Article: http://www.moviemaker.com/archives/moviemaking/cinematography/film-v-s-digital-is-the-expense-of-shooting-on-film-a-misconception/
Over the last decade, the entire film industry has encountered a dramatic change in how its movies are shot and edited. Film, as many people in the industry would say, is dying, and is increasingly being replaced by digital cameras due to the technological advancements that have been made in recent years. Digital now is much more convenient to shoot with, giving filmmakers quite a bit of flexibility compared to film.
Some drawbacks film has is that it can be extremely expensive to use compared to digital cameras, because of the cost of buying it as well as getting it developed and digitized (Put into video files to edit on the computer). Film also can be extremely difficult to shoot night scenes with, because of the intense grain effect that can occur when shooting is such low light. This is not that much of a problem with digital cameras, due to the fact that they can open up the aperture and have no adverse effects. These digital cameras also offer a larger dynamic range, which essentially means that they are able to detect a larger range/intensity level of light compared to what traditional film can do.
Despite these disadvantages, many critically acclaimed Directors of our generation still swear by film, and promise to never stop filming with it. Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan are just a few of them. These Directors actually prefer the look of film, and many of their fans do as well. Although Film doesn't offer 4K video or extremely high resolutions, it has many imperfections and a very nostalgic feel that some can't quite experience with digital.
Nowadays, many studios shoot their films digitally with the use of Arri or RED cameras, and use plugins that they apply to each individual clip to soften the images and to actually add grain to give the digitally shot movie more of a filmic look. This is done primarily because these digital cameras used nowadays are so crystal clear, that it is almost too sharp, and it makes the images look odd when compared to things shot on 35mm film, which give a slightly more soft, grainy look.
Nevertheless, although many people and studios alike enjoy shooting on digital cameras much more than traditional film stock, the look of film is something that many enjoy, and more and more movies will begin altering their footage in post production to look like footage from decades past. It's almost as if digital cameras produce too perfect an image, who would have thought?
Over the last decade, the entire film industry has encountered a dramatic change in how its movies are shot and edited. Film, as many people in the industry would say, is dying, and is increasingly being replaced by digital cameras due to the technological advancements that have been made in recent years. Digital now is much more convenient to shoot with, giving filmmakers quite a bit of flexibility compared to film.
Some drawbacks film has is that it can be extremely expensive to use compared to digital cameras, because of the cost of buying it as well as getting it developed and digitized (Put into video files to edit on the computer). Film also can be extremely difficult to shoot night scenes with, because of the intense grain effect that can occur when shooting is such low light. This is not that much of a problem with digital cameras, due to the fact that they can open up the aperture and have no adverse effects. These digital cameras also offer a larger dynamic range, which essentially means that they are able to detect a larger range/intensity level of light compared to what traditional film can do.
Despite these disadvantages, many critically acclaimed Directors of our generation still swear by film, and promise to never stop filming with it. Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan are just a few of them. These Directors actually prefer the look of film, and many of their fans do as well. Although Film doesn't offer 4K video or extremely high resolutions, it has many imperfections and a very nostalgic feel that some can't quite experience with digital.
Nowadays, many studios shoot their films digitally with the use of Arri or RED cameras, and use plugins that they apply to each individual clip to soften the images and to actually add grain to give the digitally shot movie more of a filmic look. This is done primarily because these digital cameras used nowadays are so crystal clear, that it is almost too sharp, and it makes the images look odd when compared to things shot on 35mm film, which give a slightly more soft, grainy look.
Nevertheless, although many people and studios alike enjoy shooting on digital cameras much more than traditional film stock, the look of film is something that many enjoy, and more and more movies will begin altering their footage in post production to look like footage from decades past. It's almost as if digital cameras produce too perfect an image, who would have thought?
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