Digital Cinematography seems to be moving more towards owned than rental units unlike the film era, where rental was the more common practice. This is highlighted in Digital Cinematography World tm 2013 that was published in April, following the NAB Convention. The global study looked at DC equipment use and habits amongst four current key […]
Digital Cinematography seems to be moving more towards owned than rental units unlike the film era, where rental was the more common practice. This is highlighted in Digital Cinematography World tm 2013 that was published in April, following the NAB Convention. The global study looked at DC equipment use and habits amongst four current key segments including motion picture and episodic TV production/post, mobile/OB, independents and rental houses. In all, 1973 professionals responded to a survey conducted in USA, Americas, Europe, Middle East/Africa and Asia-Pacific.
The study indicates that rental is not as dominant as it used to be, and more professionals are opting for ownership of the main means of movie and episodic TV production. This is particularly pronounced amongst independents. While the industry has indicated that broadcast support is being sought, they are, apparently, not the only avenue for the expansion of professional ownership.
In all, 12 product genres were studied, with an aim to quantify them and establish their respective installed bases and growth potential. Among them were cameras, camcorders, DSLRs, cinema lenses (including primes), servers and storage/recorders, lighting, cinema sound, editing and graphics, creative software, tripods and supports, displays and production switchers.
While it remains somewhat difficult to pinpoint why purchases rather than rentals seem to be a growing trend in the digital cinematography market, when film was so much a rental-only market, indications lead to a few contributory factors. Among them, the relative low cost of entry regarding key products such as 4K cameras, the existence of massive quantities of older yet adaptable lenses, including primes, the rise of a broad number of independents and the relative ease of producing movies and episodic TV with electronic gear.
This has further been enhanced by the success of some early 3D movies many of which were made possible by the use of HD and also 4K camera technology. But, unlike 3D, for which enthusiasm has waned dramatically, the interest in 4K (and other K) has continued to build, and this has been most pronounced, while not exclusively, within the main segments of the emerging digital cinematography market.
Ownership behaviour obviously varies by segment, region, product genre and brand. One example of limits, is the fact that with a substantial existing base of already owned lenses from the film era as well as from still cameras, applicable in many cases and re-purposeable, purchase of new primes or zooms has not been quite the runaway success story it could have been. So, the development of DC, despite the excitement it is generating and the opportunities it represents, requires some moderation in assessment.
The forward going assessment is that the market is expected to continue to grow, may attract broadcasters, however slowly, and ultimately spread into institutional segments of the overall market. For now, use of the DC technology is compact.
Among the more interesting technology trends tracked in the report was that of most common frame rate use. Middle Eastern and African respondents, queried about their most preferred frame rates used, indicated that 30fps was the most common setting utilised. The second most popular frame rate that was indicated was 24fps. The third mentioned, although fairly slight, was 60fps. One explanation for the ranking is that this study tracked both movie-making and episodic TV production. Trace amounts of other frame rate settings, at 48fps and 55fps respectively, indicates some interest in experimentation with higher frame rates.
Douglas I. Sheer is the CEO and Chief Analyst of D.I.S. Consulting.
