Digital Technology and Cinema Culture - Case Study Example

Digital Technology and Cinema Culture The intervention of digital technology into the culture of cinema has always been exhaustive with new dimensions and perspectives given to the cinema and its usage. The popularity and recognition that cinema achieved after the introduction of digital technology is unfathomable and it accomplished new heights with an ever-growing diversity. Let the paper analyze some of the specific examples that had some direct positive impact over the cinema culture and its horizon. The simplest example is that of video editing that comprised extensive efforts and demanded a huge amount of money before the technology entered the market. However, with the digital revolution, the visual effects tools made it easier for the filmmakers to manipulate the video in any form they wanted with desired animation and other editing. In 1984, computers such as Macintosh came in the market that were specially designed to have a graphical user interface, these were first ever of its kind that penetrated into the world of cinema giving it even more fame and multiplicity (Willis, pp.7, 2005). More tools such as Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Macromedia Director, Macromedia Flash and all the other kinds gave more horizon to the cinema culture and gave the filmmakers access to perform multiple tasks with perfection and novelty. The sequences of images, special effects, distinctive colouring, imaginative animations and much more merely became possible with digital technology revolution (Willis, pp.7-8, 2005). It helped the cinema culture attract and gain more audience as compared to the earlier decades. Subsequently, when producing a film became comparatively hassle-free, more people started investing in this business and thus, the number cinemas grew with an increasing film being produced every year with the use of digital technology. Apart from the latest technological tools used by the cinema industry, the inventions such as newly-designed cameras and video-capturing tools that had modernized elements with specially designed features and functions made the videos look a lot more fascinating and compelling. On the contrary, cinema might have assumed new venues of popularity and fame due to digital technology and its implications on the cinema culture but, on the other hand, digital technology penetrated in the market in such a fast pace that people became more interested in buying those technologies and making them a part of their aesthetically designed house. People started enjoying their micro cinemas at home rather than taking out time and going to the proper cinemas outside their comfortable houses (Lister, pp.22-23, 2001). The preference of buying techno products such as plasma screens, advanced audio speakers and other appliances became more preferable and a status quo than being interested in going to the cinemas to watch movies and other shows. It is possible that many of us must have heard about Marshall McLuhan’s popular phrase Medium is the Message. McLuhan, quite reasonably and with valid points, suggests that the medium that is used to convey any type of message or information holds a significant importance in the pace of that information being carried to the receivers (Yamamoto, pp. 500-501, 1998). It depends on the medium that is used to convey a message, that how long would it take for the message to reach to its targeted audience and how far would the message go. Thus, the influence of the message is not the message itself but, the way used to send it. This means that the receivers or the intended message focus more upon and take more interest over the kind of medium utilized. Their preference depends upon how effective is the medium and how much do they like it. The acceptability of the message is thus a later factor. In the same way, it is said that cinema comprises those elements that lure and attract the young generation more than any other people. Earlier, when cinema was penetrating into people’s lives, its effects were taken to be bad and in a negative connotation. Crime, delinquency, gambling, violence and other social ills were attributed to the cinema culture and it was said that cinema motivates the young generation, who are vulnerable to such mediums, to do ill to the society and get involved in anti social activities (Willis, pp.7, 2005). Applying McLuhan’s theory here, one can derive that young people looked forward to cinema as an element that they liked the most. Cinema came out as their medium, which influenced them no matter what it taught. Thus, the messages that the cinema carried was never judged or analyzed but adopted instantly and instantaneously by these young minds (Shiel & Fitzmaurice, pp.2-4, 2001). With the advent of technological advancements, parents of these young people and other guardians feared this motivating factor towards social ills and were afraid that their kids may get involved in bad habits. Thus, despite of the fascinating digital cinema, there were a number of people that discarded the idea of cinema getting revolutionized. They feared that if cinema went more digital and attractive, it would definitely take upon their kids’ lives and there would never be any return. It has always been debatable so far. Conversely, the digitalization of cinema has also had one more important positive impact over the years in the form of information providers. Here again, emphasizing upon the theory of McLuhann, a majority of people looked forward to cinema as an effective way to gain knowledge, analyze, share and educate themselves (Shiel & Fitzmaurice, pp.2-4, 2001). The development of individual socially and morally has been one of the objectives that people looked forward to achieve with this revolution. Moreover, the essence of presence of social realities in cinema got enhanced with the advent of digital technologies in this aspect. It influenced people in a way by showing effectively the real world with the maximum use of technologies making it as real as life itself. The urbanization and the modernizing traits also got attributed to the new digital cinema. The urban development and the gradual social change, as depicted in the all-new cinema, got it self a better picture and thus, a sense of evolution and civilization got paralleled with the cinema culture. Thus, at one point, when cinema was viewed as sceptic and dubious of development, it actually brought development and civilization in other school of thought. Being theoretical once again, one recalls Jameson’s use of the phrase cognitive mapping (Yamamoto, pp. 500-501, 1998). Applying the theory in the digital concept of cinema, one come to know that digitalization made cinema so real and near to life that it actually made people to think. They say that the cognitive skills of people got a whole new dimension and people started analyzing and thinking upon different aspects and messages transmitted through the cinema (Shiel & Fitzmaurice, pp.6-7, 2001). It also claims that the impact of digital technology on cinema was so influential that it made the articulation of messages to the audience easier and served its purpose to the greatest levels. Taking it to another realm of description, the concept of globalization can be understood by the very element of cinema. Moving on chronologically, cinema has always been operated in a process sophisticated and organized. The processes of production, distribution and demonstration of the film took themselves from Hollywood to other parts of the world. In today’s world, it is more than that. It incorporates the traditional features as music and television with the newer version of technology like internet and other digital forms. Thus, the gradual change in the forms of cinema proved to be lucrative and very beneficial for a country’s economy. However, one of the concepts advocates that digital cinema gave birth to capitalism than anything else. It facilitated consumerism with a huge portion of the world becoming capitalist and getting influenced by that school of thought. Moreover, gradually when the cinema came to the hands of the wealthy people and was dominated by a monopoly, it started dictating people over a particular bent of mind. The description of Jameson’s apprenticeship to a specific culture (Yamamoto, pp. 500-501, 1998) connotes that cinema culture manifested the elite’s culture and penetrated those monopolized values into every society. Talking about the whole digital revolution technically, they say that the drawbacks of digital cinema are the least as compared to the manner in which cinema was produced earlier where everything needed to be stored carefully with every minute detail. In the whole process if anything got missed out or lost, the whole effort used to get ruined. For the people behind the whole hard work, it has become much easier and cost effective, the hassle is less nevertheless, and the subtlety is more than ever. Moreover, the movie-goers are more concerned about the picture they see, and less concerned about the process that it goes through. Thus, the better the picture, the more chances to gain consumers. Thus, a movie in a digital format is clearer with proper audible audio and music. The quality of the images is far better than the earlier forms. The cinema audiences, when exposed to such a clarity and subtlety would be influenced and inspired undoubtedly, and that is what happened with its advent. Furthermore, to assist the producer and the exhibitor, they had more flexible options to do so and manage the whole process of movie shows in affordable rates. Also, a digital movie could be copied multiple times and distributed at various places with the specific requirements of different regions. For instance, a particular movie could be translated and dubbed into multiple languages and may be produced to places in their regional languages to attract more audiences. Moreover, once a copy is created it is not much of a job to make more copies for further usage. The earlier shipment procedures and charges used to take so long to get a copy reach to several places. With the digital format, a copy could be reached to multiple places at the same time merely with in seconds. This is also one of the forms of globalization as discussed earlier. The digital advancements in the cinema culture have given the filmmakers more liberty to go to as much creative extent as they want. It has opened up dimensions to learn and acquire knowledge in this regards. One more important factor beneficial for the filmmakers and distributors alike is the non-vulnerability of a film to piracy since there are specific keys used for the validation of encryption and decryption of the digital file. Moreover, these days cinema has also reached the heights of clenching the 3-D and the 4-D concepts where cinema seems to be happening just in front you quite alive. These new technologies make individuals think as if the happening in the screen is quite real and they are a part of the film they are watching with every dimension clearly visible to them on the basis of this technology. The concept of interactive cinema these days is quite the same. The revolution makes the audiences quite active in the movie or video they are watching. It is quite similar to the concept of simulation and modelling where people actually participate and assume that whatever they are watching is not just a visual effect but they are experiencing those things live and sitting on their comfortable seats, they can enjoy those experiences fully. Its perfect example is the movie Kinoautomat by the director Raduz Cincera (Ryan, pp.377-388, 2004). In a nutshell, if one has ever to debate regarding the impact of digital technology on the cinema culture, one needs to see the different aspects of it in the history as the paper presents. There are converse stances of different theorists and even general views of the audiences regarding the advent of technology and its introduction to the cinema culture. However, what the facts suggest is that the digital revolution proved to be lucrative to the cinema culture attracting audiences of all kinds and promoting globalization in every regards. References Lister, Martin. 2001. The Photographic Image in Digital Culture. Routledge. Ryan, Marie-Laure. 2004. Narrative across Media: The Languages of Storytelling. University of Nebraska Press. Shiel, Mark & Fitzmaurice, Tony. 2001. Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context. Blackwell. Willis, Holly. 2005. New Digital Cinema: Reinventing the Moving Image. Wallflower Press. Yamamoto, Tetsuji. 1998. Philosophical Designs for a Socio-Cultural Transformation: Beyond Violence. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Read More