Written by: Kaja Sunde

Cinema is changing tremendously together with the new age of media, and digital cinema has become a frequently used term when discussing film making in the 21st century. Lev Manovich defines the new era of digital cinema through Shane Denson and Julia Leyda’s article from 2016 as something that allows for a new way for cinema to tell its stories (Denson et al. 2016: 20). In addition, Adam Ganz explores the term by defining it as a technical phenomenon, where films now can be originated, edited and distributed through digital and/or electronic media (Ganz et al. 2006: 21). Although written in 2006, this article furthermore enhances the statement that digital media is technological: the emerge of newer forms of film editing and the digitalisation of ‘new worlds’ established in films today are of great impact for the world of cinema. It allows for editing and manipulation of what is recorded as image and sound, and moreover explores, as previously mentioned, new ways of storytelling (Ganz et al. 2006: 21). It is an ongoing discussion whether these new ways are negative or positive, intended or unintended, anticipated or unanticipated. On one hand, the level of nuance is of great positivity, and allows for creative processes to go beyond themselves like ever before. On the other hand, the digitalisation of cinema also affects pre-production and post-production together with the filming, as it can all happen simultaneously rather than at their own destined time, causing an intervention with the classical aspect of cinema and film making (Gran et al. 2022: 103). 

A great example of how technology and digital media has contributed to the film and its aesthetics is Christopher Nolan’s Inception from 2010 and the City Bending scene:

In addition to the film itself being all about a world that is unimaginable and unrealistic outside of the cinema, the City Bending scene uses digital media and technology to its advantage: it explores editing and, quoted from the character Ariadne in the film, messes with the physics of it all, a type of cinema that can only be achieved through its digitalisation. 

References:

Denson, S., Leyda, J. (2016): Post-Cinema: Theorizing 21st-Century Film
Falmer: REFRAME Books

Ganz, A., Khatib, L. (2006): Digital Cinema: The Transformation of Film Practice and Aesthetics
New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film (4), DOI: 10.1386/ncin.4.1.21/1

Gran, A., Gaustad, T. (2022): Digitizing Cinemas – Comprehensive Intended and Unintended Consequences for Diversity
The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 52:2, 101-116, DOI: 10.1080/10632921.2021.2018374