Josh Fic

It has been said by Bordwell and Thompson that “film is a technological medium usually aimed at a broad public, so the ways in which movies are circulated and shown can affect viewers’ experiences” (43). As film has been available for consumption for over a hundred years, there has been vast development, especially as society entered the modern film era. Back in the beginnings of film, the forerunners of cinema such as Edison, Griffiths, Melies and the Lumiere brothers, had very little to work with, but their ideas and the new technology at the time attracted people to the spectacle of cinema. Compared to the early days in film, film form production today has changed dramatically, this includes the introduction of colour, sound and moveable cameras, as well as the concept of special effects and, of course, digital technologies and their effect on film form. Along with these forms, the distribution process has also evolved, affecting theatrical releases but more so with the development of DVD and the internet. The films Jurassic Park (1993) directed by Steven Spielberg and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) directed by Peter Jackson, demonstrate the effect that digital technology has had on film as they are both revolutionary pieces in the world of film.

“The art of film depends on technology, from the earliest experiments in apparent motion to the most recent computer programmes. It also depends on the people who use that technology, who come together to make films, distribute them and show them” (Bordwell and Thompson). Digital technology in film is constantly developing, and film makers in their desire for perfection are always experimenting with new ways of using this new technology. It has caused for a shift from the t...

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... be created in different formats to fit the size of each screen. This compels each film to have a format that is portable, and the notion is that you can now take the movie anywhere you go.

Digital technology is continuously developing and changing and its effect on film form and film distribution is huge, as it is constantly striving for perfection. At their time of release, both Jurassic Park and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have set the bar for films to come. Inventing and developing new techniques and methods of production have affected and influenced many filmmakers present and future, allowing them to dream their dream and tell their stories. Digital Technology has proven that audiences have come full circle as viewers now attend the cinema in order to fully experience all that the new technology has to offer as well as to enjoy the story being told.