The New Breed of Communicators

[Michael Cioni]

With so many friends on this forum, I thought you might appreciate these thoughts. I've been struggling with a recent "change in the weather" and I needed a place to start. So much is accomplished here, and I for one and proud to be a part of something so special. So I think it's time to give a name to our cause, which goes well beyond a camera choice - all the way to the core of who we are and why.

m

http://michaelcioni.tumblr.com

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Great article Michael.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Well written, Michael. And, as usual, quite insightful. I have always liked change; it excites me; causes me to focus on new possibilities. I love these times. I hope I qualify as a Technative!

 

[Peter Lyons Collister ASC]

Michael,

We have known each other for a long time.... One benefit of this digital cinema revolution is that it has a leveling effect.

But I will argue on the side of "Luddites" by saying that on the studio-corporate- physical production exec level that they believe "anyone can do it" and that what we do is not special or with creative import.
The New York Times had a great interview today with Darius and it reinforces how creative cinematographers and their allies can be with great directors and producers.....

Forget the technology for a moment and let us all try to embrace the possibility of creating images on a level such as Darius.....

 

[Kwan Khan]

You said that very well, and I agree.

Actually, because of new technologies, my full studio is on my laptop. I can make everything I do come from my laptop. Even when I go to a big studio, all I do is to plug in my laptops. That's they way I do it.

 

[Steve Johnson]

Michael,

Again, another great article and some very thoughtful in-sites.

Steve
)

 

[Shapour Daneshmand]

Wow!

 

[Sergio Perez]

Excellent article. This should be published beyond the blogosphere and on the print journals/media. Its top quality and shows a vision that is both provocative and at the same time very pertinent and on the point. Glad you're here with us, Michael. As someone on the other side of the globe its just fantastic to be able to read not only yours but other redusers insight and knowledge. One important aspect that I would add is that we are experiencing with the "democratization", also the benefits of a global network of sharing ideas. The "Technative" of today, like you so eloquently put, has also the bliss of having an incredible worldwide Communication channel with other Technatives, from different cultures, different sensibilities, but with the same drive and attitude towards innovation and technological knowhow in order to advance their "art". Ultimately, quality material and content will always be quality content and all this will only raise the bar in innovation and better boundaries pushing technology and "art"- the fear of the cannibalization of work due to this democratization will only affect those that play on the lower end of the field, leaving out those that cannot raise above the "average". The bar for "average", however, will raise, and only the most talented, the ones that embrace the "technative" philosophy but at the same time raise the bar in their work, will succeed- like any other profession. How many lawyers, economists, architects, engineers, musicians, painters, sculptors are there? Exactly. Ultimately, looking ahead, without fear, with the hunger to learn, to explore, to raise one's own game, to work for it, to innovate is what separates the good from the average. Probably I'm still on the average camp, but I'm trying, every day, to learn more, to try something different, to innovate and to push myself to do better than before. Like you said, embracing change, embracing the challenge of trying new things and not being affraid of these times where everything seems to be changing at an incredible pace. Ultimately, what will happen is that talent and knowledge is what is going to separate the field, not gear.

 

[Evan Starkey]

This guy is a complete nutter...... I loved it ..... Sometimes it takes the lights to dim before we see glow worms on the ceiling.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Interesting article.

I believe there is a connection between what is happening in digital cinema and the notion that most people are unaware of its pending affects. Without the clear realization that something significant is occurring, people, on average, are unable to prepare or even react to a moment of significance…until either a lot of time passes or a larger group of people collective agree on its significance.

It’s easier to quantify moments of massive trauma when they affect a nation or a generation - especially when heavily covered by the media.

Psychologists sometimes qualify a version of this as traumatic disassociation.

In other words, being older doesn’t mean you lack the ability to grasp imminent change, but that younger counterparts will adapt with less resistance, if any at all.

I suggest using quotes above with a 4K S3D presentation of TGWTDT sodomy scene.

You can use the light bulb example as well.

 

[Stivan Widick]

Hi, Michael. Did you mean to start off the article with "Think back to a profound moment in your life in which you were experiencing with many others..." instead of "Think back to a traumatic moment..."?

Enjoyed your thesis, by the way.

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Michael,

I gather you graduated from Princeton, or was it Harvard? In these environs, that is certainly a great advantage, not from the thinking point of view, or the creative one, but certainly the old-boys Ivy club, the one that insists, to this day, on holding the highest of courts. Above the rest of us. Arses. Thought we tossed that infectious disease by ejecting the British so many, many years ago.

Anyways, just ask Frances, he is barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

I love unbridled and reckless stupidity, that is what Hollywood is all about.

Alas, very little to do with creativity, your 'Technative' initiative, false pride Mike, borne of a very narrow concentration, encouraged by a societal agreement to honor certain established rules of conduct, exclusive in the extreme, the common man tossed, on a garbage heap, of your own very narrow definition.

We all fight for what we believe in, who are you to say, I am the chosen referee?

I like this conversation, do you want to continue?

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Michael,

I gather you graduated from Princeton, or was it Harvard? In these environs, that is certainly a great advantage, not from the thinking point of view, or the creative one, but certainly the old-boys Ivy club, the one that insists, to this day, on holding the highest of courts. Above the rest of us. Arses. Thought we tossed that infectious disease by ejecting the British so many, many years ago.

Anyways, just ask Frances, he is barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

I love unbridled and reckless stupidity, that is what Hollywood is all about.

Alas, very little to do with creativity, your 'Technative' initiative, false pride Mike, borne of a very narrow concentration, encouraged by a societal agreement to honor certain established rules of conduct, exclusive in the extreme, the common man tossed, on a garbage heap, of your own very narrow definition.

We all fight for what we believe in, who are you to say, I am the chosen referee?

I like this conversation, do you want to continue?

Michael can speak for himself but the most rudimentary research would show he did not go the Princeton, Harvard or any other Ivy Leagues school - if that matters for anything. :huh:

Beyond that - who can tell what your point might be.

And if you have had any opportunity to communicate with michael, you'd know him to be open minded, innovative and articulate.

 

[Tom Hamilton]

And that is why I challenge him. I saw him speak at the NAB RedUser party, duly impressed by his perspicacity and foresight, I was just wondering if he would agree to momentarily engage a little guy like me, a small spar perhaps, of no consequence to anyone, in a conversation I consider personally important.

If not, I will consider myself duly judged by my peers.

 

[Michael Cioni]

What's up, Tom?
I'm easy to get ahold of and happy to speak with anyone and everyone on a routine basis;-)
m

 

[Tom.Wong]

always I'm on set in situations where production just gets so shoot happy filling up terabytes in a single day. large file sizes, always needing to figure out a good way, ahead of time to get it all piped through the workflow. and a lot of grief can come from that with producers on the expense of hard drives, camera rentals that capture in high speed or higher acquisition medium than highly compressed pseudo HD. and then the over time that ensues from all that holding up an electric and myself.

but it's always good to just put everything in perspective and say, well imagine if we just shot film. even if we shot half of what we did on film, buying the stock and developing it, and waiting for your dailies that might not even have been processed right the next day.

it still would be cheaper to have shot more on digital and deal with all those costs.

not to mention they get their dailies by wrap or within hours afterwards with full quality assurance.

sometimes perspective needs to be provided.

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Thanks Michael, yer a good sport. Have read your piece twice now, lots to get one's head around, will have some questions in due course.

Best

 

[M Most]

always I'm on set in situations where production just gets so shoot happy filling up terabytes in a single day. large file sizes, always needing to figure out a good way, ahead of time to get it all piped through the workflow. and a lot of grief can come from that with producers on the expense of hard drives, camera rentals that capture in high speed or higher acquisition medium than highly compressed pseudo HD. and then the over time that ensues from all that holding up an electric and myself.

but it's always good to just put everything in perspective and say, well imagine if we just shot film. even if we shot half of what we did on film, buying the stock and developing it, and waiting for your dailies that might not even have been processed right the next day.

.

I think that's something of a foolish comparison, because it's highly, highly unlikely that they would have shot such a huge amount of footage if they were shooting film in the first place. The ability to keep rolling for longer periods of time, to run up ridiculously high footage counts wtihout serious financial penalty, and quick turnaround are and always have been the selling points for digital capture. In other words, they're a given. Comparisons are a bit of a waste of time when the alternative wasn't chosen in large part because of the very items that are being compared.

 

[Mark Britton]

Perhaps not exactly related, but one of the phenomena I find both interesting and at times, frustrating, is that if one had a video tap on a film camera, it would be assumed and understood that what you were seeing at video village isn't exactly what you were getting. The video village is was a suggestion of what the final image will look like.

With digital cinema, it seems that people demand that the image in the village be treated as if it is the final image. I've been asked to 'crush the blacks' or 'create a look' in camera and time was spent on set dialing that in just so. Really? Viewing on a REC.709 monitor that isn't calibrated? It seems like to me that in the past the creative heads would have the confidence and knowledge to know what they were getting, and spend less time tweaking an image on set.

I dunno. Maybe it's just me, and that's the way it should be, but I'm not convinced that all of the blurring of the line between in camera tweakery and post work is productive.

 

[Michael Steiner]

Thanks very much for this Mr. Cioni! Doesn't matter if you are right or wrong (i think your mostly right), but trying to put specialized developments in a bigger picture is an important thing! It keeps us open minded and motivated! Furthermore - if what you say is and remains true - the historians will thank you somewhen and lift out your (wise) thoughts...