Digital cinema: The transformation of film practice and aesthetics

Abstract

This article discusses the emergence of digital cinema and the effect it has had on the practice of filmmaking as well as on the aesthetics of cinema. The article does not look at digital cinema as a kind of technological determinism; rather, digital film-making is looked at as creating new possibilities for cinemas around the world. The article proposes a new way of thinking about digital cinema that locates it within the process of cinematic development, yet that also recognizes the medium's uniqueness in transforming the relationship between the director, the actors and the audience, as well as in impacting narrative structure, performance and image. The article applies this theory to the case of cinema in Iran, where digital technology is having a remarkable effect on the existence of the industry in a new, freer form.