NEW DELHI: Students of different film schools feel digital technology has made their work easier but agree that the main challenge still remains: finding good content that will move the viewers.

Some of the students who interacted at the Open Forum organised by IDPA and FFSI were also nostalgic about the celluloid and said they would always want to keep at least one print of their film since digital technology.

The students belonged to the Film and Television Institute of India, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, The AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islimia, and the MGR Government Film School whose films are being screened in a separate section of Student Films and a section of Fifty Years of FTII.

Ashim Paul whose film ‘Birds of Passage’ is in the non-features of the Indian Panorama said that digital technology did not pose a problem as young people were familiar with it, but celluloid held its own charm. He said one like to feel the product. In any case, it was important to preserve it in celluloid for archival purpose as digital technology could only save a film as a file. A film is tangible material, he said. He said while answering a question that content would not be affected by going digital,

He said cinema was an art form and not a technology driven form and celluloid is a pious form.

Kaushal Oza whose ‘Afterglow’ is also in the Indian Panorama said technology is an enabler and not the be-all and the end-all. The final product will still be in the hands of the creator. He did not agree with the view that digital will drive film out of the theatres, and said it could be viewed in all mediums.

Prince George who was involved as music director of ‘Allah is Great’ which is also in the Panorama said technology was king for him as it had made his job very easy. He said digital technology had given him another advantage – he had been able to compose music for a film made by a filmmaker in Oman without that person coming to India or him having to go there.

Govind Raju whose film ‘Golden Mango’ figures in the FTII package said the shift to digital was not too easy initially and took some time, but it has a lot of advantages. However, it would erroneous to say digital films are easier to make as they take the same effort. He also did not agree that films would disappear from theatres with digitisation.

Kabil Dev M whose film ‘Rajini’ is in the Students Package said he felt very comfortable using digital technology for his films. But he felt that theatrical exhibition may be affected with so many other mediums.

Arun said the movement from celluloid to digital was still in a transitional phase and it may take time for all to accept this new technology. Digital technology he said was pocket friendly but may affect theatrical exhibitions. He was also of the view that a film made on a small camera is fit for the small screen.

Vandana said new media has brought forward a new way for promoting films, and said it was not true that the new media like YouTube did not pay for the content. But she agreed there was a romance in celluloid as one could keep and feel the product one produced.

Suparna said digital technology also required discipline and so the filmmaker was important. She also wondered about problems faced by filmmakers for finance.