The importance of the film industry today is to find the “reinvention of new medium”. Film makers and cinematographers want to have the most updated cameras to have clarity throughout their films, but the question is to keep using 35mm cameras, or switch to digital-motion picture. There are numerous discussions on this topic to see if the film industry will become more advanced in technology and get rid of film completely.

A film we watched in class called, Side by Side, narrated and produced by Keanu Reeves, illuminates the debate between digital motion-picture cameras to traditional 35mm cameras. He interviewed many American and British cinema directors, editors, and cinematographers to incorporate their opinions on the matter. The documentary stays neutral, and describes where the film industry came from, and where it could go in the future with film and digital. It states that film has better texture and dynamic range to the images, while digitization can bring freedom. Film stock and processing are expensive and most filmmakers will not be able to afford it. Digital is cheaper, and easier to use. Also, consumers are the main target that we want to focus on and the medium for the 21st century is the internet. We need to preserve the digital motion pictures from the past for future generations because it may not be as culturally important as it one was. However, using digital motion-picture generates a whole lot of creativity.