Technical Forum: 

I’m writing this segment in the form of a ‘Points To Ponder and Generate Discussion’ fashion. Having spent most of my life researching and proving the worth of new technologies in the fields of film and particularly video, some of my filmmaking, computer colleagues and I would welcome the exchange of ideas in such fields  For this purpose I put forward some points which are quite pertinent at the Movie Industry’s current stage of development   …………Bruce 

The Cost of Change and New Technology:

Technology fields especially in relation to digital technologies are literally exploding with continually improving high definition cameras, hard storage devices, flat screen displays and computer driven editing. It just doesn’t seem to stop in relation to improvements, miniaturisation and the ability to communicate information quickly around the World especially through the latest craze of blogging and miniature internet devices such as I-pods. 

Those of us who’ve been in the movie making field for some time look back with some nostalgia to the days when a film camera would last you for 15 years or so.  However with ever changing formats and new inventions you’re lucky if a new camera has a life of 4 years before it is hopelessly outdated.  Money going out continually on keeping up with new trends is quite worrying for Production Houses.   

In fact it was the main topic of a paper I delivered at the SMPTE Convention in 2005.  I discussed achieving a balance between outlaying money on new equipment measured against whether it gave sufficient return during its ‘use by term’.  In fact I attributed failure to observe this criterion was the reason why many small production houses had gone to the wall from over capitalising on the latest ‘you beaut’ technologies and finding they were not constantly in use. We fortunately have kept afloat by knowing exactly what we need to buy and what we need to hire.  

Have you also found this likewise with your business? and, has anyone located any manufacturers/ suppliers who give enticing trade ups for investment in new equipment be it cameras or editing equipment?  Unfortunately we filmmakers seem to be caught up well and truly in the ‘Throwaway Society’.  Is there anyone building a camera that can be regularly upgraded with new chipsets or boards?  Why do we have to throw away a perfectly good lens, viewfinder, heavy duty case with all the controls you want, to keep up with the constantly changing formats and enhancements in resolution, progressive scan and low light capabilities?

The reality is that manufacturers are driven by the ‘New Model Syndrome’ - Keep churning out complete products whilst there is a constant demand from the big communication corporations. TV Stations and an ever hungry general public. Just throw away or recycle the old stuff and ensure you’ve made enough money to cover the depreciation. Perhaps okay with the consumer camcorders which nowadays are just so cheap, but still a significant devaluation for those who need to use broadcast cameras and professional edit computers. 
 

Innovations in the Field of 3D

It was interesting at this year’s Seminars at SMPTE 2007 at Darling Harbour, Sydney that one of the key topics was true 3D Display in video and TV environments.  Unfortunately I was not able to attend this session but for many years have pondered on how it could be feasibly achieved by modifying a cheaper HD camera with a dual polarised lens system and recording the two different picture streams onto one drive.   

Of course this tends to open Pandora’s Box on how it would be replayed but it is not unachievable at low budget if you’re prepared to wear a pair of polarised glasses the likes of those used at IMAX Cinemas. In this system you are also getting the benefits of true colour.  The use of mini LCD glasses which are coming out cheaply for mobile I-Pod users and the like could also be modified to give quite a powerful 3D experience.  

Holography is another potential field but obtaining a satisfactory replay system at an affordable cost appears to be the stumbling block. 

Anyway my question is:  Is there anyone out there who is experimenting with low cost equipment in this field and what sort of results are you achieving?  I would love to combine with you in a shoot and trial the practicality of material produced in this format. I truly agree with those who say this will be the next biggest innovation in the field of vision and entertainment.   

…………Bruce