Question by AD: Film vs Video vs Movies?
Okay, so I’m taking a video production class at a college. My instructor keep showing us videos of former students, and some say “video by” and some say “A film by”. My instructor has pointed out several times that “A film by” is incorrect because we a shooting of tape/video/DVD, etc. I’m going to encite a riot over this nor make any noise over this. I just want to find out if she is correct because I’ve seen plenty of movies shot on video where you see “A film by” and she says they are all incorrect for that.
Well, I did some research and if you take film and video each for what they are, they are basically the same except for the storage medium they use.
Film is literally: a similar perforated strip covered with an iron oxide emulsion(magfilm), intended for the recording and reproduction of both images and sound.
Digging deeper into the definition, the definition of Film alone indicates that it is a film, just in digital format. A DVD, video tape, etc. is still Film, just a digital reproduction in the electromagnetic storage medium; it still has all the functions and products of a analogue film.
Now when someone says I saw a great “Film” they are usually talking about a more artistic, sometimes more independent movie than a commercial mainstream, usually referred to as a “Movie”.
So is my instructor in the right to tell us that if we put “A film by” because we aren’t shooting on flim that it is incorrect. She said she would dock us a point if we put “A film by”. Now because I want full points I’m of course adhering to what she wants, but for future if I shoot everything on video isn’t still technically a “film”?
What are you’re thoughts. Use examples and details if possible. Thanks.
Best answer:
Answer by ShinyThings
She just sounds really nitpicky. I mean technically films were called films because they were shot using film. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t call your movie a film just because you didn’t actually use film.
The only time that really applies is when you are talking about cameras. Video cameras use tape, digital cameras use memory cards and film cameras use film.
You should catch her in this anally technical definition and asks something like :
“Where do you watch movies that have just come out?”
If she just says “the theater”, ask her what kind of theater.
If she says “the movie theater” you can say something like “Oh really? I thought it would be called a film theater because they show films there using a projector and film reels.”
Give your answer to this question below!