The HD Revolution

To read an
essay by Edward Nassour, VP of postproduction for Twentieth Century Fox
Television, click here.

A significant revolution in cinema is now taking place. There is a
new option on the filmmaker’s palate—high definition (HD).
HD is as significant to storytellers today as the invention of
oil-based paint was for painters. It doesn’t replace what has
come before—rather, it presents exciting new opportunities. It
not only presents filmmakers with new options for creating a quality
product, but it has proven integral to the preservation and enhancement
of the endangered, deteriorating records of our history.

George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II: The Phantom Menace
marked the first release of a mega-budget feature shot on HD. It was a
benchmark breakthrough that proved HD had arrived. However, it is with
smaller productions, many of which are currently making the rounds on
the festival circuit, that the real excitement lies. The cost
effectiveness of HD breaks down the monetary barriers that used to keep
young, unknown directors and producers from seeing their ideas and
creations make it to the big screen. HD is going to open doors to
creative talent whose experimentation is going to challenge all of us
to become better at what we do.

HD is cost-effective and artistically viable. Because it is less
cumbersome and expensive than film, experimenters are more likely to
take the kind of risks that can push the possibilities of the medium.
At the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, for instance, HD-originated movies
won a greater number of awards than features shot on film.

The insurance factor of HD post-production has proved particularly
interesting, even for film-originated projects. Television programs
such as HBO’s The Sopranos and Band of Brothers
have utilized HD, resulting in a master that presents a distinct
advantage in archiving, with no sacrifice of quality. Because an HD
recording is digital, it is capable of being transferred to any future
medium.

HD’s success and growth can be attributed to improved and
expanding product offerings. Companies such as Sony, Panasonic, and
Hitachi have extensive HD product lines. Such a variety of hardware
will not only benefit filmmakers working on current projects, but will
also help historians who use HD to restore and archive history.
Companies such as Maxell are now producing high-quality HD media that
achieve exceptional output levels and the low noise requirements of
HD.

In the next year, the snowball effect will grow exponentially, and
it’s exciting to think about what’s in store with the
enhancement of a digital age that places new, innovative tools in the
hands of individuals who are willing to push limits.

Randall P. Dark, president of HD Vision Studios, Studio City,
Calif., is a pioneer in the HDTV industry. He has worked exclusively
with the HD medium since its earliest days—over 16 years and 450
productions.