Blog #4
On May 2nd, I went to the Museum of Moving Image as part of a class trip. This museum gave an insightful perspective on the history of movie and broadcasting compared to today. What really stood out to me was the movie cameras on the third floor. This part of the exhibit took up at least a third of the third floor and could not be missed. As soon as I saw the line up of cameras, I was infatuated. I have recently gotten more into cameras and their anatomy so I was instantly gravitated towards this part of the exhibit. The first thing related to cameras I came across was the zoetrope. I have learned about the zoetrope but it was really interesting to see it up close. It was obvious that the zoetrope played a big part in the creation of the modern day film camera and the broadcasting of film. Eventually, the kinetograph was invented. This invention was light weight and filmed ordinary things with a crank. This was interesting because the foundations based on the kinetograph is carried to today. While the technology has gotten better, the idea of a lightweight camera to be portable and film almost anywhere is seen on the news. However, the technology and quality is much better now along with how it is viewed. Throughout this part of the exhibit, this is a theme that carried over to everything I saw. Similar concepts continued to be followed while also improving tech to make the viewing experience and filming experience better overall.
Cameras can be described the same way. There was a part of the exhibit where a line up of cameras from history was shown. I was surprised to see that the size of these high end cameras did not change much. They are big and are capable of extraordinary things but as I looked at the cameras closer to present day, the cameras were relatively lighter compared to its capabilities. The internal technology has increased so much that more can be done with the cameras while keeping the same size. Today, there is just a wider range of film cameras one can buy that comes in all different shapes and sizes. This reminds me how the show Wilfred had some scenes shot by a very cheap camera the producer bought in Best Buy. The advancements are amazing to see. The way film is broadcasted has changed for the better too. There was a part in the museum that showed how it looks to be in the broadcasting room for live sports. The fact that we can be in our homes and can watch multiple cameras shooting live videos is crazy. In the early film eras, anything recorded could only be seen with kinetescopes and kinetescope like machines. Even films were short and could be seen by putting in a token and looking into a viewer while cranking through various frames with no dialogue or color. This eventually turned into areas that represent cinemas. Cinemas advanced and were able to broadcast sound and color. This technology carried on to homes and now broadcasted to the comfort of our homes. The more I think about this progression, the more impressed I am. The best part is, film and how it is broadcasted will never stop improving. The experience is just going to get better and get more accessible.
If there is one thing I can take away from this trip is how much we have at our fingertips. If there ever was a time to pursue a career in television, film, broadcasting, cinema, etc, it would be now. While competition is tougher because of easier accessibility, the possibilities are endless. If we can communicate what we want through the technology available today, we are in for our own golden age of creativity in this sector. Any ordinary person can take out their phones and record something and broadcast to the whole world on YouTube. It was never this simple in 1920s. The advancements in technology have allowed us to get to this point where we can shoot 4k with a device in our pockets. Instead of a broadcasting area, we can broadcast to the world using live video platforms available on almost every social media. I have always learned about how much tougher this industry was back in the day but to actually see and experience examples really helped me learn about the changes and capabilities that have lead to technology today.
Cameras can be described the same way. There was a part of the exhibit where a line up of cameras from history was shown. I was surprised to see that the size of these high end cameras did not change much. They are big and are capable of extraordinary things but as I looked at the cameras closer to present day, the cameras were relatively lighter compared to its capabilities. The internal technology has increased so much that more can be done with the cameras while keeping the same size. Today, there is just a wider range of film cameras one can buy that comes in all different shapes and sizes. This reminds me how the show Wilfred had some scenes shot by a very cheap camera the producer bought in Best Buy. The advancements are amazing to see. The way film is broadcasted has changed for the better too. There was a part in the museum that showed how it looks to be in the broadcasting room for live sports. The fact that we can be in our homes and can watch multiple cameras shooting live videos is crazy. In the early film eras, anything recorded could only be seen with kinetescopes and kinetescope like machines. Even films were short and could be seen by putting in a token and looking into a viewer while cranking through various frames with no dialogue or color. This eventually turned into areas that represent cinemas. Cinemas advanced and were able to broadcast sound and color. This technology carried on to homes and now broadcasted to the comfort of our homes. The more I think about this progression, the more impressed I am. The best part is, film and how it is broadcasted will never stop improving. The experience is just going to get better and get more accessible.
If there is one thing I can take away from this trip is how much we have at our fingertips. If there ever was a time to pursue a career in television, film, broadcasting, cinema, etc, it would be now. While competition is tougher because of easier accessibility, the possibilities are endless. If we can communicate what we want through the technology available today, we are in for our own golden age of creativity in this sector. Any ordinary person can take out their phones and record something and broadcast to the whole world on YouTube. It was never this simple in 1920s. The advancements in technology have allowed us to get to this point where we can shoot 4k with a device in our pockets. Instead of a broadcasting area, we can broadcast to the world using live video platforms available on almost every social media. I have always learned about how much tougher this industry was back in the day but to actually see and experience examples really helped me learn about the changes and capabilities that have lead to technology today.
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