If you watch any older movie, you’ll notice that it has something called film grain. That is because older movies were all shot using a film. However, do movies still use film? We’ve gone ahead and answered this burning question just for you!
While technology has advanced a lot, some directors still prefer using film to produce movies. They say that it looks better and is easier to work with, in most cases.
However, that’s not all, there are more reasons why a director would prefer to use a film instead of shooting it digitally. Continue reading to find out more!
Film Has Film Grain
As the name suggests, film grain exists because the movie is recorded on film. Viewers are extremely accustomed to this effect that a movie often looks weird without it. Due to this, even directors who record digitally often add the film grain effect in their movies.
However, when you record using film, it is much easier to control the lighting and increase or decrease the film grain according to the scene. Most directors prefer using this method as it gives them more control over the movie and allows them to express themselves properly.
While this is possible digitally as well, it doesn’t have the same effect, and editors have to resort to various methods to add the film grain.
Many Acclaimed Directors Are Accustomed to it
Almost all the directors that have been making movies for a while are accustomed to using film as their primary source. While they have obviously worked with digital cinema, directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorcese prefer using film to shoot their movies.
Some of the major recent movies that were shot on film are Wonder Woman, La La Land, Dunkirk, and Little Women. If a director is not experienced with film, they have a tough time with it, and most probably, it will not look as good.
Film Cameras Have Good Slow-Mo
Slow-Mo is a great way of putting emphasis on the scene and creating tension and suspense for the viewer. It is also mostly used in action movies to slow down all the things happening and let the watcher catch on.
Directors like Michael Bay still use a film camera to shoot the Slow-Mo scenes despite shooting the rest of the movie on digital cameras.
If you’re curious as to how a Slow-Mo camera work, check out this video right here:
Hollywood Has a Deal With Kodak
Kodak is one of the best producers of film cameras. Since their cameras have been used for so long by the directors, Hollywood has a deal with them. This makes it much cheaper to record using film cameras rather than setting up digital ones.
Takeaway
Film is still a common method of shooting movies. While digital cameras are starting to take over, film is by no means finished. It is another form of expressing yourself so directors still use it. Hopefully, this answered your question of “Do movies still use film?” Share this with your friends and family too, so they can also know about this!
