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Digital Feature Wins Oscar


Tom Lowe

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Slumdog wins. This breaks a very, very long winning streak for film. ;)

 

I'm sure certain people who hate digital are probably crying scorching tears down their cheeks tonight.

 

Congrats to the guys at Cineform!!

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Congrats to Anthony Dod Mantle for his win. I still think that Benjamin Button deserved to win, but I think Slumdog was a very well shot film as well. Congrats again!

 

That was my exact feeling on the subject. It is pretty interesting that the first digital cinematography oscar winner didn't come from one of the systems that is trying to emulate film such as the RED, the Genesis or the D20/21. It came from the humble little thousand-dollar HV30. It's fine proof that the problems of any format can be overcome or even turned into unique beauty.

Edited by Chris Keth
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Sorry to disappiont you Tom, but I consider this a tie. It was, after all shot on SI-2K, Canon DSLR, and 35mm neg.

 

If "BB" won, I'd be drinking, not crying.

 

I honestly can't comment as to whether it was worthy or not. Haven't had a chance to see it yet. I know that Dark Knight *was* worthy though. I feel it is a shame that there won't be any award given to this technical first for dramatic film-making.

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But it did.

 

I still don't know why you're declaring victory. It wasn't all digital, or all digital except the slo-mo shots, or all digital except for teh plates. It wsa decidedly mixed-format. Hell, assuming it was shot ion Kodak, Kodak can still declare victory.

 

From what I understand a full third takes place at night, where film was used.

 

I could understand your gloating if "Benjamin Button" won. But it didn't.

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That was my exact feeling on the subject. It is pretty interesting that the first digital cinematography oscar winner didn't come from one of the systems that is trying to emulate film such as the RED, the Genesis or the D20/21. It came from the humble little thousand-dollar HV30. It's fine proof that the problems of any format can be overcome or even turned into unique beauty.

If you can get significant numbers of bums on seats using a crap format like that, yes, you deserve a prize.

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I know I am fuming.

 

Not because it didn't deserve to win, but because now every HV30 owner is going to mention it ad-infinitum

Well, you could point out that all this means is that instead of the acquisition cost being 1% of the budget, it's now 0.001%

I still doubt too many HV30 owners are going to be able to come up with the other 99.999% :D

In any case, the Oscar is for cinematography, there is no such category as Digital Cinematography.

And what does it it mean exactly?

 

I tend more to the view that it won in spite of **parts of it** being shot with an HV30, not because of it.

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It is the talent of the filmmakers rather than the formats used what gave them the award. But it is the first feature winning an Oscar having been at least partially originated digitally, that part is what is "shocking."

 

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?sh...mp;#entry274639

Edited by Saul Rodgar
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It is the talent of the filmmakers rather than the formats used what gave them the award. But it is the first feature winning an Oscar having been at least partially originated digitally, that part is what is "shocking."

 

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?sh...mp;#entry274639

I would have thought all the digiphiliacs would have been shocked that this has only happened ten years after a small but perfectly formed maverick by the name George Lucas declared that film was dead. Not bad. -_- :

And that was about ten years after an equally prescient statement by noted Canadian producer of Low Budget Children's TV shows, John Galt....

Edited by Keith Walters
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I would have thought all the digiphiliacs would have been shocked that this has only happened ten years after a small but perfectly formed maverick by the name George Lucas declared that film was dead. Not bad. -_- :

And that was about ten years after an equally prescient statement by noted Canadian producer of Low Budget Children's TV shows, John Galt....

and 51 years after the original pronouncement......

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After a ton of wins for Slumdog, I am seriously starting to think that the Oscars, as always, are getting bias in there picks. I mean honestly, Slumdog is a good movie, but it to win this many Oscars is just ridiculously odd. It's definitely a politically proper thing to do, which makes me wonder if that's what's been going on. But I can't say for sure, after all I'm just speculating of course.

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After a ton of wins for Slumdog, I am seriously starting to think that the Oscars, as always, are getting bias in there picks. I mean honestly, Slumdog is a good movie, but it to win this many Oscars is just ridiculously odd. It's definitely a politically proper thing to do, which makes me wonder if that's what's been going on. But I can't say for sure, after all I'm just speculating of course.

 

Oscars have always been this way.

 

Notice how in the best picture montage they show Saving Private Ryan and Citizen Kane? You know the two greatest Oscar snubs in history.

Edited by Tom Hall
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Slumdog wins. This breaks a very, very long winning streak for film. ;)

 

I'm sure certain people who hate digital are probably crying scorching tears down their cheeks tonight.

 

Congrats to the guys at Cineform!!

 

Not at all, film shot projects still dominated the over all wins and nominations.

 

It hasn't changed my view that digital acquisition is inferior to film.

 

R,

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Oscars have always been this way.

 

Notice how in the best picture montage they show Saving Private Ryan and Citizen Kane? You know the two greatest Oscar snubs in history.

 

Yeah totally. It's such a bummer.

 

Oh and let me get this straight. I've noticed that ppl have been saying that Slumdog was shot somewhat on an HV30. Is this true? Cause I didn't see that when I looked at the IMDB.com spec page.

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I mean honestly, Slumdog is a good movie, but it to win this many Oscars is just ridiculously odd. It's definitely a politically proper thing to do,

Why is it the politically proper thing to do? I see no political motivation for it to win. If you'd said that about Milk, it would make sense. Am I missing something?

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Wasn't Benjamin Button mixed format as well? I read that Tarsem shot select scenes on film during the "Ben Button travels the world" montage...

I personally was rooting for The Reader, though it seems far less expansive compared to Slumdog and Ben Button....

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Who cares if its digital? Cinematography is still about considering everything, and making all the decisions it takes to represent a narrative (or non-narrative) visually in the best way possible.

 

Benjamin Buttons was mixed format but primarily digital. With the exception of a few things like higher frame rates it was mostly shot with Vipers. If it had won, would anyone really be questioning its validity?

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anyone else upset by Ben Stillers little stunt? I thought it was distracting from the awards being presented and in poor taste. It shows a lack of respect for the craft and I am disapointed that the producers let that happen during the presentation of the award.

Yes. He made a mockery of the award. It looked like he deviated from the script when he walked away from the podium, though. I doubt the producers knew he was going to do that.

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