The Dream Factory : 100 Years of Cinema in India by HK Verma – Chapter – 3

The Digital Revolution

Albert Einstein had said: “I never think of the future, it comes soon enough. “

One aspect of the future that can never come soon enough is that of greater autonomy. In film‑making though autonomy is frequently stifled by the unequal possession of capital and the voices of the many are simple marginalised. Alternatively autonomy can be undermined by the predilections of the owners of capital, as in the studio systems where formulas are devised to meet market‑researched standards at the cost of creativity or experimentation.

Most perniciously though, any act of investment constricts autonomy by creating a structural dilemma-the necessity of recouping investments-without which future production is endangered. The expensive nature of 35mm productions thus exerts an all too obvious pressure on film‑makers, which drives commercial cinema towards the safety of numbers and tried‑and‑tested content. Unsurprisingly then, lowest common cultural denominators and universal themes often determine what is popular cinema.

Digital video as a technology promises empowerment through an improved set of opportunities which far outweigh its constraints. Autonomy in digital film‑making (the making of digital format motion pictures) is derived from its relatively low capital‑intensity requirements. This in turn reduces the break‑even constraint. As a general rule though the scale effects that dominate the production requirements of traditional formats are toned down enormously. An immediate consequence is the increased ability to take risks with form and content.

The essential thrust of digital film‑making is liberal‑democratic as it increases the spectrum of output and also protects diversity by allowing for niche markets to be satiated. In occupational terms, the relative affordability of digital video also allows for the studio apprentice system to be replaced by greater hands on experience for first‑time film‑makers who believe that creativity can transcend experience.

Another significant feature of digital video is its relative immunity against the heavy‑handed tactics of parochial politics. It is hardly the case that India lacks brave political and social cinema. However, producing and protecting such produce becomes easier when it is an digital form. Banning a film or a visual outright and refuse a Censor certificate-may not be possible in the future because duplicates of a film shot on Digital Video format would be cheap and easier to store and distribute.

Digital Video’s subversive capabilities are however, obviously double‑edged The role of audio tapes, as a decentralised, low‑cost medium, in furthering communal tension in the early 1990s, has been well documented. It is a myth that decentralised mediums, which promote the freedom of speech need not always promote what you want to hear. Nonetheless high‑quality audio‑visual dissent can strengthen human rights and provides unique perspectives: Palm‑sized digital cameras for example have been used for sensitive under cover investigations and war reporting.

Presently, digital film‑making is dogged by significant constraints. An awkward question is whether digital video will gain widespread acceptability amongst audiences despite its less than cinematic visuals. One complicated alternative is for a digital film that looks commercially viable to be transferred to 35mm for theatrical release. A more promising alternative lies in newer distribution channels that seek to broadcast over the Internet and broadband, or better still create digital projection theatres.

Recent innovations in video compression technology, together with increased bandwidth availability on fibre‑optic networks promise to substantially increase the download speeds and visual quality of such streaming video. Research suggests it may eventually be possible for digital films to be down‑loaded from satellites to digital cinemas, thus allowing for an important part of the cinematic experience to be retained. Ultimately we can hope that the seemingly inexorable progress of technology will carry digital films towards greater sophistication and viability and you never know that might be the future of Cinema

Digital film‑making should thus be seen as a challenge to the unifying nature of global production for global markets. As such, it is an alternative to-not the replacement of-traditional techniques and content. Its produce will thus complement 16mm independent and guerrilla cinema that also challenge the formula system the so called nouvelle vogue, parallel or low budget cinema. Magnum Opuses requiring grandeur will have to be made on bigger format and viewed on bigger screens.

A significant example of this techno‑aesthetic approach is the Dogme Manifesto-a statement of intention adhered to by film‑makers who seek to refocus film‑making away from the special effects and large budgets of Hollywood and back to story telling and innovative camera work. Critically acclaimed works in this genre include Festen (which addresses sexual abuse within families). The Idiots (which addresses society s notions of deviancy), and two Oscar‑nominated documentaries, The Buena Vista Social Club and The Farm.

Some, Indian filmmakers have also reacted powerfully to this new medium and are experimenting with the medium. Their efforts should assist the development of a support structure essential to the promotion of the digital arts.

The philosopher Kierkegaard wryly noted that “people demand freedom of speech as compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. “ The embryonic digital revolution, in contrast, promises the means for an affirmation of free thought and the exercise of fundamental rights. It has already made significant contributions to documentary, short and experimental film making. The citadel of popular cinema, however, is yet to be breached. As one director cynically puts it: people who shoot on film still want to shoot on film and people who shoot on video still want to shoot on film.

As with most revolutions, the digital revolution will take its time in coming. That time, though cannot come soon enough. Digital camcorders, which are rapidly going mainstream, will soon make even the amateur home movies look sharper, crisper and clear.

The chances are you haven’t experienced the digital video scenario just yet. But you probably will-and sooner than you might expect. Digital camcorders are rapidly going mainstream. At the same time, PCs equipped to handle digital video are blossoming like flowers in the spring. And since both sides “speak” digital, you can transfer video clips from your camcorders without any conversion process or loss of quality. But as intriguing as the camcorders‑computer marriage is, you needn’t be a budding electronic filmmaker to like what digital video brings to your home movies.

How’s DV work? Like analog camcorders, DV models use a CCD sensor that records images as coloured points of light that get converted into electrical data and stored onto tape. But digital reccorders records that data as a precise stream of ones and zeroes rather than analog waveforms, and store them on MiniDV tape cassettes, which are even smaller than 8mm or VHS‑C tapes. This process, coupled with various signal filters and pixel‑ sampling techniques, produces a highly accurate and very clean recording, with a high signal‑to noise ratio and virtually no picture “dropouts”.

In addition to their better video quality, digital camcorders of either the DV or Digital 8 variety yield several inviting perks. Most digital models come with a photo mode that enables you to snap a still picture with your camcorders. Typically, the quality of these stills is only mediocre, since digital camcorders capture images at a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. Most of today’s megapixel digital still cameras, by contrast, capture images that comprise three to six times that many pixels, yielding pictures on paper that look far more like film prints. But for pictures destined to appear on TV or big screens-to be attached to an e‑mail or posted to a Web site, for instance-a digital camcorders low resolution is fine.