C. Nolan's Interstellar

[Anita18]

Nolan is still pretty adamant about shooting in film. I guess we'll see what happens. I would be very surprised if he goes the digital route after all the campaigning he's done for film.

He's a resourceful guy, above all. If it makes more sense to shoot on digital, he will. But they are definitely gonna ride that train as long as they can!

Pfister has always been pretty adamant that film is the best quality you can shoot on, which is why they use it. The time where digital is the same quality as film will be coming soon, and they'll probably shoot on digital when that happens.

He already joked that they're the only game in town keeping the splicing tape industry alive, since they're literally the only people still cutting the negative.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I don't think Nolan wants to use digital ever (he's been incredibly adamant about it), and I don't think WB would ever want to force him to use digital. He's at the point in his career that WB would do almost anything to make him happy and keep him at the studio making money for them. He'd go to a studio that would let him use film and he has made too much money for him to lose to another studio.

He'd be more likely to agree to 3D post conversion than digital.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

My top 3 for cinematographer:

1. Emmanuel Lubezki
2. Roger Deakins
3. Mihai Malaimare Jr.

Each one is only a hair above the next in my opinion.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

He already joked that they're the only game in town keeping the splicing tape industry alive, since they're literally the only people still cutting the negative.

Not the only one. PTA also cut the Master traditionally and color timed it photochemically.

 

[craigdbfan]

Now we're two.

 

[Anita18]

I don't think Nolan wants to use digital ever (he's been incredibly adamant about it), and I don't think WB would ever want to force him to use digital. He's at the point in his career that WB would do almost anything to make him happy and keep him at the studio making money for them. He'd go to a studio that would let him use film and he has made too much money for him to lose to another studio.

He'd be more likely to agree to 3D post conversion than digital.

I don't think he's irrationally adamant about it, like some hipsters are known for. If there are no more labs that develop it, or even make it, he can't mandate WB make film stock for him. He's not that much of a diva.

From what I've surmised (and I've seen Pfister speak about this in person several times), they hold onto film because it is the best quality. That's all. They don't have any romantic notions about film's history or whatever. It's just the best tool. And one day, digital will be the best tool, and I expect they'll make the switch when that happens.

Not the only one. PTA also cut the Master traditionally and color timed it photochemically.

Not a bad group to be in!

 

[Tacit Ronin]

PTA: Respect the film! and tame digital. Tame it!

 

[georgec]

I'm going to miss Wally.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I don't think he's irrationally adamant about it, like some hipsters are known for. If there are no more labs that develop it, or even make it, he can't mandate WB make film stock for him. He's not that much of a diva.

From what I've surmised (and I've seen Pfister speak about this in person several times), they hold onto film because it is the best quality. That's all. They don't have any romantic notions about film's history or whatever. It's just the best tool. And one day, digital will be the best tool, and I expect they'll make the switch when that happens.

I don't know, in all the interviews about it, including the ones from Side by Side, he certainly comes off as that, especially when he said it devalues filmmakers.

 

[Anita18]

I don't know, in all the interviews about it, including the ones from Side by Side, he certainly comes off as that, especially when he said it devalues filmmakers.

He says that because he mentions filmmakers are choosing digital because it's cheaper. Of course that devalues the art, if you choose cost over quality.

The subtitle of that article even agrees with me: "At the Produced By conference the director says he still shoots his movies on film and will continue to do so until he finds digital images to be as high quality as what he can capture on celluloid." What about that says he will never ever ever use digital, over his dead body?

There will come a day when digital is just as good as film, and that is the day Nolan will switch. Not one day sooner, but also not one day later. Especially when film is impossible to use because of the lack of resources.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Ah. Then hopefully someday he'll like digital.

 

[Kane52630]

Wally Pfister is the guy who said in that doc that he will never go to digital and despises it. It's silly.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I don't get Nolan on this. There are plenty of reputable filmmakers like Nolan today who are treating digital as much as an art form as film. There's no danger. I'm sure these people know the distinct difference between cinematic digital to an ipad.

Filmmakers choose digital because it is cheaper. Not everybody is in the position like Nolan, especially young filmmakers who can afford to shoot on film. You have to be pragmatic about this, because this is the truth of it. It is about cost first if you want to see your movie get funded and get it made. Fortunate of Nolan that he can choose to hold onto film while most up and coming filmmakers probably won't because they can't.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I hate the way Soderbergh uses digital but overall I have no problem with it. I do hate 3D though and always will. As long as I'm not forced to see a film in 3D I don't care if it is around.

 

[Anita18]

Wally Pfister is the guy who said in that doc that he will never go to digital and despises it. It's silly.

Oh yeah, he did say he would quit if he were forced to do a digital intermediate.

I think there's a difference between deciding for yourself if you should switch, vs someone making that decision for the artist.

If Wally is okay with his DP using digital for Transcendence, I think that says it all.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

If Wally is okay with his DP using digital for Transcendence, I think that says it all.

Is that right? Interesting.

 

[mclay18]

Pfister said he's done doing DP work. He's strictly concentrating on his work as a director.

Really? I haven't heard that before.

 

[mclay18]

I hate the way Soderbergh uses digital but overall I have no problem with it. I do hate 3D though and always will. As long as I'm not forced to see a film in 3D I don't care if it is around.

Same here. Soderbergh loves digital because he loves the way it 'replicates' the film look he likes... but his use of filters and soft focus betrays its digital origins. Side Effects, Magic Mike, and especially Haywire just look unappealing.

 

[Anita18]

Is that right? Interesting.

I swear I just saw the link a page ago:

“I prefer to shoot on film but I’ve been discussing that with the various candidates. I’m open to suggestions. I wouldn’t want to dictate to a cinematographer what tools he should use.”

http://collider.com/wally-pfister-transcendence-imax-interview/

 

[craigdbfan]

Really? I haven't heard that before.

It's actually in one of the video interviews he's done. It's out there.

 

[redfirebird2008]

I don't think Nolan wants to use digital ever (he's been incredibly adamant about it), and I don't think WB would ever want to force him to use digital. He's at the point in his career that WB would do almost anything to make him happy and keep him at the studio making money for them. He'd go to a studio that would let him use film and he has made too much money for him to lose to another studio.

He'd be more likely to agree to 3D post conversion than digital.

Nolan's goal is for Syncopy to fully fund its own films at some point down the line. Then he won't have to deal with big studios meddling in his filmmaking at all. He would only need them as distributors.

But the issue of film vs. digital seems to be rapidly heading towards the death of film, so I don't think he'll have a choice in the matter. But if I'm not mistaken, they already used digital for small parts of Inception. So they aren't completely against it. I think it will be cool if IMAX can develop a 18k IMAX digital camera that is extremely quiet and can be used for an entire movie including quiet dialogue scenes. Then every Nolan movie could be in stunning IMAX resolution for the full runtime.

 

[titansupes]

Nolan's goal is for Syncopy to fully fund its own films at some point down the line. Then he won't have to deal with big studios meddling in his filmmaking at all. He would only need them as distributors.

People were talking about this on these boards a couple of days ago (possibly you, can't remember). Where is all this coming from? I've never heard him talk about Syncopy at all, much less empowering it to Pre-Disney LucasFilm levels....

 

[craigdbfan]

Really? I haven't heard that before.

Around 1:40.

There's also another interview where he pretty much says the same thing.

 

[redfirebird2008]

People were talking about this on these boards a couple of days ago (possibly you, can't remember). Where is all this coming from? I've never heard him talk about Syncopy at all, much less empowering it to Pre-Disney LucasFilm levels....

Poni was the one saying it. I only speculated that it could be motivation for him to get involved with the DCU for WB. Get a huge payoff and funnel it directly into Syncopy's growth. Poni said that all of Nolan's money for TDKR went into Syncopy and it was a huge amount ($80+ million upfront plus a percentage of gross).

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Nolan's goal is for Syncopy to fully fund its own films at some point down the line. Then he won't have to deal with big studios meddling in his filmmaking at all. He would only need them as distributors.

But the issue of film vs. digital seems to be rapidly heading towards the death of film, so I don't think he'll have a choice in the matter. But if I'm not mistaken, they already used digital for small parts of Inception. So they aren't completely against it. I think it will be cool if IMAX can develop a 18k IMAX digital camera that is extremely quiet and can be used for an entire movie including quiet dialogue scenes. Then every Nolan movie could be in stunning IMAX resolution for the full runtime.

That would be awesome.