What is Celluloid Film?
Over the years, movie making and motion picture cinematography has advanced dramatically. In fact, in the digital environment of today’s world, we don’t really even use “film” anymore when creating movies or videos. We mostly turn to digital filmmaking from our smartphones, digital camcorders, and webcams. But what is celluloid film? Do we even use celluloid film anymore?
As times change and advancements in technology alter the way we create movies and videos, less energy is focused on “film” and the technology of the past. Thus, when you ask, “What is celluloid film?” it’s important to reflect on history and how film has evolved over the decades.
What is Celluloid Film?
Celluloid film refers to physical film that was once widely used to create movies and videos. In fact, up until recently, although short videos and a lot of individual style content was captured on digital technology, moviemaking was still largely captured on physical “film.”
Celluloid film is transparent film that has a plastic coating on it and comes in a strip. Celluloid film was widely used for photography at first, but eventually became the prime component for shooting motion pictures (movies).
Celluloid film reels would capture the movements of the motion picture and string together the scenes of many still images captured to simulate movement.
What is Celluloid Film Like?
Some characteristics of celluloid film may remind you of the film that was once provided to you after developing your camera film. It’s plastic, and flexible.
Celluloid film was divided into “frames” that had perforated edges on both sides to allow the film to be easily fed into a camera or a projector.
Celluloid film that was produced with nitrate in the very early movie making days was incredibly flammable. It was important to handle the film with great care so as not to catch fire.
Over time, technology advances would result in higher quality film stock products that were less flammable and a little bit easier to handle.
Celluloid film would be the most widely used type of film stock throughout movie making even as other types and styles of film were brought forth.
While cameras and home image capture technology would turn toward different types of film including magnetic tapes and various other forms of recording technology, celluloid film would continue to be the widely accepted form of film used in movie theaters for several decades.
The Modern Fate of Celluloid
Today, if you ask, “What is celluloid film?” It’s quite possible that many filmmakers will not know — that’s because since 2010 digital filmmaking has really started to dominate the movie making scene.
While celluloid film is rarely used today, there is high demand for physical celluloid film stock and old celluloid movies among collectors, filmmakers, and those interested in reexamining the original value of celluloid film and what made it so incredible for so many years.
Many directors that have been around for a long time in the film industry strongly believe that celluloid film is the ONLY way to film a movie or to watch it!
Ask Quentin Tarantino or Christopher Nolan the age old question, “What is celluloid film?” And they’ll probably tell you that it’s a traditional film stock that can never be outdone!