How have new technologies influenced the way films are understood? Starting at the beginning, there was a short film. This film was made in 1894, and it was a recording of a man sneezing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnOpDWSbyw (Link to the video) Now days, it would seem that a video like this is boring. Why is it boring? Because technology has changed so much, that we have adapted to a whole different way of viewing movies.
One of the first things that were discovered was the idea of different camera angles. As technology became cheaper, it was possible to own more than one camera. The film makers realized that they could film something from two angles at the same time. Not only could they film the same scene from two different angles with two cameras, they could have the same person act out the same thing twice, and they could film it separately. With technology, they were able to cut the two pieces of film and add them together, making two scenes look like one from two different angles.
At the beginning, movies did not have any voices, often times, they would have an orchestra that would be at the theater. They would have the music that they were supposed to play and they would play it every time the movie was shown. In Paris, in the year 1900, there was a movie that had sound playing with the movie, but it wasn’t until April of 1923, that they were able to add sound to the movie itself. Sound technology has changed movies in many ways, making films more believable as it gives the feeling that you are actually experiencing what the main character is experiencing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_film
Eventually color was added to film. It was introduced in the late 50’s but it was expensive, and it did not become standard until the early 70’s. The invention of color was huge, as it could make the movie look more realistic, and it was easier to see detail. Without the invention of color, many famous artistic movies would not have been near as popular. For instance, Star Wars could not have had the lighting effects.
Another effect that star wars had was computer technology; The light that comes of the light sabers was not actually there. It had to be added as this was a huge deal during this time. Without the computer effects, it would be normal swords, and that would not be near as interesting as a light saber. Not only did it look cooler, but it made it possible to have new ideas, such as a light cutting through a wall, which a normal sword could never do. If it wasn’t for this technology, it would never receive the ratings that it received on the critic websites.
Now days, we have a new technology that seems to be failing. The invention of 3d is not new, but it is becoming more popular, as it is possible to own a TV that can project images. Unfortunately, producers are not using the technology to portray more realism of films but more to excite an audience with a low IQ. Most of the 3d movies that are being released today have unrealistic parts that jump out at you, and make the movie seem fake. Even though it seems that this is not working, I do believe that if producers and writers figure out that no one tries to dodge the bullets coming out of the screen, they could do well with the technology, and use it to make more realistic movies.
Home theaters are having a large impact on films. It is just one more way a movie can seem more realistic. The sound is often all around the viewer, and the picture is often very clear and detailed as it shows the artistic aspects of the film. Films are more appreciated and they will continue to be, as the film industry is only growing, partially due to the growing of technology.
No comments:
Post a Comment