For almost a century, the only way to make movies was with photochemical film, but in the past 20 years or so a digital approach to the film-making process has been on the rise. In this new documentary, produced by Keanu Reeves, Justin Szlasa and Christopher Kenneally, Side by Side takes an in-depth look into the art of film-making and it’s digital revolution.
Investigating the history and processes of both digital and photochemical film, Side by Side’s examination of all aspects of film-making covers everything from capture to edit to distribution, and everything in between. In a time when both digital and photochemical film co-exist side by side, this documentary explores the various aspects of the two approaches to film-making; what has been gained, what has been lost, and where the future might take us.
Keanu Reeves leads the documentary, exploring every aspect of the film industry and conducting interviews with the likes of George Lucas, James Cameron, the Wachowskis, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese to name but a few! Side by Side takes a look into the varying perspectives on the digital revolution, ranging from James Cameron stating “You can’t shoot 3D on film, so film has been dead in my heart for ten years,” to Wally Pfister, cinematographer for films such as The Dark Knight and Inception, with a completely different view; “I hate 3D. I put on those glasses, I get sick to my stomach. The whole 3D phenomenon, it’s a marketing scheme, isn’t it?”
I’m inclined to agree with Pfister on that one; you can’t move for films promising the Holy Grail of a third dimension, but I don’t really feel that it adds anything special to a film. Sorry Cameron, as much as I admire your work, I have yet to be converted into thinking that 3D is the future for film! I feel a film worth it’s merit can stand on it’s own two feet without the added illusion of physical depth, so to me that extra dimension is nothing more than a gimmick. (Also, I find it difficult to fit both regular glasses and those 3D ones on my face... Makes me feel like Hugh Grant wearing his prescription goggles in Notting Hill, and probably looks just as ridiculous!)
In the trailer, George Lucas talks about how the rise of digital film-making has democratised the process, something echoed in the words of actress and director Lena Dunham, who said; “Without digital video culture I don’t think I would ever have been making movies because I always thought that you had to have a certain type of knowledge. Basically, in my head I was like, ‘You’ve got to be a dude who knows how to operate machines to do this job.’”
However, in the final line of the trailer I believe Martin Scorsese sums it up perfectly... “The issue is – it’s different. How is it different, and how do you use it to tell a story? It’s up to the film-maker.”
Side by Side certainly looks like it will be a fascinating documentary, and I can’t wait until I get a chance to see it! The film will have it’s world premiere at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival’s Special Section. For more information about the film, check out the site at www.sidebysidethemovie.com, and you can see the rather intriguing trailer below.
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