The festival gets its name from founder Robert Redford’s most famous film, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid. The film’s Oscar-winning cinematography owes much to the soft-focused, rich-hued aesthetic of 35mm film and photochemical processing. Interestingly, it was shot in 1969 – just as a breakthrough in digital photography was happening with the development of CCD light sensors. The light sensor captured the image and made it unnecessary to have film in the camera. This was the first hint that celluloid’s century-long dominance might be challenged. Has the introduction of digital technology enhanced or hindered filmmaking since 1969? With festivals now teeming with film submissions like never before because of the accessibility of cheap digital cameras, we examine the development of consumer camera technology and how it revolutionised filmmaking.

Considering Kodak was most adversely impacted by the digital revolution, it’s fateful that in 1975 they developed the world’s first digital still camera. Eastman Kodak engineer Steven Sasson’s prototype made use of the pioneering Fairman CCD electronic sensors available at the time but the camera was a weighty, bulky thing. It successfully captured black and white footage onto digital cassette tapes but Kodak saw no future in it and did not fund further development. At this time, the celluloid world had no reason to fear the slow and stuttering emergence of its new competitor – not with the likes of All The President’s Men, which starred Sundance founder Robert Redford, hitting the screens a year later: captured in glorious Eastman color negative 5254 and shot with Panavision’s Panaflex camera.

All The President’s Men (1976)

Pre-digital
Digital camera innovation was driven by the leaps in home filmmaking technology in the 1980s. In 1983, the first consumer camcorder hit the market. Sony’s Betamovie BMC-100 recorded onto video cassette but did not have a playback button! VHS produced a rival camera which used even bigger cassettes so you can imagine the size of it. Two years later Panasonic’s NV-M1 VHS camcorder sought to capitalise on this new technology and its marked improvements drew a larger market share. The spirit of innovation/imitation was such that within a year Sony released the world’s first all-digital camera. Unfortunately, the uncompressed format took up a huge amount of space on tape – tape had obvious limitations anyway.

The improvements offered a year later by the rival Fuji DS-1P meant footage could be captured onto memory cards for the first time. But they did not capitalise on this and lacked an impactful marketing campaign. Indeed, in 1990 the Dycam Model 1 became the first digital camera widely available to consumers who admired its cutting-edge digital capabilities and the ability to download footage to computers for the first time. Later, Sony’s MiniDV cameras eclipsed its popularity quite effortlessly.

Digital versus Film
But still, no digital film classic on our screens to unseat the market hegemony of celluloid standards such as Heat (1995) and Titanic (1997), which were around at the time. Filmmaking upstart Thomas Vintenberg shot The Idiots (1998) on the Sony VX-1000 digital camcorder and fellow Dogme 95 director Lars von Trier shot Festen (1998) on the tiny Sony DCR-PC3 Handycam (Mini-DV). Both were received with critical acclaim but were still essentially ripples on the cinematic wave – albeit, quite significant ones. They were the first digital films admitted to the Cannes Film Festival.

However, in 1999, Star Wars creator George Lucas popularised the digital format by making Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace the first major film to be projected digitally and Attack of the Clones (2002) was shot entirely on digital using the groundbreaking Sony CineAlta HDW-F900 pioneered by Lucasfilm, Sony and Panavision. The fissure between celluloid and digital widened as the camera was proclaimed the world’s first digital cinema camera thus presenting a very real challenge to film’s monopoly of major productions. In 2006, David Lynch shot Inland Empire in digital and said it was unlikely he would return to film.

Attack of the Clones (2002) –  shot entirely on digital using the Sony CineAlta HDW-F900

Regardeless, celluloid stalwarts such as Quentin Tarantino continued to champion the format and shot The Hateful Eight in 65mm. He was not swayed by the industry uptake of the new digital projection standard and said his movie would embark on a roadshow of cinemas with the required 70mm projection facilities. Now that’s what you call a celluloid champion!

SD Cards and the smartphone revolution
Does anyone remember Digital 8? Yet another hybrid digital and tape format that hung around until Sony’s first tapeless digital camera in 2003. The Sony XDCAM was priced for professionals but Sony saw a market for the consumer budget and produced cheaper versions. The likes of Panasonic followed suit. The Panasonic AG HVX200 recorded crisp high definition onto memory cards. By the 2000s, the development of smaller SD cards sped up the smartphone camera revolution. Tangerine, a film about transgender prostitutes was shot on an iPhone and premiered at Sundance in 2015 – the first iPhone film to be admitted. Do we sense the celluloid apple cart beginning to wobble? Not really.

Tangerine – shot on iPhone 5S, premiered at Sundance Film Festival (2015)

Movie-making went from ‘serious’ digital filmmakers boasting about their 2k, 4k, and 8k digital camera updates to mobile phone owners recording 8k without a sweat and wondering what all the fuss was about. Yes, Samsung’s S20, released in 2022 captured 8K at 24fps. Whatever next! The unbridled pace of technological innovation will not be slowed by demands to respect past institutions. It’s human nature to pursue whatever we deem to be better, faster, smaller, bigger even. The bottom line? Film, digital and mobile phone filmmakers should stop squabbling about what’s the most authentic format and focus on what’s happening in the frame. Perhaps, that’s where the true aesthetic lies.

Sundance Film Festival: London 2023 runs 6-9 July, Picturehouse Central

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        SOUND MAESTRO Danny Jackson is more used to taking the stage at rock gigs as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for experimental rock band Vali Ohm but in recent years he has switched his sound and music skills to the film industry as a sound editor and film score composer. He has now been appointed composer for independent horror film Blackout set in a London council flat with a creepy past. In the drama, a soon-to-be-married couple played by Annie Burkin (Kerry) and Robert Walters (Reece) move into the flat when they surge up a council housing waiting list – but then all hell breaks out during an eerie, unexplained electricity blackout. Danny shares his career path from full-time musician to editing and producing sound for film.

Danny Jackson working on the sound effects and film score for Blackout

What inspired your passion for sound production and how did you get started in the music business?

My journey into production started off when I discovered  DAW’s (audio digital workstations) and the potential they offered to musicians if mastered. For me, DAW’s opened up a door that was previously closed to unsigned artists. There were not enough hours in a day to cram in the knowledge necessary to record, mix and master all the tracks that had accumulated in my head. As soon as I could record, I did and that is where the rollercoaster started. In 2013 I was signed by a record company and I released my first album 3000 Light Years under the artists’ name Vali Ohm. Not only did I get my first signing but I also managed to work with one of my idols, Nik Turner of Hawkwind, on the album title track.”

“In 2015, the second album was released – Fragile Earth. This was launched with the help of Greenpeace UK and all of the other environmental/animal welfare organisations that the album brought attention to. In the 2 years between 2013 and 2015 there where several points that escorted me into the film industry. The first was meeting award-winning Abbey Road Studios engineer Frank Arkwright whilst mastering a track there called Drinking Man.

That encounter made me realise that I had got to where I wanted to be and most importantly I had done it by myself.  The second was being introduced to Mad Dog Casting which got me into the movies. Before I knew it I was watching myself on the big screen in films such as Legend, The Conjuring 2 and TV shows such as Man Down and Mr Selfridge. All very inspiring, but I still had an interest in sound and what better place to be. I met some of the most gracious production sound mixers in the business telling me that my background was ideal for setting myself up as a sound assistant in film.”

I have worked on films as a sound assistant, boom operator, sound recordist and composer. Not only have I worked on dramas, I have also worked on documentaries and TV pilots. One of my most memorable boom operator jobs was on set with actor Martin Freeman (The Office) in a film called Midnight of my Life. Another memorable moment was hearing one of my film scores on a short horror called EngineX4 aired on the BBC. 

So how will you tackle a horror movie which is true to its title – where everything is so blacked out you can hardly see anything?

Understanding the relationship between emotion and music for me is critical. In some films this can be easy to understand. For example, a sad scene is usually accompanied by minor keys. However, horror scores to me are a different game altogether and Blackout is no exception. There are still some basic rules to follow: understanding when music or sound is necessary for a scene, how to prepare for a jump scare and subtle background music to help complement the actors’ thought processes.

My approach to Blackout will rely heavily upon the latter and attempt to view the scene through the eyes of our main character. Darkness and poor vision will always make you feel a little uneasy. Add some strange sounds to an already unfamiliar environment and you have heightened the senses. Throw in some imagination and invest in new equipment and you may strike lucky and produce an original score.

Blackout: a chiller where household items emit an unexplained eerie, unhomely vibe

And what are your film score plans for a film where ‘homely’ items such as dripping taps, ironing boards, toys and dolls and even rows of soup cans become ‘unhomely’ and send chills up the spine?

I once managed to scare a friend with a cotton bud which was an easy task given the circumstance. Yes, 85% of Blackout is shot in the dark but the director Eddie Saint-Jean has managed to capture great motion despite the obstacles. If I had to rely on minimalist vision and ironing boards we would be entering the realms of experimental drama and the likes of “show me how to be a tree”. Luckily enough, I don’t think I will have to go there.  

(Lead actors Annie Burkin and Rob Walters sign autographs on the set of Blackout, but does Hollywood success and stardom beckon?)

Covid 19 and London film clashed Hollywood-style back in December 2020 when movie star Tom Cruise chastised his crew for breaking Covid 19 guidelines on the set of the seventh Mission Impossible film. International news platforms claimed it happened on a London film set but it actually took place at the Warner Bros studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. Apparently, two of the crew had gathered around a computer and were less than two metres apart. He went ballistic, telling them in no uncertain terms that the future of Hollywood moviemaking was in their hands as all the major studios were watching to see how they coped with the new rules. There was considerable pressure on their production to turn things around and kickstart the industry; until then, the industry had taken a global hit so you can understand his anger. His on-set rant went viral.

Global box office receipts are down, billions in revenue have been lost and it’s acknowledged that this is the biggest financial hit the industry has ever faced. Even during the Second World War, Hitler’s blitzkrieg attacks did not keep UK cinemas from opening and this is the first time they have been closed in all the major global centres. It’s estimated the UK film and TV industry lost £2.6bn during the pandemic and employment in the creative industries dipped below 2 million for the first time since 2016. According to a report by ScreenSkills, the film industry suffered a 16% drop in employees and 12,800 industry job losses were a direct result of the pandemic

It has to be said, even beyond the battered economics, Covid 19 has disrupted the culture of filmmaking and screening like never before – from actors’ apprehensions about on-screen kissing to the minutiae of supply line essentials. Everything from the simple rehearsal read-through to the more obvious dangers of wrap party socialising became a problem. All essential ingredients of making actors and filmmakers alike feel part of the social herd and the fabric of cinema. Take that away and many can feel lost in a profession, that although glamorous and creatively rewardingly, is hard enough to manoeuvre as a freelancer waiting for the next job without the additional worry of loss of income and lack of Covid sick pay. 54% of film production employees are freelancers and therefore not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay. And it’s doubly worrying during a pandemic when health is a major issue. Economic crisis + existential crisis never holds the desired equation but there are now hopeful signs of recovery and support.

Film London and the London Film Partnership have produced guidance on filming in public spaces and this is subject to updates according to the government’s position on infection spread and hospital numbers. Even after the easing of restrictions on July 19th, the Film London guidelines are still recommended. Every UK production now needs a dedicated Covid 19 supervisor, shooting days are now shorter to cover time spent sanitising sets and additional days required to compensate for these daily lost hours. This will make films more expensive on bigger productions and mid-budget movies will also take a hit from risk-averse executive producers weighing up the pros and cons of the new film-making environment. Producers without adequate insurance cover may be less willing to take risks because of Covid costs and extra logistical issues over big crowd scenes and location. Lower budget guerilla-style films are, by nature, more flexible and best able to adapt to these challenging conditions but the knock-on effect is universal. 

The government has introduced a number of packages aimed at allaying some of these fears. Its £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund covers arts, culture and heritage – which includes film – and in June they introduced an extra £300m of third-round funding. Also, the Arts Council has a fund aimed at attracting film audiences; cinemas and festivals can apply if they fall into the category of mixed arts venues. The BFI’s £630,000 BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund also seeks to re-energise the big screen experience and win back film audiences. 

This support is vital because during the pandemic many festivals went virtual and audiences were apprehensive about returning to these venues. Also, the push towards streaming during lockdown has shown no sign of easing and this may permanently impact film screening. Certainly, there has been discussion in the major studios in support of releasing new movies on the same day in cinemas and on streaming platforms and this will inevitably impact box office returns.

If you’re a filmmaker facing production disruption you can apply for cover under the government’s Film &TV Production Restart Scheme which has £500m worth of funding for costs incurred by delays caused by Covid. It essentially protects films that are unable to secure insurance due to Covid-related issues. To qualify, 50% of the budget must have been spent in the UK.

It’s hoped that these government interventions will buoy the industry and raise production confidence and we’ll again get to see classic movies shot in memorable locations all over London. The 2021 movie Locked Down starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor successfully navigated the restrictions of Covid by setting the movie in one other location outside the couple’s home – Harrods. However, our fingers are crossed about London’s return as a major film centre and memorable London film locations like the ones below.

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange was filmed on Southmere Estate, Thamesmead, South East London.

Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley scenes were filmed at Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch St, London EC3V  – one of the oldest markets in London.

Zombie horror flick 28 Days Later has a memorable scene on a deserted Westminster Bridge.

She talks to What’s Hot London? about her third feature Closer I Get To You which is also a predominantly female-crewed film. This latest flick is a romantic comedy with her own tilt on a genre which has proved popular with cinema-goers over the years.

What inspired you to write the Closer I Get To You?

The inspiration actually came from the song, The Closer I Get to You. I was in my third year of my university film studies about to start my final major project and was sitting in the canteen with my friend Aisha and we were listening to music, like we usually did. I’m very much an old school music kind of person and love classics like Motown, 90s RnB etc. The Closer I Get To You comes on the player and I just start visualising a story about a young black couple who are madly in love. It was the Luther Vandross and Beyonce version of the song that I heard but we centred the tone of our film around the Jacci McGhee and John James Version.

Where there any other reasons why you chose the romantic comedy genre? Was it a departure from your previous productions?

Honestly, I’ve always loved romantic comedies and have always wanted to do one but never felt I had a good enough story or the knowledge to do so. By the time I came up with the idea for this film I had been making films for five years and was about to graduate from film school. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s a departure but it’s always good to explore other genres.

What sets your movie apart from other films in the genre?

It’s the fact that my film focuses solely on romance. A lot of romantic comedies that I’ve seen, especially black ones, have had the romance take a back seat to other ‘bigger’ problems such as infidelity or crime and gang violence, or even domestic abuse, but we don’t focus on that at all. It’s purely about the love that these two young people have for each other. Not only that, but we haven’t really seen many Black British romantic comedies or romantic dramas, so that sets us apart.

Also production-wise, the film was almost entirely female crewed. Both of my assistant directors were female, along with my heads of art, costume, and make up departments. We also had a female gaffer and all the production runners were female. And again, there was a predominantly black crew. With the exception of our DoP, gaffers and behind-the-scenes photographer, everyone else was black.

Tianna Banton (centre, back row) with all the cast members

Did you face any challenges or problems in pre-production, production, post-production?

The main challenges in pre-production was scheduling, We had a cast and crew who were working various 9-5 jobs or still at university so having to juggle around all of that was a challenge. Not only that but when you are writing a script and coming up with all these beautiful scenes you then have to make sure you find the right locations that match what you have visioned for months in your head. In production itself I don’t think we had any major problems. On one of the days we had to reschedule at the last minute which was frustrating because it was one of the biggest scenes involving extras so we had to change everything literally last minute and pray that everything worked.

Are you marketing your film now and planning film festival strategy? What are your future plans?

So far we have submitted to four festivals here in the UK and now we’re just waiting to see what happens. This is both exciting but nerve-wracking because we’re all so proud of this film and just want the best for it. As for marketing, we’ve been doing a lot of promo stuff lately, photo shoots etc and we have a great team who are working on organizing screenings. So you’ll see us around at some point this year with announcements with what’s happening but we’re excited and can’t wait to share the film.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A romantic comedy starring Sarah-Maeva Cialec and Louis McSherry-Williams. Nadiene and Devon meet in a club one night while Nadiene is waiting for her best friend Sasha. They soon realise they share a powerful connection and its very much love at first sight. Devon doesn’t waste much time and makes his move, asking her out on a date the very next day.