With today’s digital formats getting all the attention these days, many first-time filmmakers might have forgotten about the art of using traditional celluloid reels in video production. The following article explores the three most common celluloid video formats, and why you as a filmmaker should start getting to grips with filmmaking the old fashioned way:
1. What Is Traditional Filmmaking?
Traditional filmmaking is all about the true, old fashioned art of cinematography. A lot of veteran filmmakers today still get excited about the prospect of working with real film reels the same way all the great directors of cinema did, and you should get excited too. Although strictly seen as ‘traditional’ the usage of analogue Super-8, 16mm and 35mm celluloid film is still being used regularly in today’s film industry, so it’s getting to grips with if you want to become a great filmmaker.
2. Using Super-8 Celluloid Film
Super-8 isn’t just the name of the latest summer blockbuster, it’s also the name of a type of celluloid film that you could create summer blockbusters on. Super-8 film tends to be used by filmmakers to give their video productions a raw, edgy feel to their scenes. One of the biggest positives about the Super-8 celluloid format is that it is actually available within most first-time filmmaker’s budgets, making it a great starting point for anyone wanting to work with traditional analogue film.
3. Using 16mm Celluloid Film
16mm is the next step up in celluloid film quality. Traditionally 16mm was used only for the small screen due to the distorted image quality it produced once it became projected onto the cinema screen. As well as 16mm film you can also pick up Super 16mm film, which will allow you to expose a large frame than the typical 16mm film, making the celluloid slides better suited to slightly larger screens.
4. Using 35mm Celluloid Film
35mm is the big daddy of all celluloid films. 35mm is used by all the big name motion-pictures due to its exceptional picture quality. The transition quality 35mm film has from celluloid to screen through the projection process is completely unrivalled. It can also cater to the smaller screen with perhaps an even better picture quality. If you want to make it as a filmmaker this is the type of traditional film you want to aspire to work with.
Summary
There you have it your essential guide to the three most common celluloid film formats and why you should start getting to grips with the true art of cinematography. Remember if you want to become an exceptional filmmaker you’re going to need to master the art of filmmaking both the traditional way and the modern way.
