David Lynch will shoot the new Twin Peaks season on film.

Paulo Arellano · November 21, 2014

http://welcometotwinpeaks.com/news/david-lynch-twin-peaks-2016-on-film/

Gregg MacPherson · November 21, 2014

I hope he does. Some time ago I read an interview where he swore he'd never shoot film again, having discovered digital, talking both about stills and motion pictures. I was really turned off by that. I really like his philosophies, though I haven't enjoyed all his work. It may be fashionable for some to mention Erazerhead, I don't know, but it is for me the most interesting work he did. I only saw it once, it might have been a 16mm print at the Student film club around 1980. A good crowd to share it with.

James Compton · November 21, 2014

Well, well... How's about them apples.... I like the sound of that. Welcome back, David Lynch.

Will Montgomery · November 21, 2014

I caught a little bit of the zombie TV show on SyFi network called Z Nation and found it almost unwatchable due to it's video looking nature; blown highlights and the like. Made me appreciate the aesthetic decision to keep Walking Dead on 16mm. (that's not to say there weren't poorly shot shows on film).

I know the march to digital in TV production was inevitable, but was it some of the DPs and crew that wanted to make sure they had digital experience and stay "ahead of the game?" A friend at Panavision told me once that this was a big thing driving the change to digital production...not wanting your previous production to be film so when you are looking for a new gig you have the digital experience.

While I'm sure producers and networks think they are saving money and time with digital, I bet they are very glad their older productions were shot on film so they can re-scan and sell those old shows in high-def...unfortunately now what the get is what they get for all time.

David Mullen ASC · November 21, 2014

You're assuming that the DP and the camera crew have a say in the acquisition format for a TV series.

Todd Anderson · December 1, 2014

Gregg, regarding the interview with Lynch about saying, "he'd never shoot on film again.", it seems in the links above that he has certainly fell back in love with celluloid for the time being. I was in the audience during the 20th Anniversary screening of 'Blue Velvet' a few years back, and he was promoting 'Inland Empire' at the time and was on stage after the 'Blue Velvet' screening to answer some questions. Lynch was talking about how the 'gauzy' images he was getting out of his camcorder reminded him of the texture of films from the 1930's (perhaps referring to some Josef von Sternberg work?). Anyhow, the moderator had asked him if he felt he could get as similar of an images as the rich image we just viewed with 'Blue Velvet' on digital, and Lynch said, "Film is Dead. It is a dinosaur." Or something very close along those lines.

Anyhow, let's be glad that artists do in fact change their minds over time. Now I'm hoping the other David (Fincher), will reconsider shooting another project on film in the future, as I still see it as, "the right tone or atmosphere" for the story being told, versus, one is better than the other for every project. Be that a love of having a few hundred takes like Kubrick or more control over the project (Fincher has mentioned in interviews that he has in the past relied too often than not for trusting the DP, asking, "Do you think you got the shot?", only to be disappointed with various shots after seeing the dailies. And that is understandable from his perspective, as he likes that control and he is brilliant at what he does, but let's hope he has a change of heart, as well.

-T

Edited December 1, 2014 by Todd Anderson

Will Montgomery · December 3, 2014

You're assuming that the DP and the camera crew have a say in the acquisition format for a TV series.

Good point. Perhaps it's more producers convinced it's cheaper to shoot digital. This "they want digital on their resume" was antidotal from some Panavision folks.