Movie making began in the late 1800s. Motion picture cameras were invented and film production companies started to establish for business. Telling stories on screen soon became a lucrative form of entertainment. It’s important to remember that movies were made without any sound until 1927.
Back in the day, films were formatted in a width size of 70mm. What is 70mm, you ask? 70mm film is a wide high-resolution gauge for still or motion picture photography. 70mm images are large, bright and oh so beautiful. These type of lenses hold sharpness and contrast across the entire frame. 70mm is twice the size of a standard 35mm Academy standard. If you’re sitting in the movie theater and the film you’re watching is 70mm, an ant for example, will appear to be the size of a dinosaur. Furthermore, you see a crisper and more detailed image. Most cine-files prefer and adore the 70mm format. Quentin Tarantino, for example, has expressed that all films should be made in this structure. Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson, among others, agree.
Now that we have a better understanding of what 70mm is, I would like to tell you all a story.
Once upon a time, a night out at the movies was a sought out happening. People would dress up, have a cocktail and trek out to see the latest flick. Today, seeing a Broadway show used to be like going to the movies. As populations increased and the demand for movie theaters heightened the screens got smaller and the 70mm stock prices increased. 70mm was soon pushed away and adopted by the Academy standard 35mm format before the rise of digital.
35mm, also shot on film stock (or film celluloid) has a similar feel to 70mm, but contains much smaller aspect ratios by half the size. Most movie theaters today are still equipped to play 35mm. We still get a bigger and brighter picture, but not quite as large as 70mm (refer to the picture above).
I have heard before that history tends to repeats itself. Today, screens continue to shrink in size becoming smaller and smaller. People are now watching movies on their iPhone, iPads, smart phones and computers. In this new digital age, brand new versions of films are able to crux down the image size to whatever scope your screen is without compromising resolution. The reason being is that most films are now physically shot on digital instead of film celluloid (70mm & 35mm).
Lots of movie theaters today show movies on DCP. DCP stands for Digital Cinema Package. This is a collection of digital files used to store and then convey digital cinema. This technology speeds things up and is much cheaper than shooting on film (70mm & 35mm). Shooting digitally provides filmmakers with new tools and innovative techniques to tell their stories on screen. Digital film allows us to see movies in 3D and to stream video on the internet. Some say this format is less authentic.
Filmmakers like James Cameron and George Lucas swear by digital shooting. They have boosted 3D movies by making such hits like AVATAR and STAR WARS in the digital formats. With digital shooting, filmmakers have endless options on elevating their stories. For example, they can dive into special effects using some of the latest technologies. The flexibility with digital special effects allows audiences to view an object in a more realistic way. There’s always a chance, however, that it will look artificial.
Take the beloved character Yoda for example from the STAR WARS series. In the later movies, Yoda is brought to life in a more realistic way due to digital shooting and technology.
I urge you all to take a peak at a documentary called SIDE BY SIDE. Yes, it stars Keanu Reeves, but don’t turn your noses up so fast. He takes audiences on a tour of the past and future ways of filmmaking and this groundbreaking evolution of digital cinema.
What formats of film do you all prefer?
Yoga Pose: Savasana {Corpse Pose} leading into fetal pose, leading into Sukhasana {Easy Pose}
When a yoga practice is about to conclude you honor your body and the room’s energy in Corpse Pose. This symbolizes the death of the practice. Your mind is still; you are at peace.
Your body then awakens with breath and minimal movement leading one into fetal pose: the re-birth.
Finally, with that movement reach your arms up overhead and draw your knees in towards your chest to press yourself up into Easy Pose. Your body is grounded and centered.
