film vs video

[silvernyc@earthlink.net]

The film vs video thang used to be a much easier game to call.  Hard lines
drawn in the sand.  Now imagining video to film - almost immediately after
Marlon Riggs finished 'Tongues Untied' he transferred it to film, Mako
Idemitsu's last video is also being distributed on film.  Sadie Benning's
videos are usually projected large on film screens and now she is now
shooting more and more on film.  In the other direction, most theater's
screens are getting smaller, many films are going almost directly to video,
and more and more films are being shot on video (Dogma '95 film 'The
Celebration a recent eyepopping example) and transferred to film.  I do
have to admit to being shocked (although they've been talking about this
for a while) by an article in the business section of the New York Times
yesterday, on how digital projectors will change the film industry. It's
coming, it's just a question when.

On the authenticity side, yes, we will lose films scratches, but after all,
video can bask in its dropout, digital or otherwise.  This is no doubt what
we'll all be basking in pretty soon.  I think the film/video argument (in
terms of contemporary production) is about to move into the realm of the
historians.  It will become more and more difficult to see films the way
they were originally viewed when released, and I can't imagine that many
films will be archived in their original state (as opposed to being
transferred to another medium).

Best,
Shelly.