Digital Cinematography - History

History

Beginning in the late 1980s, Sony began marketing the concept of "electronic cinematography," utilizing its analog Sony HDVS professional video cameras. The effort met with very little success. In 1998, with the introduction of HDCAM recorders and 1920 × 1080 pixel digital professional video cameras based on CCD technology, the idea, now re-branded as "digital cinematography," began to gain traction in the market.

In 1994 Sony executives approached Party of Five (FOX) producer Ken Topolsky and director of photography Roy H. Wagner, ASC, in an effort to photograph side by side tests with Sony's prototype High Def camera and 35mm film. This resulted in one of the first network broadcast television series, FOX Pilot PASADENA (2001), directed by Diane Keaton, photographed by Wagner. The results were so successful, shown to directors and Industry decision makers at the Directors Guild of America and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) meetings, that many were encouraged by the film-like images. Soon many series were considering HD originated image capture.

The first Feature Film to originate entirely on a Digital High Definition Camera was the independent film, "Solid Ones", which premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in 2000, projected in its native HD. The film, Directed by new-comer Brent Florence, Produced by "Snow Falling on Cedar's" Lloyd Silverman, and beautifully lensed by American Film Institute alumnus, Matthew W. Davis, was shot with a Sony HDCAM in 1920 × 1080 60i. The Feature was acquired by Roger Corman's New Concorde distribution arm, who retitled the picture, "A Girl, 3 Guys, and a Gun", and had it transferred to film.

In May 2001 Once Upon a Time in Mexico became the first well known movie to be shot in 24 frame-per-second high-definition digital video, using a Sony HDW-F900 camera, following Robert Rodriguez's introduction to the camera at George Lucas's ranch whilst editing the sound for Spy Kids. In May 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was released having also been shot using a Sony HDW-F900 camera. Two lesser-known movies, Vidocq (2001) and Russian Ark (2002), had also previously been shot with the same camera, the latter notably consisting of a single long take (no cuts).

In parallel with these developments in the world of traditional high-budget cinematography, a digital cinema revolution was occurring from the bottom up, among low budget filmmakers outside of the Hollywood studio system. Beginning in the mid-1990s, with the introduction of Sony's DCR-VX1000, the digital MiniDV Standard Definition format began to emerge. MiniDV offered much greater quality than the SD analog formats that preceded it, at the same price point. While its quality was not considered as good as film, these MiniDV camcorders, in conjunction with non-linear editing software that could run on personal computers, allowed a large number of people to begin making movies who were previously prevented from doing so by the high costs involved with shooting on film.

Today, cameras from companies like Sony, Panasonic, JVC and Canon offer a variety of choices for shooting high-definition video with less than $10,000 worth of camera equipment. Additionally, some under $1,000 digital SLR photo cameras from vendors like Canon and Nikon have added 24, 25 or 30 frame per second video modes in HD (1920×1080) resolution, Sony is offering additionally 60 frame per second movies in FullHD resolution in their SLT and NEX cameras.

At the high-end of the market, there has been an emergence of cameras aimed specifically at the digital cinema market. These cameras from Sony, Vision Research, Arri, Silicon Imaging, Panavision, Grass Valley and Red offer resolution and dynamic range that exceeds that of traditional video cameras, which are designed for the limited needs of broadcast television.