alt= class=wp-image-10906 data-lazy-srcset=https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1.jpg 960w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1-768x432.jpg 768w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1.jpg /> For some, celluloid film brings back memories of the black-and-white films and silent movies of a different era. But did you know that top-grossing feature films were exclusively shot on celluloid until the early 2000s?
Even now, hit films like these were filmed on traditional film stock, or mixed film formats.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022), directed by Colin Trevorrow
Death On The Nile (2022), directed by Kenneth Branagh
Don't Look Up (2021), directed by Adam McKay
Eternals (2021), directed by Chlo Zhao
No Time To Die (2021), directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
Wonder Woman 1985 (2020), directed by Patty Jenkins
Tenet (2020), directed by Christopher Nolan
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019), directed by Quentin Tarantino
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), directed by J.J. Abrams
Digital acquisition just surpassed celluloid film in the box office about 10 years ago, and it has dominated the big (and little) screen ever since. What prompted this swift transition to digital capture, and how do we keep the filmed-on-film tradition alive in the digital era?
We invited Sterling Sherrill to weigh in on the subject. Sherrill is currently directing KEEP FILM ALIVE, a documentary about celluloid film technology featuring interviews with key executives, filmmakers, and cinematographers on the importance of keeping traditional celluloid film available for filmmakers everywhere.
Here's what he says about celluloid film and the digitization of cinema.
alt= class=wp-image-10905 width=800 height=450 data-lazy-srcset=https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_2.jpg 960w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_2-768x432.jpg 768w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_2.jpg />Sterling Sherrill, director of the upcoming documentary, KEEP FILM ALIVE Celluloid Film Vs Digital Capture Let's get this question out of the way first: Is shooting on film better than digital capture?
Filmmakers choosing digital cameras do so for a host of reasons: familiarity, cost, convenience, workflow, etc. Yet, there is a thriving community in Hollywood and beyond that wholeheartedly supports celluloid film and the art it creates.
Proponents of film acquisition often speak of better resolutions, remaster capabilities, and movie preservation-since film can last hundreds of years, whereas digital formats are often phased out over time. In my opinion, it's the natural film grain present during capture and projection that sets film apart from digital. The random way the silver halide crystals float in the emulsion layer creates unlimited, unique pictures-that's the magic of film.
Some productions sought the best of both worlds, like Dune (2021)- shot on digital, transferred to film, then scanned back to digital. In this interesting article about the unorthodox decision, Dune cinematographer Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC, said: For this film it gave us something that film acquisition couldn't give us, and it also gave us something that digital acquisition couldn't give us.
We could argue the film vs. digital debate for days (as I'm sure has been extensively covered on Reddit). In the end, choosing to shoot on film or digital cinema cameras should be a creative decision for the director to make based on the desired look and feel of their production.
alt= class=wp-image-10907 data-lazy-srcset=https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_3.jpg 960w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_3-768x432.jpg 768w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_3.jpg /> The Rise of Digital Capture in Film Not too long ago, every television show, commercial, documentary, and feature film was shot on celluloid. Now, nearly everything we watch is captured digitally. How did we get here?
Here are some compounding factors that, in a few years' time, drove the filmmaking world to its tipping point.
Recession. The 2008 global financial crisis weighed down production budgets. With less money to spend on a production, the price-per-reel cost of filming on celluloid came under scrutiny, and many turned to the fixed-price digital alternative.
Threat of strike. Back before the SAG-AFTRA merger, there was a perceived threat that the Screen Actors Guild would go on strike. Filmmakers sought out talent from other labor unions, some of which had stipulations that required or recommended the use of digital film cameras. Even though the SAG strike never happened, many productions decided to go digital, just in case.
Cell phones. The growing popularity of mobile phones had a profound impact on the camera industry. As the general public walked around with cell phone cameras in their pocket, they no longer needed small film cameras. Film and camera sales plummeted, forcing many film manufacturers and labs to close their doors for good. The effects of this echoed across global filmmaking markets as film supply drastically decreased.
Bankruptcy. Kodak, the last remaining manufacturer o
North America Stories
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
David Dvir, 2D founder (left), Sundeep Reddy (center), and Jean-Marc Bouchut (right), both of Zeiss...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang today visited the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, to commission an NVIDIA DGX GB300 system - bringing one...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
21/07/2026
When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR
coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...
21/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...
21/07/2026
Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...
21/07/2026
COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...
21/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...
21/07/2026
Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47
Beyond bigger
For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...
21/07/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...
21/07/2026
nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...
alt= class=wp-image-10906 data-lazy-srcset=https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1.jpg 960w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.studionetworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1-768x432.jpg 768w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Celluloid-Film_1.jpg /> For some, celluloid film brings back memories of the black-and-white films and silent movies of a different era. But did you know that top-grossing feature films were exclusively shot on celluloid until the early 2000s? 
