While the tools may change, filmmakers’ fundamental task remains: to translate emotion into image and to find new ways of seeing that deepen the audience’s connection to the story, says Christopher Ross BSC.
Rialtoscuro
/rɪˈæltəʊskʊə.rəʊ/
Noun
- The disorientation of stepping outside a movie theatre into unexpected darkness—a twinge of jet lag after letting your mind escape to some other world for a while, only to be thrown abruptly back into reality.
- From Italian, rialto, a theatre district + oscuro, dark, obscure. Compare chiaroscuro, which describes a quality of visual art that emphasizes the contrast between deep shade and bright light.
From the “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” by John Koenig
Writing this column on the hottest day of the year pulled from my memory this familiar feeling of disorientation; of stepping out of time and place and into cinema’s world of imagined realness, only to be thrust back to reality as the credits roll, anachronistically out-of-sync with the universe. What an obscure joy.
In these ever more frequent moments of solipsism, I contemplate the beginning of my journey into film, my continued love of the flickering screen and the innovations and cultural milestones that have shaped, streamlined and scarred our beloved 7th art. In the darkness of the cinema, I find the perfect home to think about our craft’s future and how our history might equip us to meet the future head on.
Darwin’s concept of adaptive evolution feels especially pertinent as we navigate an era of technological acceleration and creative possibility. From the pioneering days of black-and-white celluloid to today’s immersive digital universe, cinematographers have consistently demonstrated a willingness to embrace change, reimagine the familiar and, crucially, anchor innovation in the service of story and character. If there is a single thread running through the long and storied history of cinematography, it is this: forced adaptation of innovation in service of the bigger picture.
I am reminded of the late 2000s, when the transition from film to digital was not merely a technical shift but a seismic reimagining of our visual language. Many of us, myself included, cut our teeth on celluloid, learning to trust our eye and our meter and embrace the stoic discipline that celluloid demands. Yet, as digital acquisition became the new norm, it was the adaptive approach, rooted in curiosity and pragmatism, that enabled cinematographers to pivot. By seeking to preserve the integrity of our images, cinematographers ensured the new tools served the emotional truth of the scene rather than the novelty of the technology.
As we enter the mid-2020s, the global film industry is embracing a new era of technological innovation. Digital advancements, including high-resolution large-sensor cameras, virtual production techniques, augmented reality and generative AI modify and redefine the possibilities of visual storytelling. They are changing how films can be made and who can make them, democratising access to these tools for independent filmmakers and commercial producers alike.
Virtual and hybrid production stages continue to innovate, transforming filmmaking by allowing directors to visualise entire scenes in real-time using LED walls and real-time 3D modelled graphics. Technical advances in image-based lighting create ever more refined control of imagined environments, allowing cinematographers to reimagine atmospheric effects, weather and time of day, all within the confines of a soundstage. As UK companies continue to drive this innovation in image-based lighting, the community of UK filmmakers, and stories they tell, will lead the way in the adaptive evolution of our craft.
Similarly, machine learning has been a feature of the VFX department for many years, solving image tracking and complex 3D solutions and advances in this technology have democratised VFX workflows around the world. As such, the evolution towards unilateral AI assistance in rotoscoping, stabilisation and face-replacement has been marching towards us for a considerable time. Companies such as Topaz Labs and Leia Inc are pushing machine learning and image analysis boundaries to rejuvenate archive material for our high-resolution future and to create depth maps of images for greater colour, diffusion and atmospheric control.
The ASC’s recent AI Summit, hosted by Michael Goi ASC, was an enlightening journey highlighting technological leaps forward companies have made over the last two years. Evolutionary theory comes into play once again with Darwin’s “descent with modification”, describing how adaptions are forced by adaption to environment. The creep towards generative AI usage in scriptwriting and image creation is one such forced environment.
Cautionary tales should be heard from those whose copyright has been breached and who cherish original thought or idiosyncratic storytelling. It is alarming that predictive analytics can be used before production begins to help understand audience preferences. If resonating with audiences was a scientific algorithm, I would conjecture that humans would have already cracked the code?
But more optimistically, innovation thrives in every direction. I suggest the filmmaking world is in an “ascent with modification” model, with every tool gradually increasing imaging perfection. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to use these tools to manipulate our storytelling techniques to reach ever more complex heights.
This adaptability is not merely about gear or workflow. It is, at its heart, a question of empathy. The finest cinematographers have always placed the audience in the room, inviting them to feel with the characters, to inhabit the world of the film, both for visual orientation and emotional resonance. The tools may change, but our fundamental task remains: to translate emotion into image and find new ways of seeing that deepen the audience’s connection to the story.
The new generation of filmmakers emerging from film schools and apprenticeships arrive with a fluency in digital technologies and hunger for collaboration that is truly inspiring. Yet, they also carry forward the values that have set British cinematography apart: respect for craft, commitment to innovation, and unerring focus on the human at the heart of every story.
The future will belong to those who, like our greatest predecessors, can adapt without losing sight of what matters most—our flexibility, inventiveness, and empathy—our greatest assets as we navigate our continued course through uncharted waters. As the industry faces unprecedented change, the rewards of community—innovation, resilience, and genuine connection—are more vital than ever.
Let us celebrate each other as a living resource, a wellspring of inspiration and guidance. Let us continue to adapt, experiment and collaborate. Let us be confident that the future of cinematography will be shaped, as it always has, by those who are willing to learn, to innovate, and above all, to see the world anew.
Onwards!
