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Star Wars creator and ruiner, George Lucas, announced he's going digital for Episode II. Lucas says he plans to shoot the film's half-dozen live-action scenes using six digital, high-definition camcorders--instead of tried and true film cameras--when shooting starts in Australia in June.
Ditching film has its advantages. All-digital production promises higher resolution, sharper sound and more efficient editing, not to mention eliminating the need for costly digital-to-film transfers. Luddites, however, insist current digital quality lacks the "warmth" of old-fashioned film. As if the movie going public is going to care anyway.
But before movie buffs start rushing off to declare blasphemy, Lucas insists the quality is on par with traditional cameras on the big screen. So good, you'll swear Jar Jar was as annoying as ever.
"The tests have convinced me that the familiar look and feel of motion picture film are fully present in this digital 24P system, and that the picture quality between the two is indistinguishable on the large screen," Lucas says in a statement.
Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic had been testing the "24P" cameras, built by Panavision and Sony, for the last four months. The cameras shoot 24 frames per second, just like traditional film, but with digital videotape.
Though the five page script for Episode II reportedly isn't finished yet, shooting for the pubescent, yet still annoying, Anakin flick will begin in Australia, before heading to Italy and Tunisia later this summer.
Digital cameras have been widely used on smaller projects and indie films, like video for the Web and the Wim Wenders- helmed films, The Million Dollar Hotel and Buena Vista Social Club. But it's a first for a big guy like Lucas.
"George is a pioneer, and this is a technology that's blazing," says Judy Irola, head of cinematography for University of Southern California's school of Cinema/Television. "If you learn to work with it, I think you can make it look as good as film...it just won't look like film.
"But I don't think it's a technology to be afraid of."
Lucas' ass kissing minions also have predictably backed the decision, saying they were equally impressed by the new cameras' picture quality.
"The tests were really quite astonishing," says Lucas Digital President/Official Lucas Asswiper Jim Morris. "The image quality of the new Sony camera and Panavision lenses exceeded our expectations, and really validate the 24P system as a great new tool for moviemaking."
Not to mention cheaper. The cameras reportedly cost $100,000 each, less expensive than their 35 millimeter predecessors.
Not that money's any problem for Lucas. 5 million asexual fanboys bought copies of The Phantom Menace in its first two days. And the explosion generated another $100 million for the film, bringing its total take beyond $1 billion. Coincidentally which is $1 billion more than was spent on the script. However, the one million Star Wars widows wished they spent the money on porn or anything that might give them some action.
(based on a E1 new report)...
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Two Women Escaping in a Phonebooth
Reiko Aya & Akane Karasuma
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