors now.

Except Tarantino. He's not cool.

The only cool director working today is me.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Fridgid you mean?

[Makeshift Python 22]

Was "Minority Report" graded, or was it bleach-bypass?

Bleach bypass. Some parts were also shot an a very high speed film that isn't normally used because of how grainy the image appears.

I don't think Spielberg started using DI grading until Indy 4.

[A24 4,345]

The Terminal is DI color graded.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Good looking film!

[A24 4,345]

I think War Of The Worlds is DI timed as well (by the same guy who did Watchmen).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Watchman looks great!

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I'd say A.I. is still the best looking Spielberg film of the last 20 years. No DI whatsoever (though I could be wrong, of course). Lots of net diffusion.

[A24 4,345]

Jeff Cronenweth (cinematographer for Gone Girl, Fight Club, The Social Network, ...) about digital film:

Hitfix: I mean there's "Fury" on 35. "Inherent Vice" is on 35. "Interstellar," obviously is film. And after that it's all digital.

Jeff Cronenweth: But all of them sent to digital and then they went back and were filmed out. There's some digital aspect to everything now. And, you know, I look at it like, yeah, film was magical. There's things that can happen that you can't predict. I loved the idea that you were the mad professor and you owned everything on the set. But I also like not waking up at four in the morning, calling a lab to find out if I should show up on the set that day or not. I like the ability to take a risk. I like the continuity that you walk into a theater and it looks the same in most of the theaters now as opposed to, with 1,000 prints or 3,000 prints, you could go to a multiplex and walk from one room to the next and they all look different.

Hitfix: Yeah.

Jeff Cronenweth: And then, you know, not to be sanctimonious, but environmentally, we don't have prints to deal with. And then the biggest one is piracy. Now you can control a lot and eliminate a lot through digital cinema and digital projectors and knowing every time it's screened, where it was screened and the watermarks that no one knows about, they can find stuff. It's funny, on "Social Network" I was with Scott Rudin and we were in New York. Again, we were lucky enough to open the New York Film Festival. We were doing a pre-run that morning of the premiere and the projectionist was 20 minutes late, and so the film stopped 20 minutes before it finished. And, of course, he called back to Sony, Sony sent a new passcode and we watched the rest of the movie. But that's very empowering. That's fantastic.

Hitfix: It's fascinating to have the talk because a lot of people kind of have, like, a superficial discussion about it, at least in the media. Things like Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams fighting to keep labs open is great, but beyond that things always devolve into an argument of romance versus practicality and pragmatism.

Jeff Cronenweth: I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, I love film. I loved being the guy. I loved when you watched "Fight Club" or something, other DPs would come up and go, "Dude, your balls are so big. How did you do that?" And it's terrifying to be that bold and take those risks, because there is no return, you know? Now there's so much more forgiveness. Yet I think in some ways it's harder now, to still make it interesting and push boundaries that other people won't do. So I don't know. I think that the industry has always been evolving. They've always embraced technology. And it's going to be the answer. It's going to continually evolve. I think the magic is that we're all just now trying to figure out how best to use it, and that's why these movies look so amazing now. Everybody's on board. It's not scary and brand new and no one's running from it.

Hitfix: It's almost like Deakins going digital was kind of like Dylan going electric.

Jeff Cronenweth: And I had this whole dilemma on "Hitchcock" about, "Well, it's sacrilegious to shoot a Hitchcock movie digitally." And eventually the choice was nullified by cost constraints and the director realizing that he could have a couple more sets and another two days of shooting if we went digital. But my argument back to that was that Hitchcock, of all people, would have been the first person to embrace the newest thing. He always took risks and was always making changes and if there was a digital camera and he was directing, he'd be using it.

Hitfix: So what do you have coming up?

Jeff Cronenweth: I direct commercials with my brother and I shoot commercials. Actually, David was so far ahead on this one prior to the release that we did these black and white Gap spots. If you haven't seen them you should check them out because they're typical Fincher, irreverent, and we shot it with the RED Monochrome, which is a digital camera dedicated solely to black and white. So the resolution and the ISO go up enormously and it's really a beautiful camera to capture things with. But that, and my brother and I are trying to get a picture ourselves off the ground.

Read the entire interview:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/cinematographer-jeff-cronenweth-talks-gone-girl-film-digital-and-a-career-with-david-fincher/1

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

It was dead the entire time!

[A24 4,345]

Fascinating that Nolan and PTA are still not giving up on film. However, they won't keep it up. I wonder who will be the first one to give in.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I bet it's Tarantino. He's all talk!

[A24 4,345]

Tarantino will never throw in the towel! You just can't do 'vintage' without film ... unless they create a good '70s filter plugin, of course. No, I think it's going to be PTA merely because he might look upon it as a challenge. Also, Nolan has enough power and money to keep it going even if there is no more stock.

[A24 4,345]

Batman V Superman is part of a new deal between Kodak and Hollywood to save film:

http://batman-news.com/2015/02/05/batman-v-superman-dawn-justice-part-new-deal-kodak-hollywood-save-film/

Alex

[Jay 37,372]

More info

http://www.avclub.com/article/35mm-film-will-live-thanks-christopher-nolan-quent-214846

[A24 4,345]

One step closer to death:

Vittorio Storaro persuaded Woody Allen to go digital:

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/woody-allen-digital-camera-movie-1201612893/

Alex

[Ricard 2,245]

So Storaro just wanted to use that camera regardless of the project.

Typical cinematographer behavior nowadays.

[crumbs 14,318]

Well, at least Spielberg will never shoot digitally.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He's already done so.

[A24 4,345]

So Storaro just wanted to use that camera regardless of the project.

Typical cinematographer behavior nowadays.

I'm sure Storaro took full account of Allen's style. I bet it's going to look beautiful.

[Ricard 2,245]

So Storaro just wanted to use that camera regardless of the project.

Typical cinematographer behavior nowadays.

I'm sure Storaro took full account of Allen's style. I bet it's going to look beautiful.

I have no doubt that it's going to be exactly as he envisions it.

[Quintus 5,399]

Nolan on film again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34549873

[nightscape94 965]

There's a romanticism and intimacy about working with physical material. It's the same way I feel about orchestras using acoustic instruments. That will never go away, and I hope film sticks around for a good long while.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

The British film director Christopher Nolan has become something of a specialist in the cerebral blockbuster.

I stopped reading after that!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Reasonable, since it's Newlane that's been a specialist in that, not Nolan.

[A24 4,345]

I don't mind digital film (especially when Roger Deakins is in charge) but Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was not a good promoter of the medium. The B&W images looked way too clean and video-like.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Digital film is a very versatile medium, which means it can be prone to misuse.

It really depends on the DP and the director rather then the technology.

Someone like Deakins can probably shoot something with a smartphone camera and still make it look brilliant.

[A24 4,345]

They are different digital systems around. I suppose some look subjectively better than some others. The DPs of Game Of Thrones tried several systems before they decided on one (Arri Alexa).

Edit: Oddly enough, the same system was used for Sin City 2. It's odd because Game Of Thrones, which is TV, looks more cinematic.

Alex

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I generally like the results from the Arri Alexa. Haven't seen Sin City 2 though.