How is technology affecting film-making?

3-D printing is just one of the technological changes that are spreading across the world, and, to those who have been keeping up, has led to a manufacturing renaissance in the US, as production leaves China to go back to America.

Chris Anderson has written a reasonably good overview of this, in his latest book, "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution", and, while the next decade will bring yet more surprises, he has a point. To cut a long story short, people using 3-D manufacturing can provide custom solutions and supply-on-demand, while the larger companies will continue to churn out products that require giant economies of scale. While this revolution will destroy jobs, it will create new ones.

Since there is a new industrial revolution happening, how is that affecting film-making?

to cut a long story short, i think the advancement in technology makes things easier to create, but makes creativity harder, in the sense that if your using old crappy equipment you have to try and be creative in how you get a good result. however if you just get your hands on an alexa or something (just as easy as that haha) then I reckon most people would copy what they had seen in the movies or just basically lose that creative spark that comes with compromise.

I'm wondering if technology is making it cheaper to produce quality films. I know that has been true to a great extent, but I'm asking if the current wave is affecting the business.

oh in that case then yeah, i think technology makes everything cheaper eventually. I guess if you think about it nowadays you can go and shoot a broadcast quality documentary, on your own with a dslr a mic and a laptop, a few years ago you would have carried a much bigger much more expensive camera and all the other gear and needed at least a couple of people, and years before that a documentary wouldnt even have been possible. Obviously my reply centres around docs, but I think it applies to all film making, years ago there wasnt an indie film scene, as to make films you needed major backing, but now its a lot easier to make films

I'm wondering if technology is making it cheaper to produce quality films. I know that has been true to a great extent, but I'm asking if the current wave is affecting the business.

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Specifically to filming, yes and no.

While the potential costs of filming can come down with technology, the cost of marketing (which is required for any reasonable level of success) is rising.

All technological advancements do is require that artists to learn how use different tools.

Technology will never replace talent and inspiration, only where they are applied.

Alcove Audio said:

Technology will never replace talent and inspiration, only where they are applied.

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Agreed.

Sweetie, why do you say marketing costs are rising?

In my personal opinion, I think the advent of technology and the 'democratisation' of the film market has brought costs down, but also, speaking in general terms, brought quality down.

Even in terms of movies that are now shot on digital rather than film where highlights will blow earlier than they used to, or where there's not enough time spent lighting because producers think that digital makes things any quicker than film.

Where filmmaking is now so accessible to the layman, that also means the layman is penetrating the industry, and starting to cause it's demise - we have Producers who hire kids who have only ever shot on a 7D and who end up doing a crappy job, but they get paid because they're cheap.

I fear eventually, we'll see general quality standards drop, and people will become accustomed to 'decent' lighting and 'decent' camera operation and image noise, and 'decent' sound.

The issue is that the decisions about these sorts of things are coming from the Directors and Producers, when really it should be coming from the Cinematographers - the people who really know what an image is, how to work an image, and how to get the best out of an image. You see up and coming Directors who want to shoot on RED or Alexa or Blackmagic simply because 'it's a f***ing RED, man!'
Well, so what? If it doesn't give you the image you want, who cares if it's a RED or Alexa or DSLR? Directors and Producers think they don't have the budget to shoot film, and won't listen to you when you try to explain that actually, they do. There are a rare breed of Directors and Producers who really do understand, and in general these people are the top Hollywood players due in part to their innate knowledge, understanding, and trusting of a DP.

I fear the new generations of Directors, Cinematographers, Producers who will want to shoot on the newest camera because 'it's 6K! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH RESOLUTION THAT IS?!!!!' The film professionals of the Y-gen who come through expecting to be handed everything, thinking they're too good to work their way up - Cinematographers who have never camera assisted. Directors who have never PA'd.

And I blame the increasing availability of technology - coupled with the Y-gen 'I deserve to be lauded for my effort even if it's appaling' attitude, it creates average movies without the self-awareness to get better, and without the self-discipline and self-motivation to seek better mentors, better films, better stories etc. etc. etc.

/rant

:chuckle: I think in the short period of time I've been visiting IT, talk has moved from talking about HD to 2K to 4K and now to 6K...and hasn't 8K been mentioned, either here or perhaps on Sony's website? Where does it top off? Or does it top off? Not a complaint. Just an observation. =)

Are you saying that 3D printing will change filmmaking? Not sure. I suppose like anything else, it might make it easier and cheaper to conjure (print) up this or that needed prop, or something?

Perhaps one interesting thing (and perhaps a sad thing, in a nostalgic sense, or in other senses) about the "democratization" of filmmaking due to the advancement and proliferation of filmmaking tools is that perhaps we'll be seeing the waning of Hollywood's prominence in the world, and perhaps along with it the spread and influence of Americana. So, if it's true that America has begun its decline, maybe that will soon be reflected in cinema, as well, not only because its economic might and its vigor are receding, but also because Hollywood will no longer be exceptional in a world where so many other voices now and will have such unprecedented means to do it themselves.

And how will the technology and economy of delivery affect filmmaking? How is it doing so, as films are streamed into people's homes or carried around on mobile devices etc? And I suppose that will also be shaped by how the internet is delivered to users in the future. How might that continue to change over the years and decades?

Can't say I'm bullish on jobs being created or a brighter future. But I guess I've become one of those old geezers like so many old geezers from so many generations before who complain that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. But anyway, seems pretty clear that the trend is to employ fewer and fewer people who do more and more work.

Then again, if there will be more and more people able to engage in filmmaking, could it be possible that more and more people will find or figure out ways to make a living or a partial living at it?

Holographic Photonics will make a big impact on film production!

Do you know if you put sand on a drum and beat the drum a specific frequencies then the sand will form patterns. Well similiarly within a 3D space it is possible to use fequencies to move stuff around to form 3D structures. A approach similiar to holograms could be used to create 3D structures using resonance. Additionally areas of high density and low density can form due to the resonance such that tubing is created within the 3D space where photons can travel (note that fiber optics uses tubes within inside having different density to the outer layer!). Hence can create a photonic computer using the above technique.

The human brain could be holographically copied into a 1mm plastic cube! With the signals travalling around this cube at speed of light instead of speed of ions. Due to this and the small size of the brain being 1mm it there for means this brqin would function far faster than a real human brain and also in parralel unlike current computer technology.

A laptop could be created that is simply a plastic sheet! With in this sheet could be put the holographic copies of 100 top film makers and scientists etc. You could simply ask this computer to create you a movie and what guide lines or plot styles etc you want and then the computer could within seconds start displaying the movie that it has finished making for you! (Due 5o the computer being millions of times faster than humans it can create a virtual 3D world and have the holographic copies of movie directors actors etc work within this world to create a movie millions of times faster than in the real world).

If you are a top film maker or scientist etc then you could licence holographic copies of your brain, otherwise.....

People will get instantly whatever film they want and no need to download from internet.

Sweetie, why do you say marketing costs are rising?

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Because the average marketing cost of a movie is rising. If memory serves me right, the average marketing budget of a theatrical release is between 25-30mil these days.

It's somewhat part of how we consume movies these days. The huge majority of a movies sales are in the first two weeks, reducing the ability to use word of mouth as an effective marketing tool. It makes the marketing the week before the movie comes out very important. For some movies, an even longer (and more costly) lead in is required.

While there are more (and cheaper) opportunities to distribute a film if you are willing to forgo the theatrical release, the unfortunate fact remains, a blockbuster isn't going to happen without a theatrical release. Yes, there are smaller movies getting limited theatrical releases, those are typically the smaller movies.

Though, if you don't care about the financial returns of your film, then yes. Technology is driving down the costs of making films. Unfortunately, if you don't take care of the business side of film, your money supply will quickly dry up.