This weeks blog question regarding examples of digitization that reveal interesting choices reminds me of The Criterion Collection. A company that has gone to great lengths to digitize and archive significant films from the American, French, and Japanese film traditions. The market for Criterion is the home video film buff.
In the process of digitizing film, Criterion often has to make choices. This is because the original filmstrips may have aged or been damaged. So Criterion goes through a careful process of attempting to represent these films in the manner they think those who made the film would have desired.
Some of the choices Criterion has made have really changed how we view films at home! For example, the "letterbox" format, in which our view of the movie is a long rectangle lying on the long side was ushered in by Criterion wanting to preserve the aspect ratio of the film. Can you remember wondering where the top and bottom of the movie had gone?
The landscape view we have all now become accustomed to is the result of a choice! Imagine if Criterion had instead chosen to stick with the 4:3 aspect ratio of TV's. They would have built an archive of pan-and-scan movies that would have changed the way we think about film.
One of the other major choices Criterion makes is what to digitize. I have always considered a film making the collection a much much bigger deal than any Oscar. As a way to explain themselves they have introduced a YouTube channel. Check out their reasons for adding The Seven Samurai to their collection.
With the advent of Netflix and online streaming, some of the really great aspects of The Criterion Collection have been lost, such as the amazing commentaries that were often DVD special features. I recommend trying to see if you can grab a Criterion film from your local video store. You might be surprised how fun and popular some of the collection movies are.
In the process of digitizing film, Criterion often has to make choices. This is because the original filmstrips may have aged or been damaged. So Criterion goes through a careful process of attempting to represent these films in the manner they think those who made the film would have desired.
Some of the choices Criterion has made have really changed how we view films at home! For example, the "letterbox" format, in which our view of the movie is a long rectangle lying on the long side was ushered in by Criterion wanting to preserve the aspect ratio of the film. Can you remember wondering where the top and bottom of the movie had gone?
The landscape view we have all now become accustomed to is the result of a choice! Imagine if Criterion had instead chosen to stick with the 4:3 aspect ratio of TV's. They would have built an archive of pan-and-scan movies that would have changed the way we think about film.
One of the other major choices Criterion makes is what to digitize. I have always considered a film making the collection a much much bigger deal than any Oscar. As a way to explain themselves they have introduced a YouTube channel. Check out their reasons for adding The Seven Samurai to their collection.
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