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Like most high tech industries, the world of professional video has changed beyond all recognition since it's original inception. But which technological changes have changed the industry for the better? Which of the widgets, trends and new product launches helped make professional video production truly forward thinking?
1. Tapeless video production Since it started to become mainstream in the early part of this century, tapeless has revolutionised video production workflows. Before tapeless, cameras stored footage on video tape (or film). To
then work with that in a non-linear editor (see number two on this list), footage had to be transferred from the tape onto a hard disk recorder. This was slow as it relied on a mechanical operation like fast forward, rewind, eject, copy and so on to happen. Tapeless removed all that and you could quickly move between and within clips.
It brought many other advantages too, such as extra durability - media has no moving parts and is never subject to mechanical wear so both the media itself and the footage it contains don't deteriorate; it gave editors direct and instant access to a precise time code and metadata; that could be attached to the files themselves. It also meant editing could be done on a single computer rather than needing specialist equipment.
2. Non-Linear Editing Forms of NLE had been around since the 80s, but it wasn't until the early 90s that digital based, non linear editing started to become the standard.
Non-linear editing gave film editors much greater speed and flexibility. When editing on video tapes, cuts had to be made in sequence so if a change was needed, the whole edit had to be started again.
NLE lets an editor implement whatever changes are needed without having to start again from the beginning. The changes are made entirely within the computer, can be executed relatively quickly
and are largely reversible.
Due to the limitations of computers in the early 1990s, the first NLE systems like Avid's Media Composer could only be used for small projects like commercials or short films. It wasn't until 1993
that a team of industry experts created a long form system that gave Media Composer users access to over seven terabytes of digital video data. With instant access to this much footage, non-linear editing of feature films suddenly became possible.
Until the advent of tapeless, footage had to be transferred from tape onto hard drives to be edited. But once tapeless came along, non-linear editing really came into its own.
3. Online Video Sharing It's staggering to think that YouTube was only officially launched in 2005, but it (and it's contemporaries) has had an enormous effect on the video industry. Now anyone can become a broadcaster. One effect of this is that individuals, whether they are babies, singers or even cats, can become overnight stars, attracting millions of views, which in turn leads to making money from their videos.
However, in the professional arena there has also been a profound effect. Brands know that good video is one of the most effective ways of communicating with consumers. YouTube's easy functionality makes it easy for brands to get video online and, whereas in the past, it was something only considered for TV or cinema advertising, the online campaign is now part and parcel of the marketing mix. From the simple - Will It Blend? - to the slick - Old Spice - to megabucks stunts involving helicopter cameras and closing half of San Francisco - DC Shoes. Branded content has become a new genre for commercial filmmakers.
But as well as providing an outlet for amateur filmmakers, it has also become a way for anyone to get their ideas out there without needing to rely on TV or cinema distribution. In some cases, such as Fede Alvarez, this showcase of their talents has been an important step on the way to making their first feature. For others, online has become another channel, letting them set something up away from TV networks.
4. High Definition TV While the term high definition televsion has been around since the 1930s, HD broadcasts to the home did not start until 2004 when Belgian company Euro1080 launched the HD1 channel and showed the Vienna New Year's Concert. Although test transmissions had begun in autumn 2003, the New Year's Day broadcast marked the official launch of the HD1 channel, and the official start of direct-to-home HDTV in Europe.
For video producers, HDTV had quite an impact. There was the switch from 4:3 to 16:9 aspect ratio and the need during the transitional phase to shoot for safety', using centre-cut protection. CGI and digital effects, initially at least, took longer due to the extra rendering time needed. And then there were the changes it led to in make-up and set design for example.
5. Cloud Computing Well we would say this, but cloud computing is changing how video is being produced. Without the restrictions using discs and drives to distribute content brings, productions are happening more quickly and more efficiently, freeing up creative teams to be creative rather than worry about the technical IT related business that moving and storing their footage traditionally requires.
Cloud computing is becoming the standard way to do anything digital - from word processing to banking to email and beyond - and as bandwidths increase, cloud based workflows will become a more and more obvious choice.
Image credit: Nick Depree
Related posts:
How to choose the right storage solution for your professional video files
Why go tapeless? The advantages of file based production
The 6 Ages of Digital digital adoption in video production
Managing Technology on a Video Production
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