IndieWire: From 'Drive' To 'Melancholia,' Here's Why 2011 Marked a Shift In the History of Cinematography

In the wake of Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony, it's good to look back on last year and cull some final lessons from it. Martin Scorsese's Hugo, shot digitally on the ARRI Alexa, took home the "Best Cinematography" and "Best Visual Effects" trophies, while David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, shot digitally on the RED and edited on Final Cut Pro, won "Best Film Editing." It really seems like we're seeing the final stages of the film industry's move toward digital cinema as the new standard. Writer Jamie Stuart over on IndieWire seems to agree:

2011 was the year in which the Arri Alexa, the first significant digital camera released by leading equipment developer Arri, was put to wide use. Three wildly different examples of the new camera can found in "Drive," "Hugo" and "Melancholia."

 Read the complete article on IndieWire.

ProLost: 'Red Scarlet, Canon C300, and the Paradox of Choice'

Late in 2011 when Canon announced its new "Cinema EOS" line of cameras with its new model, the C300, tech guru, filmmaker, and DV Rebel's Guide author Stu Maschwitz as usual cut right to the heart of the issue of what camera to buy, and when:

All filmmakers are on a journey, and that journey is going to take you through many cameras. It’s dangerously easy to get swept up in advancing technologies, and all-too tempting to think that a new camera will slingshot your filmmaking forward.

Read Stu's entire post for the run-down on the capabilities and pricing of the current crop of digital cameras, from the Red Epic M ($43,000) down to the Canon Rebel T3i ($659).

Master Cinematographer Roger Deakins on Shooting with ARRI ALEXA: "Film Had a Good Run"

nofilmschool.com reposted a great interview with master cinematographer Roger Deakins, originally posted on /film:

[Shooting on Digital] gives me a lot more options. It’s got more latitude, it’s got better color rendition. It’s faster. I can immediately see what I’m recording. I can time that image on set with a color-calibrated monitor…. Am I nostalgic for film? … I mean, it’s had a good run, hasn’t it?

Here's a peek at the cinematography of True Grit, for which Deakins is nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar, and which might end up being his last movie shot on film:

Everything is About to Change: Arri's New Digital Camera System

Arri has released early specs for its new family of digital cinema cameras, featuring 35mm-sized sensors and light sensitivity equivalent to 800 ISO filmstock. Coupled with the ability to use a vast array of cinema prime lenses, high-resolution electronic viewfinders, or traditional optical viewfinders, these new cameras reflect Arri's longtime commitment to providing filmmakers with the tools they really want.

Arri has also provided a searchable, indexed HTML version of Quantel's "Digital Fact Book" - an incredibly inclusive glossary and reference guide to digital video technology. The Digital Fact Book is also available as a PDF.