Big Talk with Senthil Kumar Published on Wed, 2013-04-17 22:42
As seen on pulse72plus.com, April 13, 2013
The old-world charm of conventional film making is fast being replaced by digital filmmaking. One of the many advocates at the helm of this change, Mr.Senthil Kumar, co-founder QUBE Cinema, an REC Alumnus, speaks with us about QUBE, Pulse 72+ and why digital filmmaking is the next best thing.
1. I know you run a digital based enterprise. But 5 quick reasons why digital filmmaking over conventional film?
A: Anything digital will keep improving in quality over time while the price reduces so it's usually a certainty that digital will triumph. In the case of shooting, the future was obvious because of the precedent set by still photography for many years now, it's been hard to see a film camera in use, let alone buy and process film negative! So a key plus for digital is the reduced cost of equipment which is now economic enough that a production can buy the equipment just for a film rather than rent it. The second reason is the very low cost and reusable nature of hard drives in digital when compared to film stock this allows for shooting difficult subjects like children and animals or even amateur actors where it's often necessary to just keep the camera running in order to get the shot you want. Another reason is the lack of film grain and hence the randomness that makes compositing and other special effects harder on film-originated material. The fourth reason is the excellent low-light performance of digital cameras where just the light of a candle is sufficient when the scene calls for it. And finally, digital now has a very wide dynamic range, the range of light within a shot, from the darkest to the brightest part. This is especially because of the new High Dynamic Range (HDR) techniques available in some digital cinema cameras. There are more reasons to use digital cameras but these would be some of the top ones. V
Digital Filmaking
2.Digital filmmaking, aiding young filmmakers is of course well known. But could you give a rough estimate of an expense difference this makes? (regarding the camera, film, rent etc)
A: When shooting with digital cameras, the range of costs can vary widely depending on the quality level and the accessories and lenses used. At the low end, a Canon DSLR capable of shooting at 24 frames/sec with a stock Canon lens can cost less than $1000 and at the high end, a Red Epic or Sony F-65 can cost about $200,000 with a set of lenses and accessories. The type of equipment and the lenses used will determine the daily rentals. Obviously the lowest cost option would be to buy or borrow a DSLR and shoot using that but if using a typical Red camera setup, the cost of rentals would be about Rs. 20,000 per day. Film cameras can be rented for about half that but a 400 foot roll of film negative would cost more than Rs. 12,000 apart from the processing costs so it will still end up more expensive to shoot film. When shooting high end digital today, there is no large cost saving. The reasons to choose digital are quality and convenience at the high end. But over time, there's no doubt that this level of quality will be available in $1000 equipment.
3.But theres still heart in the film stock, that can never be replaced by digital. Moving on from film to digital cannot be called an upgrade if this is considered right? Great directors still insist on film. Down here, Raavanan and in Hollywood, The Dark Knight (Rises) are all cinematographic marvels.
A: Film is still fantastic in its capability and quality but digital now matches this quality with all the other advantages mentioned previously. There is the high level of familiarity that cinematographers have with film along with years of experience. This is what drives some cinematographers towards working on film it's just less of a hassle for them to work with what they know and trust than experiment with an unknown thing. Just like people wax eloquent about vinyl records, it's just nostalgia when people long for that film quality because digital has it already. With all my years of experience, these days, I often struggle to determine if something was shot on digital or film! But each person needs to work with what they know and love and not be forced to make a choice in something as creative as filmmaking. The last thing you want is for technology to impair anyone's creativity. But for all those who romanticize film, I'd like to check if they shoot their stills digitally or on film!
Stock films Still in the Hearts
4.And adding to the fire is HFR (High Frame Rate), which essentially offers the picture at double the regular frame rate, capitalizing on quality, and losing the feel of the old cinema. People do complain HFR is TV-like, and sometimes nauseating. Whats your take?
A: Having seen samples of 24 fps vs. HFR at 48, 60 and 120 frames/sec, I can see that HFR adds a lot to realism in 3D. With The Hobbit, the amount of artificial makeup and graphics may have clouded the argument People have said that the HFR version lets you see through the makeup and that breaks the illusion. But I think future projects, especially Avatar 2 which is likely to be shot at 60 fps, will slowly and surely turn the tide. The slight blur and stutter that's a part of shooting at 24 fps is something we've just got used to as the film look'. Over time, we'll get used to a different look! Films are magical because we see them in a darkened theatre with great sound and picture, hopefully without any external disturbance and in a social setting with others sharing the experience. 24 fps is not the reason in my opinion.
IMAX - Giant Screens
5.Qube has always been one of the biggest game-changers for the industry. Any plans to develop a large screen format like the IMAX and p
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
29/04/2024
29 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces James J. Robinson's debut feature First Light
First Light
Principal Photography is underway on Firs...
29/04/2024
Capitol Broadcasting recently became the inaugural company honored with inductio...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
27/04/2024
On April 26, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik joined CNBC's Mor...
27/04/2024
PORTLAND, Oregon Audinate Group Limited, the developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, announced significant new additions to Dante Connect, its cloud-based D...
27/04/2024
TORONTO Bell Media has launched 10 English and French-language FAST channels featuring entertainment, factual, news, and sports programming. The new free stream...
27/04/2024
An extensive new analysis of the news segments in the broadcast evening news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS has found that broadcasters devoted most of their...
27/04/2024
GERMANTOWN, Md. EchoStar's Hughes Network Systems has opened a new manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland....
27/04/2024
Harry Pappas, one of three brothers who founded Pappas Telecasting Companies in 1971, died April 24. He was 78 years old....
27/04/2024
ATLANTA and LONDON Mexican telecommunications and broadcast company Televisa has selected Synamedia for an overhaul of its broadcast distribution....
27/04/2024
Participate in the Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this surve...
27/04/2024
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 2024 NAB Show
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
SDVI, the leading platform provider for clo...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
27/04/2024
Charter Communications reported higher first-quarter profits despite continued cord-cutting and competition for broadband customers....
27/04/2024
Two environmentally-focused groups are partnering to engage the unscripted TV world in finding better ways to address climate change. Reality of Change is an ec...
27/04/2024
Sarah Garcia has been promoted to weekend anchor at KTLM McAllen, Texas, known as Telemundo 40. Starting April 27, she will anchor Noticias Telemundo 40 weekend...
27/04/2024
CBS Sports said it launched a new 24-hour free, ad supported streaming television (FAST) channel devoted to the UEFA Champions League....
27/04/2024
Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts received $35.4 million in compensation in 2023, up 11% from the previous year, according to a proxy statement filed by th...
27/04/2024
Art Happens Here With John Lithgow, which sees the actor study dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz with students in Los Angeles, debuts on PBS ...
27/04/2024
Remember Leave It to Beaver? Bewitched? Dragnet? When cable ratings were rising?...
27/04/2024
Next up for the weekend binge at Catchy Comedy is Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Every weekend, Catchy Comedy features The Catchy Binge, a marathon of a classic sitcom....
26/04/2024
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks-off today with screenings in 5 theaters in Mexico City and the opening-night film, FRIDA, directed by Carla Guti rrez...
26/04/2024
[Editor's Note: This interview is part of a larger feature about the women d...
26/04/2024
Once again this year, SGL Carbon opened its doors to interested children and young people. On the occasion of the German Girls and Boys Day, which took place on...
26/04/2024
Orders1 of $5.5 billion; book-to-bill of 1.06x
Revenue of $5.2 billion, up 17%,...
26/04/2024
Five Considerations For Communications Modernization In The 21st Century
In the digital-enabled battlespace, the Joint Force needs to shoot, move and communica...
26/04/2024
CBS Sports has launched Champions League as a new, 24-hour streaming channel that will serve as the year-round destination for nonstop highlights of the UEFA ...
26/04/2024
Despite tough competition in the streaming space, Roku reported solid results in Q1 2024, beating revenue expectations, with total net revenue up 19% YoY to $88...
26/04/2024
LONDON AND TORONTO Pinewood Toronto Studios has appointed Sarah Farrell as general manager of the Studios in downtown Toronto....
26/04/2024
Quantum to Offer Advanced Filesharing Technology and Performance in StorNext and...
26/04/2024
FilmLight Colour Awards welcomes 2024 entries and introduces new Emerging Talen...
26/04/2024
Picture Shop Announces Chris Evans as Head of Unscripted
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
Picture Shop announced Chris Evans will lead Unscripte...
26/04/2024
Participate in a Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this survey,...
26/04/2024
Toy maker Mattel said it is working with Samsung to launch its first free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels later this year....
26/04/2024
Trusted Media Brands (TMB) said it named Marty Moe as president....
26/04/2024
Ron Howard is the director on Jim Henson Idea Man, a documentary that premieres on Disney Plus May 31. Henson of course created Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big...
26/04/2024
The ice continues to melt under the regional sports network business as the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League have made a long-term deal to broadcast...
26/04/2024
Heading into the upfronts, Warner Bros. Discovery said it launched Olli, a first-party data platform advertiser can use for converged, targeted advertising camp...
26/04/2024
CBS has renewed the drama The Equalizer, which will see season five on in 2024-2025. Queen Latifah stars....
26/04/2024
The CW has entered into an exclusive multiyear broadcast partnership for the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Teen USA Pageant. The 73rd Miss USA Pageant will air ...
26/04/2024
Fuse Media isn't mincing words in a campaign urging its young viewers to register and participate in the 2024 elections....
26/04/2024
Dead Boy Detectives, a series from Neil Gaiman about a detective agency staffed by ghosts, debuts on Netflix April 25. George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri are in t...
26/04/2024
The Story Collective has gradually repurposed the former Mortlake Brewery to include production offices, workshops and sound stages
By Matthew Corrigan
Publi...
26/04/2024
Perkett joins the company following a 25 year career in product management, product marketing, engineering and user experience (UX) across multiple industries
...
26/04/2024
Teradek, the industry leader in wireless video transmitters and receivers, announced today the launch of new Bolt 6 LT 750 and Bolt 6 Monitor Module 750 RX with...
26/04/2024
NEW YORK Amagi has appointed Richard Perkett chief product officer (CPO)....
26/04/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced the results of the 2024 NAB Radio and Television Board of Directors elections. The...
Big Talk with Senthil Kumar Published on Wed, 2013-04-17 22:42
