While the world we currently live in is surrounded by digital technology, it is hard to imagine that not long ago there was no such thing as digital technology. Looking back at filmmaking strategies around the time of 1985, has shown me that the changes in technology go way beyond a simple camera. Before digital technology was even a thought, people had to put a lot more effort into physical details that can’t just be added later with an editing software. Special effects, such as explosions or Indiana Jones’ famous boulder roll, had to be done with physical materials such as props and controlled explosions if filmmakers wanted or needed it for their movies. As digital filmmaking is more of a normal thing, a good portion of film crews are getting a little bit lazier as technology begins to take over their jobs. Cutting clips together wasn’t as easy as it currently is because they had to use rolls of film and physically cut and paste the pieces of film together, which required a lot of precision and patience. Not having a lot of technology at a filmmaker's disposal seems very difficult but somehow they managed and created entertainment for many people.
When it comes to advertising and distribution it was a lot more difficult to get a movie to be known unlike today where we have the internet and social media. The main platforms of advertising were television trailers, newspapers, magazines, and posters when you went to the actual theaters. A lot of people had no clue what movies were out at the time which is very different from the current days where people are talking about a movie months, if not years, before it releases in theaters. The movie theater was an experience that excited everyone, and while a lot of people are still excited to go to the movie theaters and sit down to watch their choice of film, it isn’t as special as it used to be. The digital era has brought streaming services and has made it more accessible to buy a physical copy of almost any movie you want. Some theaters used to have intermissions which currently is a strange thought but back then it made more sense since there was time needed to switch out the film rolls since there was no automatic system and it was just a person in the back room with the machines. Those people who work in the back whose job is to make sure the movie runs smoothly, definitely had a rougher and more important position in the pre-digital era compared to now. One mess up on their end could ruin the movie and every viewers’ experience, which created a lot of pressure.
When it comes to viewing a film itself, many things are different beyond an intermission. Films used to embed one frame images into their film to make audience members either want to buy something from the theaters, or to make the movie seem more terrifying than it actually may be. This technique seemed to have been very effective but it is currently taken out of the film world for various reasons. I think that even though this may not be the most ethical form of advertising, it was interesting that it worked so well although I don’t think that I would ever use this technique even if it was allowed due to it feeling like more of a forceful way to get people to feel a certain way.
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