Posted on

Digital filmmaking, a new computer based technology using high definition (HD) video and equipment is not only inexpensive compared to the usual 35 mm film. It is also the wave of the future. It is a process technology of capturing images on tape, hard disks, flask memory or other equipment using digital data.

Digital cinematography is now being used in Hollywood. It gained acceptance globally after Slumdog Millionaire was awarded the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2009. Slumdog Millionaire is a digital film and so was the highest grossing movie of all time, Avatar.

In making a digital film, you need a digital camcorder and a digital editing equipment to produce a movie at one fifth the cost of making a film made with the celluloid camera. If you have any plans to show your digital movie in theaters, it is better that you get a PAL formatted camcorder. For widescreen projection, there are some camcorders suited for this purpose. For video to film projects, it is critically important for you to sit down with a film transfer technical guy. There are cameras such as the 24P cameras which have 24 frames per second equivalent to the film stock.

In digital film making, logistics in making the shoot, preparing the script, casting the actors and crew are basically the same as in the traditional film making. The advantage of shooting a movie in digital format which appeals to many producers is that it is cheaper to make.With the digital camera and editing equipment, the process is faster saving the producers more time and money. You can immediately view the footage after shoot and adjustments immediately made when there is problem. With digital production, making copies for distribution and shipping are less expensive. The quality of a digital film is also high compared with traditional film which can wind up messy after a while of consistent usage. Digital film maintains the same quality every time you view it.

Whether you use a digital or film format for your movie is a matter of choice both in the area of logistics and creativity. If budget is not a problem, go ahead with the traditional format. However if you can produce a  quality digital motion picture which has the potential of gaining acceptance worldwide by  winning an Academy  Award for cinematography, why not?  It can inspire a lot of independent film makers and encourage more investors to go into digital filmmaking which is the wave of the future and is revolutionizing the film industry!