DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

The Influence of New Digital Technologies on Film Production

Until the massive introduction of computer technology in our everyday lives, motion pictures were produced in a sequence that was basically set from the times of the invention of film tape and camera. It comprised of four phases (pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution of the finished work) that took place in a linear temporal order.

Digital technology introduced changes in all phases of film production: on the level of certain jobs and workplaces, on the level of the whole production, and finally, it’s ultimate achievement was a physical change of the medium itself.

Since TV and video production turned to digital technology and specialized computers much sooner, using the, so-called, edit consoles — computers that could memorize the EDL (edit decision lists) and could save and read them in various formats adapted for various appliances, they served as an important guideline to filmmakers. New ideas introduced different, new solutions, which eventually resulted with some of the leading names of film industry (AVID, PROTOOLS, SCRIPTOR, etc.). Specialized programmes introduced new possibilities; shortening of certain phases, quick correction/reduction of mistakes, completely new ways of working with sound and image.

Past experiences show that the introduction of computers and digital technology in film production brought a number of advantages that resulted in faster production, more creativity, a more efficient interaction in the creative process, and shortening of certain phases. They also reduced the possibility of loss of information and product during certain phases, reduced ’generational’ losses in re-taping, and finally, significantly decreased the costs of production.

Although film negative has certain advantages unparalleled by the digital technology (70 mm negative, IMAX cinema, infra-red, and ultra-violet shooting, etc.), rapid development of digital technology forces us to conclude that, under its influence, the medium is definitely changing, and that the 35 mm stock will soon be pushed out of film production and replaced by the digital format (or formats), thus also changing the way of distribution of film works.

Sergej Ivasović