Writing 50 Research Paper

Digital Cinema 1

Digital Cinema: A Revolution for the Industry

Claudia Guerrero Professor Silva Writing 50 September 14, 2009

Digital Cinema 2 Abstract In the film industry it is widely accepted that digital film cameras and digital film projection as a distribution method are the most innovative technologies to date for making movies and presenting movies to the general public since upgrading the old technology of regular film cameras and film projectors. This is what is generally referred to in the movie industry as digital cinema. What the research on this topic does not focus on enough is that the importance of digital technology between digital cameras and digital distribution cannot be seen as separate entities but should be considered as a partnership of innovation where one technology benefits the other in global film markets. Arguably, both the use of digital film cameras to make a movie and digital distribution of a film through new digital projection systems in theatres as are beneficial to two main groups of people in the film industry. It is beneficial to the filmmaker because they provide new options in the realm of visual aesthetics as well as provide a cost effective way for creating innovative material that results in profits for both independent and big budget industry professional films. It is also beneficial to the distributors because with the newest projection technology, the cost of distributing a film to multiple theatres is dramatically lowered. Therefore, the technology becomes beneficial to theatre chains, who when switching to digital technology can also benefit from digital cinema. This is important to the film industry because digital technology is a quickly emerging factor that affects how movies are presented and made for mass audiences because the success of these technologies are dependent of viewer acceptance and demand. It is also an important factor in creating and replenishing film markets where there were previously none in existence or not making enough money.

Digital Cinema 3 Introduction In the film community, digital technology has quickly emerged as a topic of interest for both filmmakers and film distributors alike. A world of film once riddled with standard film cameras and standard film projection systems eventually proved costly and inefficient especially in times where movies no longer cost a mere four dollars. This dated technology is not only difficult to maintain but is difficult to use for filmmakers who wish to break the visual boundaries of what computer graphics make possible for films. Simply put, computer alterations to film do not translate smoothly if projected with traditional film projectors. For filmmakers, movie studios, and filmgoers alike, it is well known that the plateau of visual excitement would only be reached if the materials used for making the movie and showing it equaled the technology used to alter it. As these innovations become more advanced, the film industry cannot help but attempt to understand what effects these new digital cameras and digital projection systems have on the industry as a whole. There must be a clear and reasonable reason for the whole industry to revamp its current methods of production and distribution. What is not being analyzed efficiently are two factors that create the most changes to movies, that is, the duality between digital cameras and digital distribution and what changes they both bring in terms of economics as well as what changes they bring aesthetically to the industry. These factors are important because it is the quality of these technologies that will draw moviegoers to the theatres. First, there is an aesthetic quality to digital film technology that has never been seen before in other films and creates an augmented experience when creating the look of a film for the filmmaker as well as the spectator who will pay money to see the film and expect a good quality movie. Film cameras offer the ability to make scenes look more like human vision—

Digital Cinema 4 panoramic views with deep space and deep focus as opposed to standard film which provides shallow space and focus. (Prince, 2004) Additionally, digital cameras allow a clarity that is not present with standard film offering crisper images with spectacular detail. It is, therefore, not difficult to imagine why digital cameras can revolutionize the film industry as they are already beginning to do. Industry professionals and amateur filmmakers alike can benefit from this technology on a visually stimulating level as well as on an economic level. It is no surprise that independent filmmakers with smaller budgets and big budget movies alike are finding it easier to work with digital cameras because they allow the artist to create effects that would not be possible with amateur cameras that require film. The high definition technology present in digital projectors then allows the same clarity recorded in digital cameras to be experienced in the theatre for the viewing pleasure of the paying customer. (Chiolis, 2004) If the camera is HD and the projector is HD, the movie can be viewed in a manner that way never possible with traditional projection. Secondly, the affordability of digital cameras and digital projection systems allows filmmakers and distributors technological affordances, such as not having to pay thousands of dollars for film stock and not having to keep projecting a movie on film after it has been degraded by previous screenings. (Baltrusis, 2009) Thus, the creative freedom afforded by digital cameras and digital distribution methods provide a larger set of options for large studios and their relationship with distributing theatre companies. The large studios benefit from this type of fusion. Entire film markets can be created largely in part because of the existence of digital technology that makes it easier than before and displaying the film is easier than before. In the film industry and in these thriving film markets, digital technology can prove to be beneficial to their art as well as their pocketbook.

Digital Cinema 5 Technology of Digital Cinema The term “digital cinema” refers to all digital aspects of making a movie in the film industry today. This term can refer to digital capture, meaning the production of the movie itself where the images are being captured. The term can also refer to post-production practices such as elements of computer generated imaging, or, CGI which are integrated into the images after they have been shot. The term can also refer to digital sound, where sound is input with the images, or, the term can also refer to digital projection where the film is shown in a theatre with new types of projectors. Basically, the term encompasses all elements of the movie-making process where digital technology is being implemented towards the completion of the film. For this paper, the elements of digital cinema being examined are that of the uses of digital cameras in the production process and digital projection systems in theatres in the final distribution process of the film cycle as two technologies that work together to augment the experience of making and viewing a film that will please audiences and garner attention to boost box office numbers. The upcoming technology in the film industry to this day is digital. Digital cameras are being used to capture the images. Harris (2009) explains that the technology used in high-end big budget movies is essentially the same as the technology that is used in consumer models. The camera works by using sensors called CCDs or charge-coupled devices. These CCDs change what is being recorded into an electronic signal. The higher the quality of the camera means that it will have a higher quality of CCDs that will pick up images with a higher resolution. Much like digital projectors, the camera internally splits the image into its primary colors. When these colors are places back together with the image information, it forms the images of what has just been recorded.

Digital Cinema 6 The CCD projects an image through the lens where an image in captured based on the amount of light that is at a given location. Therefore, a camera with many CCDs will be able to capture a clearer image. The Thomson Viper FilmStream has 9.2 million of these CCDs in one camera, making it a popular choice for directors and cinematographers. (Chiolis, 2004) This camera, like many other digital cameras in the profession, records the images to hard drives and not to film. These files can then be transferred to a larger hard drive on computer that will allow the images to be edited. (Marcks, 2007) With these cameras, there is never any instance of having to stock film on the set. Digital cameras make traditional film obsolete. The image shown here is the image of a Thomson Viper camera that has been used in movies like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Notice that this camera does not have an area to input a roll of film because these cameras to not use film. Instead, this camera is filming directly onto a hard drive.

Figure 1: The Thomson Viper high definition digital camera. Image retrieved from: i http://www.rubbermonkey.co.nz/images_detail/viper.jpg The other prominent piece of technology that is revolutionizing the manner in which the public views films is new digital projection systems. Movies that are seen through digital projectors can be delivered in many different forms. Harris (2009) explains that the technology

Image from www.ufomoviez.com

Digital Cinema 7 is based on bits and bytes that record and transmit the images exactly like their original recording.

Satellites can send the movie to a theatre electronically to their servers and then the

theatre employees can see that they are projected. If they are not sent through satellites, the distributor can simply send hard drives to each theatre where the movie can be uploaded and then projected or the company can make a DVD and distribute it in that form. Currently in the United States, Christie Digital Systems is the company which provides the most digital projection systems to theatres.

Digital Cinema 8

FiFigure 2: The Christie Digital Cinema configuration flow chart. Source retrieved from: http://www.ufomoviez.com/images%5Csatelitedeliveryphotos.jpg Harris explains that their technology is based off of what are called DLP projectors or Digital Light Processing projectors which use digital micromirrors which are mirrors that project portions of the images onto the screens. A lamp shines light through a prism where the prism splits into primary colors. Each color of the beam then hits what is called a semiconductor chip which is a chip that controls the conduction of the material it is made out of. The mirrors then reflect the portions of light that are being sent. Then, Harris continues to explain that each individual micromirror works to reflect the image back onto the screen after the colors have been recombined to create the actual image. If there is a large the amount of these mirrors there will be a larger resolution of the image onto the screen. This is the same technology that provides televisions with their high definition image. With this digital projection, the image is clearer than traditional film projectors.

Digital Cinema 9 History of the Digital Camera The origins of the digital film camera lie within the technology achieved with its predecessor, the still camera. Thus, the history of all camera technology to date can be traced to the first use of still cameras with technology like the camera obscura which took one of the first photographs ever to have existed. Cameras in this era took many hours to create the image and did not last long because they faded after a period of time. Before the conception of having a camera be used to film moving images, the standard still digital camera was used to make small, stop motion films. These films would later be the basis for the film’s regular moviegoers experience today. This means that pictures were stringed together to make items or people appear to move in choppy motion. Then, in the late 1800s, celluloid film cameras were created. This is important because it is celluloid film that works for traditional film cameras. Celluloid is made of cellulose nitrate, a highly flammable form of compounds that imprints the image. As the film industry came into existence, this same still photography technology was implanted into movie cameras which are essentially cameras that can take multiple frames per second that when played on their roll, appear as the motion that one sees in a movie. The most common form of celluloid film used for movies is 35mm, but there is also 16mm and 8mm which were more commonly used by independent and amateur filmmakers. For many years this type of technology was the standard for the film industry. These are large cameras that are difficult to transport and difficult to have on set because of the problem of having to change the film strip continually. Because there was no better technology at the time, film cameras dominated the movie business and became so standard that the thought of changing to completely new technologies has no occurred until recently. This is a full century of film that

Digital Cinema 10 has been based on the same technology solely because no one had ever thought to use emerging digital technology for film. Now, digital cinema began to take shape as a possibility because of the emergence of computer graphics in the post-production process of making a movie. This type of postproduction technology was greatly pioneered by George Lucas who implemented computer graphics in his newest installments of the Star Wars franchise. Its origins even have connections to NASA, which first used digital signals to map extraterrestrial surfaces. (Bellis, 2009) Since then, companies like Kodak, Casio and Sony have been making digital cameras in competition with each other for still pictures technology as well as for video technology. Today, the common cameras used for movie-making are the Thomson Viper FilmStream cameras. The use of these cameras has only recently begun to be used constantly and the differences can be witnessed on the screen and in the filmmaking process. Because it is becoming common, the older technology will not sustain the same type of visual innovation that is taking place with the use of digital cameras. Therefore, it is essential that this technology be utilized to the fullest of its capabilities to advance the film industry.

History of the Digital Projector Before there were digital projectors, there were and still exist standard projectors that project the industry regular film size of 35mm. This technology is much like the film camera in that it operates by presenting many pictures quickly next to each other so that it actually appears as movement. The idea of any kind of projection can be traced back to zoetropes and kinetiscopes which have images and holes that reveal each image as a person looks through a viewer. When each image is revealed rapidly in succession, it appears as if the image is in fluid

Digital Cinema 11 movement and does not appear to be a single image itself. The kinetiscope was created by Thomas Edison and was a building block for the devices used today. The device would use film and a light source to project the image onto instead of having an individual person look through a viewing hole. This is much like the light source in new digital film projectors but the original projectors work with film and not digital images and digital data. The next large innovation was the vitascope which now could project the image onto a large screen, where the zoetropes and kinetiscopes could not do that. After many versions by film pioneers like the Lumier brothers, the standard film projector for 35mm prints became common. These types of projectors could 24 frames per second on the screen. The film is then set on platters so that the movie footage could be played and the image is projected with Xenon bulbs which allow for illumination for a longer period of time compared to regular light bulbs. Since the invention of the standard film projector, there has been little reason to attempt a switch to newer digital systems until now. The need is now relevant because of the aforementioned growing popularity of digital cameras in the filmmaking process. Because older films did not use as many special effects, using film projection did not compromise the quality of the film. Now that there are many digital effects being placed, using a simple film projector harms the quality of the image which could be augmented by using digital projection systems. Collectively, digital cameras and digital projectors work together under the umbrella of digital cinema to benefit everyone involved in the making and distribution of a film. Since the technology is now available, there are many arguments that can be made in favor of the film industry taking advantage of these technologies for artistic and monetary gains. Visual Affordances of Digital Cameras

Digital Cinema 12 There are many advantages to aesthetic and artistic quality of films that are made with digital cameras that allow filmmakers to shoot images that they could not have with large cameras. Willis (2005) argues that many prominent filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, have often dreamed of having light weight portable cameras that will allow for difficult shots to be made. These shots would not be possible if a movie was being filmed with the large cameras of the past. He also makes a theoretical step in acknowledging that the kind of equipment used by the filmmaker will directly affect the kind of images that are produced with those certain tools. Under Willis’ belief, it can be argued that digital cameras are transforming the typical movie image and this gives the filmmaker more options in making their movies. It is a beneficial scenario for the filmmaker to be able to make a greater amount of directorial decisions without feeling limited by the technology that they have. Willis then argues that technologies like mini DV cameras give the director and cinematographer a greater “hands on” feeling when making the film. In a case where worries about technology are lessened, the filmmaker can focus on the content of the film itself. When a director or cinematographer feels free of limitations, the result can be something that is rarely experienced in other films. Smith (2005) offers further claims that support the innovation created by digital transitions in the film industry. He states that there is now little difference between handmade amateur films and industry made movies because the technology is very easy to obtain and to use. He notes director Michael Mann who shot many scenes from his movie Collateral in High Definition digital. Subsequently, he has used digital cameras once again for his newest film Public Enemies and that film has been praised numerously for its visual innovation and stunning portrayal of the American 1930’s.

Digital Cinema 13 Arguments against digital camera use for movies are based on tradition. One such belief mentioned by Prince(2004) is that a sense of realism will be lost by converting to digital but he offers another perspective when he states that digital is perhaps the most “real” an image can be created because the image is presented instantaneously with little intervention from the filmmakers themselves. He goes on to state the differences between digital recording and standard film. Color can be manipulated easily when recording with digital cameras. Digital video offers a clarity that film simply cannot. DV is different from film because it films with deeper focus, meaning that even items in the background are relatively clear, whereas with film, items in the background are either extremely blurry or just indistinguishable. Monetary Affordances of Digital Cameras Digital cameras not only allow filmmakers to explore different visual effects based on this technology, they also offer more affordable and logical aspects to the movie-making process. If a spectator has enjoyed films like Inland Empire, Apocalypto, Collateral or Miami Vice, the filmgoer has experienced films shot either partially on digital or fully on digital. Take for example David Fincher, acclaimed director of movies such as Se7en and Fight Club. Fincher is renowned in the film industry for being the first director ever to shoot a film completely with a digital camera. This film was 2007’s Zodiac. If one were to attempt to find a copy of this movie on a film reel it would be impossible because Zodiac is the only movie that has only existed as data files in a master hard drive. As Marcks (2007) explains, there are practical reasons for choosing to record shoots onto hard drives instead of on film itself. Film adds to larger production costs for a large budgeted film. According to Marcks, a magazine of 35mm film can only film for a maximum of about eleven minutes and cannot be used again. The hard drives on cameras like the Thomson Viper

Digital Cinema 14 however, can record for up to fifteen minutes, and digital tape can record for thirty minutes at a time. With this information, the logical conclusion is that is film cannot be reused, producers must constantly add film costs into the budget of the film whereas if a movie is being shot in digital, the cost only extends to buying a few hard drives to keep filming continually. The affordance in this case is that once the information has been downloaded onto a computer for editing purposes, the drive can be used again. This affordability is not only beneficial for large industry movies, but for independent and amateur filmmakers who do not have the monetary means to obtain large film stocks. Yet another argument against the use of digital cameras is that any new technology offers new problems that must be dealt with. Marcks discusses this counterargument by acknowledging that sometimes, the footage uploaded from the camera’s drives have what is called “digital artifacts” which are things like dead pixels where an image does not show up on the uploaded images on the screen, or horizontal lines that appear from electrical interference that may have occurred in the area where the footage is being shot. However, these problems can be corrected in post-production with editing software. The process may be time consuming depending on how serious the digital artifact is on the image, but mistakes like this on film are certainly not as easy to correct and cost more to correct that those problems that appear on digital footage because they may have to film the entire scene again. Additionally, the film editing process is simplified by using digital cameras to shoot a movie. With movies shot on film, editors had to manually splice film to edit scenes with one another or change the format of the film images so that they could be compatible with newer editing software. With digital footage, editing programs are either already compatible with the type of file being uploaded or can be easily converted to a compatible format. Programs like

Digital Cinema 15 Final Cut Pro can easily edit digital footage in a manner that film could never be edited. Not only are digital cameras then affordable to industry professionals and amateurs alike, but even the software to complete the movie in post-production is easily obtainable and simple to use. Affordances of Digital Projection If more movies are being made with digital cameras, then it is not beneficial that the product be reconverted into film format and then distributed through traditional film projection systems. In fact, this method would completely undo the aesthetic and monetary gain achieved by using a digital camera. This is where the importance of digital projectors is felt the most, as it is the final piece of technical equipment that affects the integrity of the feature film being presented. Industry leaders are pushing for a change to digital cinema presentation because it presents a clearer image to the spectator and more importantly, reduces the amount of money spent by studios to distributed film to all theatres in the case of large transnational releases. Prints for a widely released film are costly for the studio who is dispersing the film to many locations. Kennedy(2005) estimates the cost is $2000 per print of a movie. Baltrusis(2009) estimates the cost to be about $1000 to $1500 per print of a movie. Besides this cost, there is also the cost of shipping and storage of the prints to take into consideration. Baltrusis emphasizes that the $1500 cost of making a print must be multiplied by the number of prints that are being distributed to theatres. Baltrusis states, for example, that if a studio wanted to release 4,000 copies of a movie to any particular film market, either in the United States or abroad, it would cost approximately $5 million for those 4,000 copies to be made available to theatres. Therefore, industry leaders are pushing for theatres to upgrade their projection systems to digital so that studios can save money on distribution costs. This is not only a benefit for the distributor but for the theatre as well, which can boast its upgraded technology and appeal to

Digital Cinema 16 those consumers who would rather watch the clarity of an image presented in digital rather than a feature presented in film. Theatre owners may argue that converting their screens to digital technology will be costly, but the heads of production studios disagree. Although the costs of initially installing this type of technology will inevitably be costly, the benefits of upgrading will be felt immediately. Exhibitors who choose to upgrade their technology immediately have the ability to add screenings for particular movies based on audience demand when a blockbuster film has been released. (Kennedy, 2005) This means that theatres will be able to adjust to the market based on consumer preference and make profits easier than if they only had standard film projectors. Theatres are taking note of this benefit. According to Prince (2004) there were only 12 digital screens in the Unites States in 1999. By 2002, the US had 124 digital screens being used for testing digital distributions of other films. Prince also presents box office numbers for digital releases. Only one digital screen, showing the George Lucas film Attack of the Clones made $14,500 dollars in its opening weekend. Three other conventional screens, meaning three theatres that presented the motion picture on film projectors, only made $18,000. The numbers at the box office are astounding considering that only one digital screen nearly equaled the business made with three conventional screens. The numbers of digital screens throughout the world can be found on company websites such as Christie Digital Systems which sites that it has its systems installed not only in the United States but in many different countries abroad. These digital projection systems have not only been tested with Attack of the Clones. The movie The Final Cut starring Robin Williams was released by AMC in 117 digital screens and was the first major digital release in the United States. (Kennedy, 2005) Chances are, if a viewer sees an advertisement for a digital systems company before the screening of a film, then the

Digital Cinema 17 movie they are about the experience is being projected on a digital system. The digital projection method of showing a film is not only cost efficient for companies. These systems allow the consumer to view a film in high definition and if the consumer enjoys this, it is even more beneficial for the companies because they will be more likely to return to digital screens. Much like the technology that makes digital cameras take crisper and clearer images, the digital projector is able to present these images just as clearly as the day they were created on the digital camera. Studios and movie theatre chains alike realize the visual high-quality of presentation that can be obtained when viewing a movie on a digital screen. Traditional film projectors create wear on the film print itself. When a movie is played for the first time on a traditional film projector, the image is clear, but on the second, third, and all following viewings, the print of the movie is no longer in pristine condition. If a theatre patron saw a movie that has been out for at least a week, the print of that film would by that point have visible scratches and dirt particles on it that would distort the clarity of the images. In this respect, being able to provide a clearer image that sustains its integrity through multiple viewing would also be beneficial to the theatres and the studios because consumers would want to have the clearest image imaginable.

Global Affordances of Digital Cinema Overall, the affordances provided by digital cinema, and more specifically, digital cameras and digital projection systems in theatres are beneficial for both the artistic and business side to the industry in its entirety. The effects of this technology are not only felt locally, but globally, creating a way for filmmakers to show their work. The affordability of digital cameras themselves has even been accredited by Mediarta (2007) as a main reason why Indonesia has

Digital Cinema 18 recently begun to organize its own independent film festivals. According to Mediarta, it is the advancement of this digital technology that has put cameras in the hands of filmmakers who would not find it cost effective to use older technology and created an entire film market in an area where none existed before. Now, Indonesia has the Konfiden film festival, among many others where people can show their work. Because of this, the number of short films has increased in the area. Many people have taken notice of this change and organized their own film festivals. Here is a case that that outlines the future use of this technology. With digital cameras, artists find another outlet for making their art and not because they are limited by the technology available to them. Of course, in areas like Indonesia where film is not necessarily promoted by controlling governing bodies, certain changes must be in place to allow for film markets to thrive in areas where they did not exist before. Government regulation and control on content must be lowered in order for the content of the films to be broad and interesting to a large audience. Additionally, they must be able to have some kind of funding to continue to develop their film markets, perhaps the answer to this is corporate funding and sponsorship for these emerging film fesitvals by digital camer companies and digital projection companies. Companies could donate cameras or projection equipment to the festival to promote their product while simultaneously growing a market that they can do business with in the future. In this case, the company who sponsors benefits from promotion of their products and the film festival benefits by establishing themselves as an important medium for showing movies. Predictions for the Future of Digital Cinema Digital cameras can even revolutionize the very understanding of what traditional genres are. Hanson (2004) presents the idea that digital cinema for the very first time allows elements

Digital Cinema 19 from many different forms of film to fuse into one so that there is no longer a clear distinction visually between genres. Digital technology allows the artist to for once, have an idea in their mind and have the technology at hand to reproduce their mental ideas exactly. Not only does the filmmaker benefit, but the studio executives benefit, because they now have the creative minds at hand to give viewers who may be disillusioned with typical Hollywood blockbusters an alternative to mainstream film. There is no better way to present these films then with digital distribution which also benefits the theatre owner, who can easily add more screens based on audience preference and even offer alternatives to what is currently “popular” and “mainstream.” Also important, is the future of digital distribution and the fact that movies can now be streamed to not only theatres but computers as well. In the future not only will theatres play a large role in how a movie makes it to the masses, but broadband will be the movie distributor’s new method of releasing and advertising upcoming movies. Amontree (2009) mentions the importance of sites like NetFlix that have a large database of movies at its disposal for instant viewing. Also sites like YouTube and many of the internet’s social networking sites are palpable platforms for people to present and market their work in. In fact, the work of many unknown directors and even the work of large studios can easily be viewed on YouTube if one were to search for whatever film they wanted to on the search bar. This is becoming popular because studios and small budget moviemaker alike realize the potential in these sites. Many up and coming filmmakers even make short videos of their work and post them on these websites in hope that someone will take notice and promote their work. Digital distribution allows for selfadvertisement: something that has rarely been seen before. Furthermore, digital projection systems are paving new ground for the types of films that the masses will begin to experience. After this advent, the amounts of 3 dimensional movies

Digital Cinema 20 that will be screened are to increase as they already have been, and these kinds of movies could not be seen with the clarity that they have now without these projection systems. The industry has seen more of these movies in theatres than any year before. There are simply too many options for studios and theatres alike that allow for them to fluctuate with the needs of the people who are actually going to pay to see these movies. In a world where everyone needs their escape, options is the key word and digital cinema is here to provide it in the most beneficial and cost effective way as possible that gives filmmakers new tools for their visions, and film distributors less of a burden on their wallets.

References Amontree , T. (2009). The rise of digital film distribution over broadband. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from USTelecom Web site: http://www.ustelecom.org Baltrusis, S. (2009). Paramount pushes digital direct to theaters. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Contentinople Web site: http://www.contentinople.com/author.asp?section_id=725&doc_id=170899 Bellis, Mary (2009). History of the digital camera. Retrieved August 31, 2009, from About.com Web site: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldigitalcamera.htm

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Chiolis, Mark (2004).The viper film stream camera in detail. American Cinematographer, 85(8), 46. Cohen, D. (2007, April 29). Film: movies' digital doom? Variety, 406(10), 7-8. Ellis, J. (2009). What are we expected to feel? Witness textuality and the audiovisual. Oxford Journals, 50(1), 67-76. Figgis, M. (2007). Digital filmmaking. New York: Faber and Faber. Hanson, M. (2004) ‘The End of Celluloid: film futures in the digital age’. Hove: Rotovision. Harris, Tom (2009). How digital cinema works. Retrieved August 31, 2009, from HowStuffWorks Web site: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/digital-cinema2.htm Kennedy, J. (2005). Out of film. Print, 59(1), 120-121. Marcks, G. (2007).The future of image capture. Film Quarterly, 61(1), 8-9. Mediarta, A. (2007).Konfiden and the promotion of Indonesian short films. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 8(2), 308-309. Prince, S. (2004).The emergence of filmic artifacts: cinema and cinematography in the digital era. Film Quarterly, 57(3), 24-33. Smith, G. (2005).The D-Word. Film Comment, 41(1), 4-4. Willis, H. (2005), New digital cinema: reinventing the moving image. London: Wallflower Press.

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Appendix Annotated Bibliography Amontree , T. (2009). The rise of digital film distribution over broadband. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from USTelecom Web site: http://www.ustelecom.org This article outlines the emergence of websites like NetFlix that are using broadband to distribute films. The film studios do not have to spend a large amount of money to distribute numerous celluloid copies to distributors and can instead sent the film in a digital format that is easily accessible to all NetFlix subscribers. There are however, concerns that this technology will not be as popular as the more traditional rental and sale of films in DVD formats. The economic benefit for these companies is not yet known to their full extent. Furthermore, broadband is allowing filmmakers to collaborate on films from large distances and reach a larger demographic of viewers.

Digital Cinema 23 Baltrusis, S. (2009). Paramount pushes digital direct to theaters. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Contentinople Web site: http://www.contentinople.com/author.asp?section_id=725&doc_id=170899 Baltrusis reports on Paramount and their attempt to begin using digital technology to simply send copies of films digitally to theatres instead of paying to distribute film reels to each individual film theatre. Satellites will be used to send up to 300 GB of information to theatres. Officials of Paramount believe this system will allow a clearer presentation of their products, and because the industry does not regulate digital distribution, independent theatres have the advantage of being able to raise money for themselves to have the latest technology and to be able to present films that are difficult to get copies of in their celluloid form. Cohen, D. (2007, April 29). Film: movies' digital doom? Variety, 406(10), 7-8. Cohen explains what he feels the digital age will bring to cinema. Cohen sees problems with a digital transition in film because the technology being used is varied and there has been no consensus on a standardized method and use for digital films and digital post-production. Cohen is concerned that films like 300, Apocalypto, and Zodiac will not be preserved because digital data can be lost easily. The problem lies within the film industry agreeing on a way to store digital data so that it will be preserved and not face gradual degradation as the years pass. If this problem is not resolved, digital master copies of movies could be completely destroyed. Ellis, J. (2009). What are we expected to feel? Witness textuality and the audiovisual. Oxford Journals, 50(1), 67-76. Ellis begins a discourse about the effects of the digital age on images in news media and in documentaries. Ellis offers the belief that digital video allows the video maker to begin to focus on the event being portrayed rather than focusing on the equipment and technical attention that it takes to make a scene. Under this theory, Ellis argues that digital equipment allows the filmmaker to become part of what is being filmed. Furthermore, Ellis explains that the audiovisual is the closest thing many individuals will have to experiencing what is depicted through the film. Therefore, the fact that digital captures reality as it happens rather than having it filmed and developed is made apparent through the content of the video. Figgis, M. (2007). Digital filmmaking. New York: Faber and Faber. Figgis gives an introduction to the digital cameras being worked with today. There is a comprehensive section on the history of cameras and how the digital camera came into popular use today. The book goes through the stages of making a respectable digital film based on Figgis’ own academy award nominated expertise. There is discourse on technical processes of lighting and crew work that are distinct to the digital process such as the lessening need for background lighting and a large crew to set up lighting systems. Finally, he presents information about what a person can do to achieve certain aesthetic qualities that film cannot easily do on its own with settings on the camera.

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Hanson, M. (2004) ‘The End of Celluloid: film futures in the digital age. Hove: Rotovision. This book covers the innovation currently happening when filmmakers chose to use other sources other than plain film to create the fictional universes they want to create in their narratives. Films are not only features but a series of moving images that must be manipulated appropriately to the taste of the filmmaker and digital technologies are creating that kind of artistic environment. The book addresses not only film but digital television and different forms of data storage. Additionally, there is commentary from innovative filmmakers such as Danny Boyle, and the Wachowski brothers that explain their views on the future of digital technology in film, a technology that they have all used for their movies at some point. Kennedy, J. (2005). Out of film. Print, 59(1), 120-121. Joseph Kennedy argues that digital filmmaking will eventually outlast any regular filmmaking that still occurs today. The irony that digital media makers will be called filmmakers when there is indeed no film involved is also acknowledged. Celluloid strips have been replaced by large pieces of digital data that when put together, comprise the totality of the modern “film.” Digital distribution is also a large part of the digital discourse within the film industry, as one film The Final Cut was distributed to many theatres through satellites. What is yet to be determined is industry standards that will homogenize the use of new innovation. Marcks, G. (2007).The future of image capture. Film Quarterly, 61(1), 8-9. Marcks explores the future that digital images have in the film industry. An overview of recent films made in digital is discussed with movies such as Inland Empire, Collateral, and Zodiac which is the first movie in industry history to be made completely in digital, never to have had a film copy present anywhere. Dissafordances to making movies in pure digital are explained such as electrical interference. Additionally, the logistics of the technology is explained further. He clarifies exactly what the camera does that is different from a regular film camera. Marcks writes that digital cameras record directly to hard drives that must be uploaded, a step that is not present when a movie is made with traditional film. Mediarta, A. (2007).Konfiden and the promotion of Indonesian short films. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 8(2), 308-309. Indonesian cinema has for many years been at a stand-still because of government regulation on the creation of media. However, digital technology has made it possible for amateur filmmakers to create short films at a nominal cost with little fear for being regulated. This emergence in short films created a need for a film festival and thus, digital technology created a film market in a place where it was literally nonexistent. This film festival, the Konfiden film festival, is the primary example for other small

Digital Cinema 25 markets to try and emulate. Because of the newest technologies made available in Indonesia, there are now many small film festivals that showcase the best work. Prince, S. (2004).The emergence of filmic artifacts: cinema and cinematography in the digital era. Film Quarterly, 57(3), 24-33. Prince outlines the importance of digital screen in theatres. Digital projectors have been growing in numbers in theatres and replacing film projection with new digital projection which offers a clearer picture of the image on a larger screen. Prince offers data about the increase in digital screens and evidence that movies do well when they are released on digital screens when compared to regular film projection. Prince then continues to explain the differences that a cinematographer would encounter with creative control while using a digital camera such as the ability to create an image without having to create synthetic lighting for the scene because it can be done in post production. Smith, G. (2005).The D-Word. Film Comment, 41(1), 4-4. Smith discusses the emergence of the upcoming digital revolution. In his editor’s note, he acknowledges that digital technology is quickly transforming the aesthetics of the film industry. DVDs are also mentioned as a technology that allows digital film to be seen with higher quality but this will soon be displaced with other disc formats. He also mentions Collateral as one of the first films to be digitally filmed and praised for its innovative look. Finally, Smith writes that the digital age is not without its downfalls and that one must consider the cons of the new digital world. Willis, H. (2005), New digital cinema: reinventing the moving image. London: Wallflower Press. Willis writes about the emerging of the new role that video images is taking in the world of filmmaking. Not only is filmmaking without film less expensive, there are also tools like desktop editing programs that are allowing images to look different than they have ever looked before. Digital formats are reconstructing what films should feel and look like in the present day. Digital cinema is explained as a force that is reconstructing genres and what it means to be a modern filmmaker.