In today’s world, we experience most of our entertainment in the form of television shows or movies. For example, Avengers: Endgame, a movie by Marvel Studios, has been rated number one in the box office, making approximately 2.8 billion US dollars. Another example is the TV show Stranger Things, by Netflix. While the amount of money the franchise has made for the best known streaming company is uncertain, the cast members have made $150,000-$250,000 per episode. Although the money seems to be pouring in, has the movie and television industry impacted the world and has time changed the industry itself?
Movies from the 20th century used cameras that would often have to be reloaded with film. This film was physically delicate, meaning that if a small part was scratched, the whole movie could be ruined. Another reason cameras in the 19th century were not as easy to use was because if the shot was not perfect you would need to reshoot, meaning that more film would have to be bought. Cameras which used film in the 20th century were large and bulky, making them harder to use and move around. Background scenes were made by hand before they could be filmed. For example, if a building was on fire, the crew would have to burn part of the set.
Meanwhile, movies in the 21sy century normally use cameras that have a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) which allows movies to be filmed in high-definition, making the movie look more “realistic”. Cameras now weigh less, and the director can choose how big they want the perspective of a specific scene to be by choosing how big of a camera they use. When needing a scene to look like it was filmed outside, a green screen can be used with CGI (computer-generated imagery) to create a realistic looking scene without having to travel or relocate. CGI can also be used to make animated movies, giving them more “depth” than with basic hand drawn animation. Now, directors can use digital cameras without the fear of using tons of film, decreasing the cost of filming compared to that of film cameras in the 20th century.
There are also now more jobs in the movie industry, helping the economy to grow. Jobs can range from director of photography, digital editor, or camera team assistants.
Movie production in the 20th century compared to movie production in the 21st century has had massive changes. Due to newer technology we have seen a decrease in budget for film, which leads to increased budget in other areas, an increase in the quality of the movie itself, and directors being able to focus their time on the actors.
Jason Shin, Grade 9
Woodbridge High School
