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Can Digital Filmmaking Get The Gold?
The Academy has for long snubbed low-budget films because it felt that they did not have the lavish production design of let's say a Titanic or an English Patient. Of course there have been instances of surprise nominations and wins (i.e. Billy Bob Thornton won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for Sling Blade) but generally it has completely overlooked digital filmmaking.
Many industry professionals believe that we have finally come to a point where world cinema will change that. More and more filmmakers have now access to digital filmmaking equipment, thanks mainly to the 24P feature on most cameras that create a film look from the previous 30frames per second.
Super Size Me that was a major hit on the American Film Market was shot on digital and it came as no surprise when it was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary. Another film that was completely shot on digital for the low-budget of 500k, was Open Water.
Chris Kentis, the writer-director of the film had previously made Grind with Amanda Peet decided to pull his resources together and film this film in the middle of the ocean. The grainy look of the Panasonic DVX-100 added an interesting realistic quality to the film because it does give off the feeling of it being a documentary.
When the two main characters are stranded in the middle of the ocean, the viewer slowly drifts into thinking it is really happening and the camera that was once used to film the two on vacation has been turned against them to film the horrific experience.
These films are more easily picked up by distributors because they have a documentary feel to them, but would a conventional narrative have the same easy access to theatres if it were shot on a digital camera?
There are new technologies that are coming out such as the new High Definition cameras like the f-900 that allow filmmakers to work without all the restrictions implemented by film. George Lucas was the first to shoot digitally all three of his Star Wars prequels including the latest Revenge of the Sith. After him, Michael Mann shot Collateral with Tom Cruise using digital intermediate to add the depth of field that is so great in film.
Machiavelli Hangman, thought to be the major independent hit of 2006, was also shot on a High Definition Camera with some digital intermediate. Despite Machiavelli Hangman's (http://www.hangmanmovie.com) low-budget and digital format, many believe that it may be the first ever film shot on a digital camera to be nominated for the best picture awards.
There will be a great change in cinema when digital filmmaking becomes more acceptable in Hollywood standards. This will mean less focus on politics and power and more focus on diversified talent and material.
About the author:
Jim Storm is a lawyer and entertainment columnist, in New York, NY. His insight into digital filmmaking and the history of the Oscars, brings an interesting insight into the future of the soon-to-be-released, Machiavelli Hangman: http://www.hangmanmovie.com
Written by: Jim Stormer
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