CELLULOID FILM VS DIGITAL FILM

HANNAH HALLIDAY

WHY HAS THERE BEEN A SWITCH OVER?Using a digital film camera can speed the process of making a film up. If you was to shoot a film with a film camera, you would have to develop, process and digitize (convert to a computer file) the film before doing any editing on it and this would take a long time. If a digital camera was to be used, these steps can be skipped because the film can just be placed onto a hard dive and SD card/USB.

ADVANTAGES OF USING DIGITAL FILM CAMERAS• It has a greater dynamic range, so it can show a more

detailed range of shadows, midtones, highlights. • It takes less space to store. • It does not need to be converted to digital in order to be

edited.• It is far cheaper than film, especially since it does not

need to be processed in lab each night. • The results can be viewed almost immediately.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING DIGITAL FILM CAMERAS• It can easily lose detail in whites and blacks of a shot.• The memory cards can be small (physically and memory),

if it was physically small, it may get lost or misplaced and hard to find. If there was small memory on the card, you would have to keep stopping and starting as you would need to take any filming you have already done and put it onto your computer.

ADVANTAGES OF USING CELLULOID FILM• Film has a different look than digital.• High quality images are captured quickly.• Underexposed and overexposed areas are rendered better

on film.• As far as archiving films goes, print is hands down the

most future proof. At -1 degrees Celsius, film can last up to 2,000 years.

• You can physically be hands on with the film.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING CELLULOID FILM• Hard to store because it is so big.• The reproducibility of film is hard because it takes a lot to

copy the film numerous of times.• Shooting film is expensive and also, before the film is

even considered, it is still very expensive.• It isn’t very convenient.

THE FUTURE OF FILMA lot has changed in how films are produced and promoting in the intervening decade.Today, films are better than ever due to the digitalisation and the special effects that can be used. I think there is a wide future for film because it will just keep developing further and further. The invention of technology is rapidly approaching and developing each day.