| Digital : The Dawn of its Normalization. |
Restricted
to one's TV set up to now, video images have been breaking
out of their mould for the past six years advancing with
the latest developments in digital technologies. High
definition video has made such headway as to establish
a common universal format for cinema and television -
the Common Image Format (CIF). Blossoming at the same
speed, the DV market has mushroomed with the growing success
of compact camcorders for all, the incarnation of the
"caméra-stylo" (camera-pen) theory advanced
by French novelist, critic and filmmaker Alexandre Astruc
in the 50s.
The
technical, economical, professional, aesthetic and cultural
stakes inherit in D-cinema are considerable when you examine
all the branches of the audiovisual sector.
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| Producing Images |
Concerning
image-making the shoot in HD video, CIF format (1920x1080 lines, equivalent
of 2 million pixels) has become a common practice with its proper
equipment. The list of HD movies is quite long; French director Pitof's
Vidocq and George Lucas' Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones
clearly stepped up the pace more than two years ago when they substituted
the classic 35mm camera for a Sony CineAlta HDW-F900 camcorder, with
its 24 image/per second progressive HD. At this year's Sundance Film
Festival, digital submissions rose to 537 up from 440 last year, with
notable HD selected features in competition as Camp or buzz
film The Pieces of April, and special screenings of HD films
such as Cremaster 3 and The Hebrew Hammer.
Joining the bandwagon in HD productions are commercials (Opel, Volvo,
Mitsubishi), concert videos (Robbie Williams at Cologne) and documentaries
(such as the deep sea images of James Cameron's Expedition: Bismark).
The industrialists have followed suit fabricating a new generation
of professional cameras targeted for television broadcasts such as
the Sony HDW 750 P Zeppelin Television camera.
For some time now the DV format has been enticing filmmakers -renowned
or unknown- to make works in a new register, one more intimate or
less formal than traditional cinematic styles, such as those of Agnes
Varda (The Gleaners and I), Jean-Marc Barr (Trilogy: Being
Light, Too Much Flesh, Lovers), the Dogme films of Lars Van Trier
and Thomas Vinterberg or Sundance 2002 winner of the Director Award
for Tadpole - Gary Winick and his production company InDigEnt
(Independent Digital Entertainment).
Digital post-production tools, especially the
special effects variety (3D animation, compositing, restoration, etc)
as well as telecinema, editing, calibration or 35mm transfers, have
long established their digital processing edge. Laboratories large
and small across the globe offer equipment, technicians and artists
able to intervene in every aspect of filmmaking, The leading
post-production companies include Adobe, Alias Wavefront, Avid
(Softimage), Discreet, Pinnacle, SGI, NVidia, ATI, Matrox,
3Dlabs, Boxx.
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| D-Viewing Arrives! |
HD projections are also
beginning to conquer, thanks to the Texas Instruments technology of
micro mirrors (DLP). Cannes 2002 offered D-viewing for the first time
- DreamWorks' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Alexandr
Sokurov's Russian Ark - using the digital projector D-Cine
Premiere DP50 that Barco installed in the Louis Lumiere Auditorium
in the Palais des Festivals. The Sundance Festival equipped all but
two of its theaters with digital projectors four years ago.
Indeed in less than two years, this technology has been adopted by
several manufacturers (Barco, Christie) and we can now count as many
as 150 theaters in the world so equipped, many of which did so for
the release of Lucas' Attack of the Clones in the spring
of 2002. The transmission of images by satellite is currently under
testing as a means of furnishing theatres (either stationary or itinerant)
with audiovisual works, sport matches, concerts and other entertainment
broadcasts.
The European
Digital Cinema Forum (supported by the European Union program Media)
holds regular meetings in an attempt to concert digital technical
and economical development as well as content and creation.
The European Union is a strong supporter of digital projections
with financial aid going out to make sure it becomes a reality.
The European Union has also invested in trial projects such as
the Swedish Folket Hus theater network. |
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| The HD Home Theater? |
So where stands
television in terms of broadcasting and reception in HD video? Following
the standardization wars of the 90s between Europe and Japan and the
end of hope for the European HD Mac, the TVHD was definitively anchored
in Japan 12 years ago by NHK. Today some 1.5 million Japanese households
have installed HD receivers and 10,000 hours of programming is in
circulation.
But the true future in Europe for the anticipated
TVHD seems to hinge upon its digital deployment. The technological
prowess is intact for broadcasting over cable, satellite and soon
the terrestrial digital network, however the receivers are still
in the prototype stages, in need of a technological (and political)
accelerator before Europe will be able to watch HD at home. |
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| DVD Prevails in Home Movies |
In the realm of data storage formats,
the DVD has overtaken the antique VHS video version due to its
successful technology and economical value. A new generation of
HD DVDs will also bring new commercial perspectives, especially for
home movies.
No turning back for progress indeed, the
concept of a super high definition doubles the resolution of the
actual HD. The aim is to reach 8 million pixels and to become a
genuine rival to 35mm film. But of course, celluloid has a long
life yet ahead: Showing its resistance against the digital invasion,
Kodak recently announced its new tungsten 500 negative film
baptized Vision 2 targeting the feature, TV and short film markets. |
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| Conclusion (Temporary!!) |
Digital has found its
way into all aspects of image production and viewing. As long as it
continues to demonstrate its superiority technically and artistically
as well as economically, it will only continue to uproot traditional
methods. Much progress is yet to be accomplished, especially at the
two ends of the filmmaking process (image quality on one end and viewing
possibilities for the home and theatre on the other), but digital
options are permeating all audiovisual branches and D-cinema will
one day become an entity in its own right. How and when? That is the
question.
Jean Segura
French Journalist specialized in audiovisual techniques and digital media. |
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