Digital Technology’s Impact On Photography And Videography
Photography and videography have changed throughout history, beginning with the physical film you could touch. Nowadays, everything is digital and has put physical film at a disadvantage. How has digital technology impacted photography and videography?
Photography and videography have changed throughout history, beginning with the physical film you could touch. Nowadays, everything is digital and has put physical film at a disadvantage. How has digital technology impacted photography and videography?
What started with a physical film that needed actual cuts and splices to edit became a film you can edit on your laptop whenever you want. These old films, such as 8mm films, still exist today.
There are many who have these 8mm films. They have to perform an 8mm film transfer to DVD to play the old films thanks to modern technology making projectors hard to come by.
The rest of this article will cover old films, new films, and the impacts technology has on old films.
Old Film
Back in 1965, a new invention took the film world by storm. The Super 8 camera hit the market. This camera used 8mm of film to craft stories. The film was delicate, and it took a long time to develop and edit, but it became the go-to for amateur filmmakers.
Since the cameras were easy to use, newcomers picked up the Super 8 camera and filmed their own shorts. Back then, editing films was much more difficult than it is today. Although modern editing is still a challenge, it’s less physically demanding than the actual film.
A physical film needs to be cut and spliced together in order to form a coherent story. Old films, such as 8mm and 16mm, fall under this category. Along with that, you have to wait to develop the film, and this process can take several days or even weeks.
New Film
The new film produces much higher quality images than the old film does. Digital cameras don’t have physical film, rather they have files where the images and videos are stored. Unlike old films, you do not need to wait to get your hands on the footage.
You don’t need to develop a new film, meaning you have it right after you’re done shooting it. This makes the filming and photographing process much easier. Now, most companies in the film and photography industries have switched to modern technology since it is more efficient.
The Impacts Technology Has On Old Film
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Modern technology has made the old film a stylistic choice, but not a convenient choice. Occasionally, you’ll see Super 8 and other old film types used as an aesthetic. For example, musical artist Alex Mali used Super 8 film for some of her music videos, “Start It Up”.
Otherwise, old film is mostly reserved for arthouse filmmakers and photographers who prefer the old-school way of doing things. Modern technology dominates the film and photography industries.
There are also small impacts, such as the weight of new cameras. Over the years, the weight of cameras has gone down. Along with that, modern cameras are smaller and easier to transport, and their memory cards are tiny enough that they don’t require much space.
On a grander scale, modern technology has sparked more interest in photography and videography. Smartphones are cameras, and now there’s a spike in teenagers starting photography accounts on social media even though they’re taking pictures with their phones instead of a professional camera.
Thanks to modern technology, film, and photography have become more popular practices among teenagers and new adults.