[GeoffreyKenner]

I feel like when we get entangled with this discussion of film / digital, it only compares the sensor block to the film stock while in reality the whole chain has changed.

Scanner sensitivity and modern film development coupled with cleanup software (grain / scratch / dust removal) are so top notch today. Add on that the fact that Lights with the performance of modern LED have completely revolutionize the speed but also the shape of lighting. You can quickly make decision on the fly if the prep doesn’t play out. The fact everyone now has a feedback on set even shooting on film is also a huge step with the makeup artist able to determine if there are imperfection between takes on the fly. What you see less and less are this kind of imperfection in every department. Also film history has been to remove film imperfection (grain, halation) and optimize dynamic range to such a point that what people romanticize with the film look is actually what the film creator were trying to fight and ultimately managed to get rid of !

Not to mention the Finishing suit / Color grading process that even movies shot on film use today.

A lot of the feelings comes from mistakes, I remember Christopher Doyle speaking with Wong Kar Wai saying they shot with a diffusion filter the entire movie because they forgot to remove it the next day. Or they printed the film wrongly or forgot to put the frame for the correct aspect ratio but now people love this film that way and do really think that’s the film look while a lot of time, these were actually mistakes or to say it differently “happy accident” and I feel like the discourse we have today with DP saying “I pushed the stock because I wanted more grain” is something I’ve never heard or maybe in rare cases in the past before the digital era.

The monitors and theatrical projector have also become so good that everything today seems to reach their max sharpness.

[Author]

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