Cinema in the Digital Age

Digital technologies have transformed cinema into a new art form, with films such as Festen, The Blair Witch Project, Timecode, Russian Ark, and The Ring exploring imperfection and mistakes. This updated edition examines the historical and contemporary state of digital cinema, paying attention to nostalgia for the look and feel of analogue and recent films that have disguised and erased their digital foundations. It also explores new possibilities for writing about and theorizing film, such as randomization.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 19 December 2017
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The impact of digital technologies on cinema has been a subject of much debate and discussion in recent years. While some argue that digital technologies have transformed cinema into a new art form, others contend that they merely replicate and mimic analogue, film-based cinema. In this revised and expanded edition of Cinema in the Digital Age, Nicholas Rombes examines a selection of films that have been influenced by the digital revolution, including Festen (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Timecode (2000), Russian Ark (2002), and The Ring (2002).

Rombes argues that these films are haunted by their analogue pasts, and are interested not in digital purity but rather in imperfection and mistakes. Blurry or pixilated images, shaky camera work, and other elements that remind viewers of the human behind the camera are all features of these films. The use of digital technologies has allowed filmmakers to create new visual effects and manipulate images in ways that were not possible with analogue film. However, some argue that this has led to a loss of authenticity and a reliance on technology rather than creativity.

The book also explores new possibilities for writing about and theorizing film, such as randomization. Rombes suggests that randomization can be used to create new forms of narrative and to challenge traditional storytelling conventions. He argues that randomization can be used to create new meanings and interpretations of films, and can be a powerful tool for exploring the complexities of the human experience.

In conclusion, the impact of digital technologies on cinema is a complex and multifaceted issue. While some argue that digital technologies have transformed cinema into a new art form, others contend that they merely replicate and mimic analogue, film-based cinema. This revised and expanded edition of Cinema in the Digital Age provides a fresh look at the historical and contemporary state of digital cinema, and explores new possibilities for writing about and theorizing film. Whether digital technologies have truly transformed cinema or simply replicated and mimicked analogue, film-based cinema remains a subject of debate and discussion.

Weight: 388g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231167550
Edition number: Revised Edition