The EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Production

The EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Production

by Lars Svanberg
Released June 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136035852

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Book description

A professional introduction to the end-to-end process of digital filmmaking!

The EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Production sheds light on the ongoing and confusing transition from analog to digital technology in film production. In addition to a complete analysis of technical concerns, this text deals with a number of issues where European and Hollywood priorities differ. It adds fuel to the discussion on "Photo-Chemical Fundamentalism" and the future of traditional film-based cinematography.

With special emphasis on new HD production techniques for the big cinema screen, this guide is the one and only resource available from a European perspective. The EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Production provides film professionals and decisions-makers in European cinema with an excellent basis for discussions on how to handle the transition from analog to digital technology.

Look no further for:

* Several production case studies, among them Ingmar Bergman's last film "Saraband" (2003) and Lars von Trier's "Dogville" (2003).

* Surveys of HD Systems & Cameras and "The 37 MFAQ on HD Production."

* Expert reports on Audio Recording for HD and the Digital Intermediate Process.

* Detailed European initiatives in Digital Cinema.

* An up-to-date survey of the problematic standards situation for Digital Cinema.

* A comprehensive look at archiving - the "Achilles Heel" of digital production.

* The pros and cons of producing feature films digitally - a unique and professional view of "the agony and ecstacy."

Editor-in-Chief Lasse Svanberg is a founding member of EDCF. He was DoP on 14 feature films 1966-81, founded TM (Technolgy & Man) Magazine at the Swedish Film Institute in 1968 and was its Chief Editor until 1998 He was elected Fellow of BKSTS 1979, Fellow of SMPTE 1995 and granted Professor's title by the Swedish Government 2002. He is the author of six books on the history and possible future of film, video and television.

The European Digital Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) was constituted in June 2001 as joint Swedish-British-French effort to establish a European forum for discussions, information exchange and industrial activities in the field of Digital Cinema. This project was initiated because digital production, digital distribution and digital exhibition of film is the most radical technical change facing the film industry since sound film was introduced.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Full Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Foreword by Åse Kleveland, Chair EDCF
  6. Preface by Johannes Lassila, Chair EDCF Content Module
  7. 1 Why Digital?
    1. Introduction by Lasse Svanberg
      1. The History
      2. The Present
      3. The Future
      4. A Note About This Book
  8. 2 The Toolbox
    1. 2.1 HD Systems and Cameras by Roland Sterner
      1. Systems
      2. Recent Camera Models
      3. Conclusion
    2. 2.2 HD Camera Testing by Hans Hansson
      1. Choice of Lenses
      2. Adjusting Back-focus With a Siemens Star
      3. Adjusting Back-focus With a Collimator
      4. P+S Pro Digital Images Converter
      5. Lens Sharpness Tests
      6. Exposure
    3. 2.3 The 45 Most Frequent Questions and Statements on HD Production by Michael Brennan
      1. 1 What is HD?
      2. 2 Do You Need Less Light When You Shoot HD?
      3. 3 Do You Need Less Crew with HD?
      4. 4 “HD Tapes Can be Damaged by X-rays or Metal Detectors”
      5. 5 “HD CCDs Are Damaged by Airline Travel”
      6. 6 How Good is the Audio Recording on an HD Camcorder?
      7. 7 Do I Use a Clapper with HD?
      8. 8 What is Negative Fill?
      9. 9 Is There a Difference in Lighting for HD Rather than Film or SD?
      10. 10 Do I Need a Big HD Monitor to Make Good HD Pictures?
      11. 11 Do HD Cameras have a Problem with Red?
      12. 12 Why Shoot HD if there is No HD Transmission?
      13. 13 Can HD Record in Slow Motion?
      14. 14 “Video Lenses are Inferior to Film Lenses”
      15. 15 “Panavision Lenses are Best”
      16. 16 Should I Record Sound on Camera?
      17. 17 What about the Adapters that Convert 35mm Lenses to HD?
      18. 18 Does HD Strobe more than Film?
      19. 19 “Film Guys can't Handle HD!”
      20. 20 Can Video Guys Shoot HD?
      21. 21 Should I Shoot Straight and Achieve the Look I Want in Post?
      22. 22 Can HD Cameras Handle Extremes of Temperatures and Humidity?
      23. 23 “HD Post is Complicated and Time-consuming”
      24. 24 “Audiences Think that HD is Awful”
      25. 25 What is a Viper?
      26. 26 What is 4:4:4?
      27. 27 What is 720p?
      28. 28 “HD Is Lower Resolution than 2K”
      29. 29 Doesn't 3:1:1 or 4:2:2 Sampling Throw Away Lots of Important Colour Information?
      30. 30 Are HD Viewfinders Awful?
      31. 31 “HD Cameras Make a Lot of Noise”
      32. 32 “Digital Effects are Expensive”
      33. 33 “HD Cameras are Large and Heavy”
      34. 34 Is there an HD Minicam?
      35. 35 What is HDV?
      36. 36 What are Genesis, Dalsa, Kinetta and Arri D20 Cameras?
      37. 37 What is a Bayer Filter?
      38. 38 Should I go “Native”?
      39. 39 Can I Shoot in Cinemascope Aspect Ratio?
      40. 40 Should I use Film Curves and Cine Gamma Curves in the Camera if I am Transferring to Film?
      41. 41 Does Apple's Final Cut ProHD Edit DVCPROHD in “Native” Mode?
      42. 42 Is HD Equipment Reliable?
      43. 43 What are the Benefits of Shooting HD?
      44. 44 What are the Drawbacks of Shooting HD?
      45. 45 What is the Most Important Thing to Consider When Shooting HD?
  9. 3 HD Film Production in Scandinavia – Case Studies
    1. 3.1 Ingmar Bergman Meets Hi-Tech by Lasse Svanberg
      1. Pre-production and Production
      2. Post-production
      3. Conclusion
    2. 3.2 The Swedish Digital Experience by Lasse Svanberg
      1. Pioneering work
      2. The Third Wave
      3. The Infrastructure
      4. Conclusion
    3. 3.3 The Danish Digital Experience by Jens Ulff-Møller
      1. Technical Issues: HD Image vs. 35mm
      2. Recording Format
      3. Danish Digital Movies
      4. Conclusion
    4. 3.4 A Finnish HD Experience – Hymypoika (Young Gods) by Jarkko T. Laine
      1. Pre-production
      2. Production
      3. Post-production
      4. Release Printing
      5. Conclusion
  10. 4 Audio Recording for HD by Simon Bishop
    1. Unwanted On-set Noises
    2. What to Record On and Where?
    3. Post-production Workflows for Audio (and Pictures)
  11. 5 Introduction to the Digital Intermediate Process by Steve Shaw
    1. Digital Intermediate vs. Digital Film
    2. Benefits of the DI Process
    3. Operating Parameters of the DI Process
    4. Bit Depth
    5. Resolution
  12. 6 The Economics of Digital Cinema – The Benefits of Change by Sean Foley
    1. Economic Implications
    2. D-Cinema – an Independent Filmmaker's Medium
    3. Digital Exhibition and Festivals
    4. Case Study
  13. 7 Some Recent European Initiatives in Digital Film Production, Distribution and Exhibition
    1. 7.1 European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) by John Graham
      1. Aims
      2. Structure
      3. Establishing Period
      4. Constitution and the Future
    2. 7.2 National Film Theatre Digital Test Bed by Sarah Trigg and Richard Boyd
      1. Why a Digital Test Bed?
      2. Equipment
    3. 7.3 European DocuZone (EDZ) by Kees Ryninks and Bjorn Koll
      1. Introduction
      2. Working Together across Borders
      3. Other Features
      4. Acknowledgement
    4. 7.4 Folkets Hus Digital Houses Project by Lasse Svanberg
      1. Background
      2. The Digital Houses
    5. 7.5 UK Film Council Digital Projects by Peter A. Packer
      1. The UK Film Council
      2. The Challenge of Digital Technology
      3. New Cinema Fund
      4. bfi screenonline
      5. UK Film Skills Strategy
      6. Distribution and Exhibition Fund
      7. Digital Screen Network
      8. Conclusion
  14. 8 The Digital Future of Cinema – So Close, and Yet So Far Away by Patrick von Sychowski
    1. Technology
    2. Standards
    3. Business Models
    4. Service Providers
    5. Content
    6. Conclusion
  15. 9 Standards by Peter Wilson
    1. Why Do We Need Standards?
    2. Standardization in Our Industry
    3. Technical Levels of Service
  16. 10 Archiving Digital Media by Paul Read
    1. What is an Archive? What is Digital Preservation?
    2. Preservation vs. Access
    3. What's the Rush?
    4. Why Digital?
    5. Digital Cinema Images
    6. Film Images
    7. Compression
    8. Migration
    9. Access
    10. What Should the Preservation Format Be?
    11. Where Does All This Leave Us?
    12. Conclusion
  17. About the Authors
  18. Further Reading
  19. Index

Product information

  • Title: The EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Production
  • Author(s): Lars Svanberg
  • Release date: June 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136035852