Digital film-making

Nowadays because of digital technology, it is possible for not only studios but also individuals to produce their own films.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

The digital age has granted the average individual the opportunity for film production, rendering film-making no longer the prerogative of professional studios. In my opinion, this shift is a positive overall as it allows private movie-makers a greater degree of freedom to explore varied aspects of society despite the lower quality. 

Detractors of this development rightly point to the potentially lower quality of the content produced. In the past, the global movie industry was primarily dominated by highly-subsidized film studios whose reputations dated back decades. These production powerhouses hired professional movie-makers with at least a college certificate in film-making with some employing renowned actors and actresses. The result of this has been typically high-quality, well-scripted films with seamless effects and professional acting. Today’s digital technologies allow more movies to be made; however, a large proportion of non-studio films are generally less well-produced with incoherent plots, poor imagery, and acting skills, oftentimes rife with clumsy lines and substandard graphics. However, as more professional individuals find opportunities in amateur film-making, the overall quality of privately-made movies has seen significant improvements in the past two decades. 

Moreover, this flexibility of using technologies to produce their own films gives the average movie producer a sense of empowerment. Rather than having to undertake formal training, a passionate director can now learn how to make their own motion pictures online, hire potential cast members from social media, edit their work using video-editing applications, and finally, upload their finished movies on streaming platforms such as YouTube. This degree of freedom enables individuals to better and more freely express themselves, including raising awareness on important matters such as social issues. An example of this can be found in developing nations such as Vietnam, which, in the past decade, has witnessed a significant rise in amateur movie production statistics. Many short-form videos and DIY movies have been created by young people with only limited budgets and experience in movie-making. Though far from Hollywood production values, these movies contribute to exposing multiple facets of society such as school bullying or the stigmas over the LGBTQ+ community. 

In conclusion, leaving aside the quality standard, individuals and society benefit overall from digital technologies that allow for movies and films to be made independently. Private film-making should, therefore, receive increased funding to further their passions in this regard.

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Essay Breakdown

Structure:

Introduction:

[1] The digital age has granted the average individual the opportunity for film production, rendering film-making no longer the prerogative of professional studios. [2] In my opinion, this shift is a positive overall as [2.1] it allows private movie-makers a greater degree of freedom to explore varied aspects of society despite the [2.2] lower quality.

1. Paraphrase the topic

2. A clear statement showing opinion

2.1 why it is positive overall -> the viewpoint you support -> body 2

2.2 the negative side -> body 1

Body 1:

[1] Detractors of this development rightly point to the potentially lower quality of the content produced. [2] In the past, the global movie industry was primarily dominated by highly-subsidized film studios whose reputations dated back decades. [3] These production powerhouses hired professional movie-makers with at least a college certificate in film-making with some employing renowned actors and actresses. [4] The result of this has been typically high-quality, well-scripted films with seamless effects and professional acting. [5] Today’s digital technologies allow more movies to be made; however, a large proportion of non-studio films are generally less well-produced with incoherent plots, poor imagery, and acting skills, oftentimes rife with clumsy lines and substandard graphics. [6] However, as more professional individuals find opportunities in amateur film-making, the overall quality of privately-made movies has seen significant improvements in the past two decades. 

1. Topic sentence with the main idea – the lower quality of the films produced

2. Give an example from the past related to studios

3. Continue to develop the example with more details

4. Show the outcome of that example

5. Give an example today related to individual filmmaking

6. [Counter-argument] add a counterpoint to negate the main idea

Body 2:

[1] Moreover, this flexibility of using technologies to produce their own films gives the average movie producer a sense of empowerment [1.1]. [2] Rather than having to undertake formal training, a passionate director can now learn how to make their own motion pictures online, hire potential cast members from social media, edit their work using video-editing applications, and finally, upload their finished movies on streaming platforms such as YouTube. [3] This degree of freedom enables individuals to better and more freely express themselves, including raising awareness on important matters such as social issues. [4] An example of this can be found in developing nations such as Vietnam, which, in the past decade, has witnessed a significant rise in amateur movie production statistics. [5] Many short-form videos and DIY movies have been created by young people with only limited budgets and experience in movie-making. [6] Though far from Hollywood production values, these movies contribute to exposing multiple facets of society such as school bullying or the stigmas over the LGBTQ+ community. 

1. Topic sentence to support your preferred point of view

1.1 the targeted subject

2. Explain your main idea that is related to the targeted subject

3. Develop it with a supporting point 

4. Give a related example

5. Continue to develop the example with more details

6. Conclude by giving the outcome of the previous example

Conclusion:

[1] In conclusion, leaving aside the quality standard, individuals and society benefit overall from digital technologies that allow for movies and films to be made independently. [2] Private film-making should, therefore, receive increased funding to further their passions in this regard.

1. Conclude and re-state personal opinion

2. Extend the viewpoint

Vocabulary:

The digital age has granted the average individual the opportunity for film production, rendering film-making no longer the prerogative of professional studios. In my opinion, this shift is a positive overall as it allows private movie-makers a greater degree of freedom to explore varied aspects of society despite the lower quality. 

Detractors of this development rightly point to the potentially lower quality of the content produced. In the past, the global movie industry was primarily dominated by highly-subsidised film studios whose reputations dated back decades. These production powerhouses hired professional movie-makers with at least a college certificate in film-making with some employing renowned actors and actresses. The result of this has been typically high-quality, well-scripted films with seamless effects and professional acting. Today’s digital technologies allow more movies to be made; however, a large proportion of non-studio films are generally less well-produced with incoherent plots, poor imagery, and acting skills, oftentimes rife with clumsy lines and substandard graphics. However, as more professional individuals find opportunities in amateur film-making, the overall quality of privately-made movies has seen significant improvements in the past two decades. 

Moreover, this flexibility of using technologies to produce their own films gives the average movie producer a sense of empowerment. Rather than having to undertake formal training, a passionate director can now learn how to make their own motion pictures online, hire potential cast members from social media, edit their work using video-editing applications, and finally, upload their finished movies on streaming platforms such as YouTube. This degree of freedom enables individuals to better and more freely express themselves, including raising awareness on important matters such as social issues. An example of this can be found in developing nations such as Vietnam, which, in the past decade, has witnessed a significant rise in amateur movie production statistics. Many short-form videos and DIY movies have been created by young people with only limited budgets and experience in movie-making. Though far from Hollywood production values, these movies contribute to exposing multiple facets of society such as school bullying or the stigmas over the LGBTQ+ community. 

In conclusion, leaving aside the quality standard, individuals and society benefit overall from digital technologies that allow for movies and films to be made independently. Private film-making should, therefore, receive increased funding to further their passions in this regard.

Vocabulary Highlight:

• opportunity (n) + for: a time when a particular situation makes it possible to do or achieve something
• prerogative (adj): a right or advantage belonging to a particular person or group because of their importance or social position
• subsidised: passive form of subsidise (v): to give money to somebody or an organization to help pay for something
• powerhouse (n): a group or an organization that is strong and effective in its activities
• renowned (adj): famous and respected
• seamless (adj): smooth and continuous, with no apparent gaps or spaces between one part and the next.
• incoherent (adj): not logical or well organized
• rife (adj) + with: full of something bad or unpleasant
• substandard (adj): not as good as normal; not acceptable
• empowerment (n): the act of giving somebody more control over their own life or the situation they are in
• undertake (v): to make yourself responsible for something and start doing it
• facet (n) + of: a particular part or aspect of something
• stigma (n): negative feelings that people have about particular circumstances

Reading:

Further reading about this topic can be found here:

https://www.wrapbook.com/blog/new-film-technology

Listening:

Further listening about this topic can be found here: