Even the most ardent of movie-goers might be unaware of the extent to which seismic technological changes have swept through Hollywood in the past twenty years or so. Of course, they would likely be aware of the debate over film versus digital: the question of whether the trusty, treasured method of shooting movies on celluloid is slowly becoming a thing of the past, with digital technology improving in leaps and bounds every day. But cinema enthusiasts who aren't personally familiar with the workings of a movie set might not understand just how much the digital revolution has shaken things up in the industry, fundamentally altering the power dynamics, work flow and structure within any given director's creative team.
Side By Side - a fascinating, insightful documentary facilitated and produced by Keanu Reeves - delves head-on into this knotty issue. Speaking to some of the world's top directors, from James Cameron through to Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese, Reeves teases out some of the untold joys and quiet tragedies of the seemingly inevitable shift from old-school film to new-fangled digital. He consults, too, some of the world's finest cinematographers - from Wally Pfister (Nolan's Director of Photography, or DP, of choice) to Anthony Dod Mantle (Danny Boyle's go-to guy) - as well as a host of other people affected by the change: editors, colourists, VFX artists, producers and camera manufacturers.
For anyone who loves movies, this documentary is a delight. It's a treat to hear from the many people who have laboured in dark rooms and behind the scenes to bring us silver-screen magic (itself a term intricately tied up with the old-fashioned capturing of an image on celluloid). Boyle explains how he came around to the concept of manoeuvrable cameras; Cameron and George Lucas plump heavily down on the side of editable, instant 'immediatelies' (rather than the dailies of yore); Nolan maintains his commitment to shooting with film. Joel Schumacher, too, who hasn't made a film since 2011, has a few particularly resonant things to say about the role that technology can and must play in service of art (and vice versa).
But, on top of finding out where each director stands on the issue, Side By Side also looks at how the digital revolution has affected the job of the cinematographer. Once in almost full control of the final image captured - one that had to be processed overnight and could only be viewed the next day, with minimal edits possible (barring reshoots) - the cinematographer had immense power on set. But, these days, feedback is instantaneous, and directors can tell right away if what they've shot with digital cameras is good enough. There's a lot of gentle heartache and nostalgia that can be found in the film as directors and cinematographers alike talk about cameras that can now capture more details than ever before and screens that can display images as they're being shot.
If you're not a big fan of tech-speak and finding out the inner workings of Hollywood, Side By Side could prove to be a challenging watch. It's frequently quite dry, burrowing into technical details and minutiae that might puzzle or frustrate casual viewers. There are a few great tidbits sprinkled throughout - including an absolutely brilliant anecdote featuring Robert Downey Jr and his frustration at losing the downtime afforded by the changing of the magazines in film cameras - but these might not be enough to tide everyone over.
Anyone who's ever been a tad confused about the film vs. digital debate will find plenty in Side By Side to think about. There are a few messages in the film: one of them, bleak though it may be, concerns the death knell that has apparently begun to ring for shooting on film. It's lamentable that this particular art form - difficult and frustrating though it may sometimes be - is slowly dying out, but it's inevitable and, as many of the directors here argue, necessary.
But the core message - the one to take home with us - has to do with the power of cinema and the stories it tells us: everyone interviewed by Reeves participates precisely because they love the movies as much and as deeply as we do, and want to do right by them. In that sense, Side By Side celebrates as much as it mourns the advent of digital technology, while demonstrating that, even as the industry moves towards its future, it will always be inextricably linked to its past.
Side By Side - a fascinating, insightful documentary facilitated and produced by Keanu Reeves - delves head-on into this knotty issue. Speaking to some of the world's top directors, from James Cameron through to Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese, Reeves teases out some of the untold joys and quiet tragedies of the seemingly inevitable shift from old-school film to new-fangled digital. He consults, too, some of the world's finest cinematographers - from Wally Pfister (Nolan's Director of Photography, or DP, of choice) to Anthony Dod Mantle (Danny Boyle's go-to guy) - as well as a host of other people affected by the change: editors, colourists, VFX artists, producers and camera manufacturers.
For anyone who loves movies, this documentary is a delight. It's a treat to hear from the many people who have laboured in dark rooms and behind the scenes to bring us silver-screen magic (itself a term intricately tied up with the old-fashioned capturing of an image on celluloid). Boyle explains how he came around to the concept of manoeuvrable cameras; Cameron and George Lucas plump heavily down on the side of editable, instant 'immediatelies' (rather than the dailies of yore); Nolan maintains his commitment to shooting with film. Joel Schumacher, too, who hasn't made a film since 2011, has a few particularly resonant things to say about the role that technology can and must play in service of art (and vice versa).
But, on top of finding out where each director stands on the issue, Side By Side also looks at how the digital revolution has affected the job of the cinematographer. Once in almost full control of the final image captured - one that had to be processed overnight and could only be viewed the next day, with minimal edits possible (barring reshoots) - the cinematographer had immense power on set. But, these days, feedback is instantaneous, and directors can tell right away if what they've shot with digital cameras is good enough. There's a lot of gentle heartache and nostalgia that can be found in the film as directors and cinematographers alike talk about cameras that can now capture more details than ever before and screens that can display images as they're being shot.
If you're not a big fan of tech-speak and finding out the inner workings of Hollywood, Side By Side could prove to be a challenging watch. It's frequently quite dry, burrowing into technical details and minutiae that might puzzle or frustrate casual viewers. There are a few great tidbits sprinkled throughout - including an absolutely brilliant anecdote featuring Robert Downey Jr and his frustration at losing the downtime afforded by the changing of the magazines in film cameras - but these might not be enough to tide everyone over.
Anyone who's ever been a tad confused about the film vs. digital debate will find plenty in Side By Side to think about. There are a few messages in the film: one of them, bleak though it may be, concerns the death knell that has apparently begun to ring for shooting on film. It's lamentable that this particular art form - difficult and frustrating though it may sometimes be - is slowly dying out, but it's inevitable and, as many of the directors here argue, necessary.
But the core message - the one to take home with us - has to do with the power of cinema and the stories it tells us: everyone interviewed by Reeves participates precisely because they love the movies as much and as deeply as we do, and want to do right by them. In that sense, Side By Side celebrates as much as it mourns the advent of digital technology, while demonstrating that, even as the industry moves towards its future, it will always be inextricably linked to its past.