In the 21st Century, and more and more as we move towards a hyper-digital reality, there appears to be a manic movement towards relegating celluloid motion capture into obscurity! It used to be that independent video artists and digital producers felt a great sense of pride in differentiating themselves from filmmakers, because the unique elements contained within the technologies themselves was instrumental to the manifestation and structural make-up of the art piece itself. Now fast forward to the here and now, and many digital producers want to be called “filmmakers”, even though they’ve never ever handled ANY actual film format or filmmaking equipment.
Even as the creative environment has morphed over time to become more and more inclusionary, especially in the field of media arts – where video, digital, new media, audio and film are supposed to co-exist harmoniously; there seems to be a sort of subversive rhetoric around celluloid production. In my personal opinion, I see no need for there to be any ongoing negative discourse between filmmakers and digital producers, especially in an independent creative environment. There’s room on the playground for all of us!
Understandably naysayers and seeming opponents to the advancement of celluloid production appear to be obsessed with the demise of the medium. As various film labs begin closing across Canada, and Kodak (USA) declares Chapter 11; industry pundits and digi enthusiasts are calling for celluloid practitioners to hoist their “white flags” in defeat! “Down with film; long live digital”!
I can make these broad assertions or observations, because I am frequently engrossed in conversations with media artists, arts administrators and film and television industry professionals, who are completely out of touch with the idea of artists who still wish to, maintain a thriving celluloid practice. I’ve had to sit through the following exchanges:
“Do they still shoot films on film? I thought everything we see on screen is DIGITAL”? Industry Professional;“Why do you guys support film anyways? It’s a dying MEDIUM! Media Arts Colleague; “Why should we fund your programs, when we’re already supporting several such programs in the Region”? Possible Funder; and“I predict that you won’t be able to find film stock ANYWHERE pretty soon”! Industry Service Provider.
The most disappointing thing about having to fight for the right to retain a celluloid art practice in a commercial digital production world is the lack of unity there seems to be within the media arts itself. In Canada we’re really lucky to have arms length supports systems whose main goal it is to provide access through funding to independent artists and arts organizations across disciplines. I’ve heard from various international visiting artists that they wished their homelands would offer the same level of support to independent artists. One of the main impetuses I perceive for Canadian independent artists having access and support from these arms length entities is to allow for ongoing proliferation of innovative, creative, barrier breaking artists to work in their own voices, within their art form(s) of choice!
Based on this, I would say that there are moments, when by pure choice; some artists would choose to assimilate various art forms. In the same vein, I do not believe assimilation when forced, to be in the best interest of anyone. Additionally, conforming to whatever prescribed norm, technological or otherwise, is the “in thing” at the moment, is not a practical way to ensure creative artistic development. I understand that we live in a highly commoditised, pseudo egalitarian world, where everyone who purchases the newest technology is immediately considered an artist, even though most of the time; they have no real interest in learning about the original foundations of their adopted art form. I also however can discern the sham behind the democratization of art making and see it for what it is!
Independent Celluloid artists are in for a bumpy ride in this new hyper-digital reality, because many people DO NOT wish to differentiate between film and digital production, projection and distribution. Not on an institutional, industry or sometimes even independent art sector level. And now with the advent of social media tools like YouTube, Facebook, and even Twitter, married with instant gratification digital production technologies; I mean you can shoot a “film” on your cell phone, and then upload it to one of these sites, and maybe, just maybe; you’ll make it to the OSCARS”! And, to top it all off; you shouldn’t expect to be compensated for your work, unless you’re a famous filmmaker that is!
The good news is that, Canada does have one of the strongest systems of support for independent artists worldwide! These systems are thusly based on inclusivity of most art forms and artistic mediums across disciplines. These systems have additionally afforded independent artists, the rights and freedom to create outside of commercialized industry models.
And for now, and maybe ONLY FOR NOW; it is these types of systems which will allow filmmakers, to “Dare to be CELLULOID in a Digital Age!”
I'd love to see more productions, and exibitions from IFCO and less talk about why shooting Celluloid is so important. When a technology leaves the industry realm it becomes an art form so really there is nothing to worry about. So stop worrying about the digital age and start making films and showing films on film. BTW film is no longer made of Celluloid anymore, its polyester (plastic).
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