From: Mitsu Hadeishi (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Jun 29 2006 - 15:22:24 PDT
Well, to put on the common usage hat again, it seems to depend on context. If
someone says "shoot on film or HD", no one is confused by what the
word "film" means. Or even to say "it was shot on film" or "it's a movie
shot on film" is perfectly clear. Simply saying it is a "film" by itself no
longer seems to be adequately specific.
In the other direction, calling, say, Miranda's movie a "video" because it is
shot on HD really just sounds silly. It's not a "video" in any ordinary use
of the term.
Mitsu
On Thursday 29 June 2006 18:04, john porter wrote:
> What do Mitsu's common sense and Michael's productive
> mentality say is the commonly-used word referring
> exclusively to that medium which is always viewed by
> passing light through a strip of clear acetate (not
> celluloid)?
> If we don't have such a word, that will help to kill
> that medium. Sounds like a lot of people want that.
> They're vultures and I'm a zombie. Grrrrrrr.
> John.
>
> --- Michael Betancourt <email suppressed>
>
> wrote:
> > I agree with all of this:
> >
> > On 6/29/06, Mitsu Hadeishi <email suppressed>
> >
> > wrote:
> > > Obviously there are people who are wedded to film
> >
> > as a medium, and no
> >
> > > amount
> > > of discussion will change that. However, the
> >
> > world moves on. The fact
> >
> > > is,
> > > the word "film" is used all the time to refer to
> >
> > HD productions; my friend
> >
> > > Miranda July for example released her film to
> >
> > theaters, but in some venues
> >
> > > it
> > > was projected digitally (including at IFC and at
> >
> > Sundance), and just
> >
> > > because
> > > in those cases it was produced and projected
> >
> > digitally, it would have
> >
> > > sounded
> > > ridiculous to call it a "video".
> > >
> > > Human beings decide what words mean through usage,
> >
> > and the general public
> >
> > > and
> > > common sense usage seem to agree that the word
> >
> > "film" can be used for
> >
> > > all-digital productions that are projected
> >
> > digitally as long as it is
> >
> > > reasonably high resolution and decent contrast,
> >
> > etc. It's just the way
> >
> > > the
> > > word is already being used, whether we like it or
> >
> > not.
> >
> > > I don't think there's going to be much confusion
> >
> > --- context will
> >
> > > generally
> > > make it clear whether you're using the word "film"
> >
> > to mean specifically
> >
> > > the
> > > celluloid medium, or whether you're using it more
> >
> > generically. The fact
> >
> > > is,
> > > after most production goes digital people will
> >
> > still be calling it "the
> >
> > > film
> > > industry" and the things that are being produced
> >
> > "films". That's the way
> >
> > > language works, the original inspiration for the
> >
> > word can become obsolete
> >
> > > but
> > > the word lives on in a new context.
> > >
> > > And I think there's nothing whatever wrong with
> >
> > that.
> >
> >
> >
> > Languages evolve and meanings change.
> > Wanting to tie the language down and stop it
> > changing is really only good
> > for archivists, and my feeling is that this
> > mentality is counter-productive
> > for us as a community. Either "experimental (fill-in
> > your favorite term)
> > film" constitutes a tradition that exceeds the
> > materials of its
> > production/presentation, or it dies and "video art"
> > and that tradition (in
> > some ways similar, in others not) replaces it.
> >
> > We've talked about this before, which is why I asked
> > the "values" question.
> >
> >
> > Michael Betancourt
> > Des Moines, IA USA
> >
> > www.michaelbetancourt.com
> > www.cinegraphic.net
> > the avant-garde film & video blog
>
> __________________________________________________________________
>
> > For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> > <email suppressed>.
>
> John Porter, Toronto, Canada
> http://www.super8porter.ca/
> email suppressed
>
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> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.