More Analog Technologies are Dying (e.g, Photographic Film Processes)

[Chris A]

Referencing a previous post on another forum:

...One of the resources that I used in teaching a graduate systems architecting course in engineering is a film hosted by Keanu Reeves in 2012 called Side By Side,, whose sole purpose is to show the filmmaking culture "shock" of converting from photographic film to digital processes--the entire process from taking the images to producing them in commercial theaters.

So it shows the human element in resisting change, even if the resulting changes benefit everyone--except those whose exact skills are inextricably tied to technologies and skills now made redundant--which actually are quite limited--like color-timing and handling of the "dailies" (daily review by cast and crew of what was caught the day before)...

I just noticed the news this AM:

Technicolor Begins To Shut Down Operations​

I believe that most brands of photographic films have been discontinued by their manufacturers of late. Die-hard "analog-only" directors and cinematographers (e.g., Chris Nolan, et al.) are going to need to buy lifetime supplies of film and film cameras if they continue to stipulate that they will not convert to digital.

This is very much like phonograph records: virtually all the record cutting heads used today to produce new phonograph masters are made using digital stepper motors since the original analog cutting heads are no longer made and the old ones have all basically worn out. And virtually all recording, mixing and mastering of audio tracks is done via digital means now, even if the resulting media is transferred to phonograph records. One can't apparently buy a truly "analog-only" phonograph record anymore...somewhere in the process of making analog records nowadays, digital technologies have substituted in to fill in technical obsolescence gaps.

Chris

 

[Sonnie Parker]

It's crazy what digital is doing to analog.

On the vinyl side... many enthusiasts buy analog vinyl because it's analog, and they don't want digital. However, we now see vinyl surfaces cut from digital masters. I have heard that it sounds very much like the CD of the same, according to some vinyl lovers. It's not anything that I have confirmed, but hearsay, more or less. Seems to be supported by what you posted, assuming we are talking about the same thing.