Sunday, January 31, 2010

DVD Media vs Computers

Since the inception of DVD media, and until this year, all movies were shot on DVD. Now movies are starting to be shot entirely on computers. This should concern us all, but it is a topic not given proper attention by the news. Today I will get into the pros and cons of this development:

PROS:

- Computers are a safe and fun environment for even children. Children as young as 12 can tell the difference between a 'MAC' and a 'PC'. These future filmmakers growing up on the computer format will make wonderful movies due to their familiarity with the medium.

- Computers can handle a number of tasks. A filmmaker utilizing a computer can make a film while he is doing other things, such as updating his various statuses on his friendbooks or live vlogging to his studio execs and producers.

- Computers are a waystation to the internet and the internet is the waystation to television. A filmmaker can upload his latest work of genius to G4TV instantly over his modem. His masterpiece can be downloaded instantly to the televisions of countless consumers.

CONS:

- DVDs are a warmer medium. Yes they scratch if you scratch them whereas computers have a protective shell, but scratches add warmth. I want to see jumps and skips and blips in a movie when I'm watching it. Maybe I am just an old fashioned man but computerized blips do not have the same panache.

- Computers are subject to viruses. Nothing would be worse than watching a movie full of viruses. When watching a horror movie you would not be able to tell what demons on screen were intended, and what are there as a result of the auteur downloading screen caps of Tara Reid's vaginae on his brunch break. It is impossible to focus on a film when you can see monsters crawling over the screen chewing up megabytes.

- Computers are harder to backup. Whereas a DVD can be copied easily, a computer can only be copied by buying a second computer and connecting them by a cable or something. Computers are expensive and this is a hassle, whereas DVDs can be bought at gas stations. This is why so many gas station attendants are also budding filmmakers. But this computer revolution is beginning to put them out of work. Gas stations can't afford to sell computers and so today's future gas station workers will most likely be homeless people rather than your next Rob Cohen or McG.

Conclusion:

As you can see this is a complicated issue unlikely to resolve anytime soon. I prefer DVDs but I am also an idealist. And "Idealism is the first casualty in a climate." - Oscar Weil

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