Screenhead’s Decade of Cinema Part 3: 2002
Dec 24th, 2009 by Peter D. Marshall
This article was written by Eoin O’Faolain.
Continuing in our look back on the last decade, Screenhead examines the major movie events of the year 2002.
“Digital cinema had been around for quite a while throughout the 90’s, but it was this decade that saw it start to challenge traditional methods of film-making. While most major and indie films were shot on celluloid film roles (normally 35mm or 16mm), digital cameras managed to cut the cost of film processing and thus make things cheaper and easier. Initially digital cameras recorded onto tapes, and eventually electronic data could be stored directly onto hard-drives, making it ready for instant playback and editing.
Adopting digital film-making was a very slow process, mostly because early cameras couldn’t challenge the amount of information captured on traditional film, and also because digital cameras react to low-light in different ways to the “grain” of film stock. 2002 saw that perception change with the release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the first major Hollywood film to be shot entirely in digital (on Sony’s HDW-F900), and most people couldn’t tell the difference.
This year also saw the release of Russian Ark, also shot entirely on the same camera and consisting of a single 90-minute take as a man explores a mansion that represents the history of Russia. Many Hollywood films still use 35mm, but digital formats are being championed by some, such as director Michael Mann who has shot his last two films using digital cameras.”
Read this article from Screenhead.
