Film vs Video
Many people watch films on television and in movie theaters, as well as videos on the internet in the form of YouTube videos or those recorded using camcorders and smartphones. However, not everyone is aware of the differences between film and video. Although the viewing experience may be similar, the two formats have distinct characteristics, and producing a film is generally more expensive than shooting a video. This article highlights some key differences between film and video.
Key Takeaways
- Films have been around since the late 19th century, while videos emerged in the 1920s.
- Films capture images using a light-sensitive chemical surface, while videos use charged coupled devices (CCDs) to record images digitally.
- Films tend to have more vivid and true-to-life colors than videos, and their quality remains consistent when projected in various sizes. In contrast, videos may lose quality when their size is adjusted due to their fixed resolution in pixels.
More on Film and Video
Movies have been made ever since they debuted in the late 19th century (1888, to be precise) on films. Video arrived on the scene much later (in the 1920s), which is why people often compare video with film. In the case of film, images are captured using a chemical surface that is sensitive to light, and the amount of light entering the camera varies depending on the lens. Film rolls on a movie camera at a speed of 24 frames per second, meaning that every second, 24 images can be captured. When we watch a movie, we see successive frames at a high speed, creating the illusion of motion.
In the case of video recording with digital cameras, there is no film to capture an image. Instead, there are CCDs that record images. These devices capture the light entering the lens and convert the data into an image that is stored on a hard drive. Modern cameras, while making videos, capture 24 frames per second, just like a movie camera, and make the playback appear like a movie. In contrast to the grainy structure of photographic film, video is very clean. There are many other differences between film and video, including the exposure latitude, which is the brightness range required to produce an image. This value is much higher for film than for video.
In the case of film, the amount of light entering the lens and falling upon the chemical surface determines the depth of colors and brightness. This is why movies look bright, soft, and smooth, whether they are projected in a small or large size. In sharp contrast, video cameras have a fixed resolution measured in pixels, and attempting to increase or decrease the size of the image affects the image quality.
Film vs Video
- Films produce more vivid and true-to-life colors than videos, despite advancements in video technology from the early days of VHS to NTSC and PAL.
- Films maintain high quality and smoothness when projected in a large size, but videos can become dull when their size is adjusted due to their native resolution in pixels.
- Films are generally more expensive to produce than videos.
- Videos can be digital or made on tape, whereas films undergo editing by cutting and joining using tape. Nowadays, films can also be digitized and transferred to computers.
