New and Future Developments in Cinematography
New and Future Developments in Cinematography This transitional period in cinema is currently resulting in new and inventive technology emerging in rapid succession. Because the age of digital cinema has only just begun, we have yet to see the full potential of what it might bring. In camera technology there are several new companies now competing with the larger names in the business. This is leading to a democratisation of an industry that has until recently relied on a few major companies. This means that the evolution of digital cinematography will most likely continue to move faster and further than when it first started. The peak of that evolution would of course be a camera and a workflow that greatly surpasses that of 35mm film in every way. When that happens every cinematographer would have no choice but to embrace digital technology. But in order for this to occur, significant improvements must be made in key areas as resolution, dynamic range, colour rendition, security and archiving. The President of the American Society of Cinematographers, Richard P. Crudo, wrote in 2005: “(...) the highest possible photochemical standard must continue to be seen as the minimum point from which to grow on all fronts.” (38) In this chapter there will be examples of cameras and equipment that try to meet that standard. Most are examples of equipment that has already been put to use, one is years away from completion. But they all hold a promise to change the role of cinematographer. RED Digital Cinema The RED Digital Cinema company has made a remarkable entrance into the feature film industry. Their camera, the RED One (see picture), was released in 2007 and has already been used in several major motion pictures, with many more in production. These include Jumper (Dir: Doug Liman, 2008),