Greg's Sandbox
An Introduction to Electronic Cinematography
or
Who Cares What Greg Thinks About This Topic Anyway?
At one time, the term "electronic cinematography" was used to describe almost any media program that originated on a video camera.  Even though I certainly feel that the technology involved in video is allowing it to create images that sometimes rival film, the two media formats are completely different.  They have a completely different feel, look and photographic style.  I think it is fine to describe videography as photography, but I would never describe all photography as videography.

Now, I do not profess that there might be some day that all forms of photography will be electronic and that all terminology used around video and film will some day be interchangeable, for the next many years, I believe the topics will be discussed separately.

It will not be too may years, when we will see entire movies photographed with all electronic or digital motion picture cameras.  I have done a great deal of research on the topic and have concluded that the economic commitment is the only thing in 1998 that is keeping such a device from being available.

Not withstanding the inevitability of the digital movie camera, film will be around for a long while.

(a) High speed digital photography is not in the foreseeable future with digital cameras.  Currently, the light sensitivity of digital sensing devices is limited to normal exposures at 24 and 30 frames per second.  150 to 350 frames per second is not uncommon for certain types of special effects photography.  A big part of event motion pictures are segments containing high speed photographed elements.  See Sphere and Blinko and The Relic .
(c)  Action photography often requires miniature camera systems that can be mounted in small locations and operate in extremely hostile situations.  This would include helmet-cameras, underwater cameras, fire-box cameras and the like.  It will be a long time before such applications will be replaced with digital cameras.
(d) The movie theater is an area where many people think that film will be eliminated in the near future.  I don't really believe this to be true.  A motion picture projector is inexpensive and reliable and easily automated.  The resolution and light output is determined by the film and the light source and can easily be upgraded.  The best part is that the alternative would be some sort of electronic projector, possibly being fed from a direct satellite broadcast.  Not only is the idea of satellite transmission of first run material troublesome with respect to piracy issues, there is no way that such a system will, in the foreseeable future, be as cost effective as the good ole reliable movie projector.  To top it all off, a movie projector can be operated by the same person that makes the popcorn!