The Specific Instructional Objective (ICT) of this discussion is that at the end of the session students can distinguish between various types of video cameras and can operate a video camera. The materials discussed include an introduction to the types of video cameras, an introduction to film media, an introduction to video formats and knowledge about considerations that must be considered when buying a video camera.
Types of Movie Cameras
The development of movie camera technology (the term for motion picture cameras) is very rapid. Since its discovery in the second half of the 19th century until now, various types of movie cameras from various manufacturers have developed. Classification based on brands and types is very numerous and complicated. Classification is usually based on the working system and storage media format. Based on the working system, movie cameras are divided into two, namely mechanical cameras and electronic cameras. Electronic cameras themselves are divided into analog electronic cameras and digital electronic cameras. A mechanical camera is a camera that does not involve electronic circuits. The camera works with human power, or spring power.
At the end of the mechanical camera generation, batteries were used as the mechanical circuit drive. Mechanical cameras use celluloid tape (positive film) as the image storage media. Analog electronic cameras (later called analog cameras) are cameras whose working system uses electronic circuits. Light entering the lens chamber is captured by a CCD (charge couple device) chip, a type of light-sensitive electronic chip, which functions to convert light into electric current with different strengths so that it represents three basic colors, namely red, green, and blue (RGB). With the electronic circuit, the electric current that represents RGB is converted into a magnetic charge. This magnetic charge is then stored on magnetic tape or video tape. Since then, the term video has been popularized to refer to visual elements produced electronically.
Digital electronic cameras (later called digital cameras) are similar to analog electronic cameras. The difference is in the storage process. Light that has been converted into electric current is converted again into digital data (binary data). In analog cameras, the intensity of color and sound is determined by the strength of the magnetic charge, while in digital cameras, the intensity of color and sound is determined by binary data processed by hardware and software.
The difference between digital and analog cameras can also be seen in the stability of video data in the reproduction process. The magnetic charge (analog data) on the magnetic tape will continue to decrease according to the reproduction frequency. This does not happen to digital data. No matter how many times digital data is copied, there will be no reduction in quality. We can analogize the process of digital data reproduction with copying files on a diskette.
Getting to Know Film Formats
Classification of camera types can also be based on the format of the storage media used. There are two shooting formats, namely film and video. Until the 1980s, the difference in format gave rise to two groups, the film group and the video group, which did not deal with each other. The film group using celluloid tape almost never touched the realm of video. Meanwhile, the video group produced their work without ever knowing film. Over the past twenty years, the video format has developed rapidly so that it is now possible for the two groups to merge into one in producing films.
Initially, video technology was considered second-class technology in producing a film. The editing technology still relied on analog systems and tape to tape (from cassette tape to cassette tape). This system had a weakness, namely the decline in image quality when images were transferred from one cassette to another. This system began to be abandoned by people when the digital system (with its binary code) could be used to store data from tape to computer, popular through AVID machines since 1989. The decline in quality no longer occurred. All images on the recorded tape were transferred and stored on the computer in digital form.
The editing process is done on a computer, no longer from tape to tape. In fact, later cassettes were discovered whose tapes were able to store images in digital form. The development of digital technology today allows someone to shoot in film format, edit in video format and display the results in film format. Almost all Hollywood films are produced in this way. Generally, shooting is done with 35 mm film and edited in video format using computers and various sophisticated software. On the other hand, many novice filmmakers shoot and edit in video format and then display (including sell) their work in video format or 16mm or 35mm film. The possibility of 'crossbreeding' these two formats requires filmmakers to understand both mediums well.
Physical Size of Film
The first film was born in the second half of the 19th century, made from celluloid which is very flammable, even by cigarette ash. Over time, experts have competed to perfect the film to make it safer, easier to produce, and more enjoyable to watch. Currently, there are three types of mass-produced film sizes, namely 35 mm, 16 mm, and 8 mm. These numbers indicate the width of the celluloid tape. The wider the celluloid tape, the better the quality of the resulting image. For special purposes, 65 mm and 70 mm films can be used.
Films shown at the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) IMAX Theater are examples of films produced and shown in the enhanced 65mm format (IMAX). Hamlet (1996) by director Kenneth Branagh was produced with 65mm film format. The resulting image quality is better than the 35mm format commonly shown in movie theaters. However, the wider the celluloid tape, the rarer the recording and projection equipment available. Cameras and projectors for 65 mm and 70 mm sizes are not widely available on the market, which means they are also more expensive. Editing equipment for these formats is also different. Therefore, it is important for you to remember that the width of the film tape determines the type of camera, editing equipment, and projection equipment used.
Video
This magnetic tape-based format began to be widely known throughout the world in the second half of the 1970s, both for professional purposes such as television stations and personal needs. The magnetic tape contained in video cassettes can record images and sound well, while films can only record images. For sound, other recording media are used, such as DAT (digital audio tape). The weaknesses of the analog system make the use of video for professional purposes hampered.
In the period from 1960 to 1980, almost all television stations in the world (including TVRI which started operating in 1962) used 16 mm cameras to record their programs. They also had their own 16 mm film processing studios and editing machines. This was not found in Indonesia's national private television stations which had just started operating in the 1990s. Starting with RCTI in 1989, SCTV and TPI in 1990. At that time, video was commonly used for the production and editing of television broadcast materials. Like film, video had various types for various purposes, namely U Matic, Betacam SP, Digital Betacam, Betamax, VHS, S-VHS, Mini DV, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO. U Matic was a type of professional video for television purposes until the 1980s. Once the Betacam SP format with much better quality entered Indonesia in the 1990s, U Matic was abandoned.
The proliferation of Betacam SP types is also supported by the development of editing tools that use digital technology. Digital Betacam emerged to perfect the Betacam SP format with digital technology, generally used for television advertising purposes. Meanwhile, for personal purposes, the video format is often used using a tool popularly known as a handycam.
Betamax and VHS are the early types of home video viewing history. In line with the times, Betamax is no longer produced, so VHS is the only type of video for home video purposes. Then S-VHS appeared as a refinement of VHS. The quality of S-VHS is better than VHS so it is often used for semi-professional purposes such as wedding documentation. However, the quality is still far behind compared to Betacam SP.
Over time, ease of camera operation has become an important factor in choosing a video format, especially for the non-professional market. Since 1995, the world market has been flooded with DV (digital video) technology. The formats that fall into the DV category are Mini DV, DV, DVCAM, and DVCPRO. Mini DV, DV, and DVCAM technologies were developed and popularized in Indonesia by Sony Corporation. Meanwhile, DVCPRO was developed by Panasonic. Of these four formats, Mini DV is the most popular because the camera is small, light, and very easy to operate. Better quality can be obtained from the DV type, with a larger camera and cassette size than Mini DV. Compared to Mini DV, DV can record sharper images. Then DVCAM came and perfected DV technology. With a camera and cassette size that is smaller and lighter than Digital Betacam, DVCAM is able to produce images that are arguably equivalent to Digital Betacam which is a favorite of professionals.
Until now, the DVCAM format is still rarely used in Indonesia because the price of the camera is relatively expensive and the type of cassette is not compatible with the existing format, Digital Betacam. In addition to the type, compatibility must also be considered. The format developed by Panasonic, namely DVCPRO, is not compatible with the other three formats developed by Sony Corporation. This means that neither the camera nor the DVCPRO player can be used to record and play back formats other than DVCPRO, and vice versa.
In Indonesia, the Metro TV television station uses the DVCPRO format to record images, while its broadcast uses the Betacam format. The latest development in video technology is HDTV (hi definition television). This format is still very rarely used in the world. This format is an attempt by the video group to align itself with the image quality that is the advantage of film. In the future, all televisions in the world will use this format. Japan has started using it on a limited basis. It is said that George Lucas will produce his latest film using HDTV.