16mm for TV — It All Depends

With the best available 16mm film stocks and extreme care in cinematography and production, it is possible to produce a reasonably good quality syndicated series for TV, but the quality is still not up to network standards. Sixteen millimeter film is perfectly satisfactory for newsfilm (where duping is not necessary) and for documentaries (where the degraded quality lends authenticity). Valid comparisons are hard to make between 16mm and 35mm costs because laboratory services for one medium may not be available for the other. A completely electronic (videotape) approach to program production is gaining adherents, but — with the recent development of a very fine grain, fast, color negative film — 16mm may yet compete with the network-quality routes to television programing. The eight possible routes to television programing (including the electronic approach and the Japanese and British approaches) are diagramed in the approximate order of descending quality; but, of course, a good deal depends on the proficiency and equipment available.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1973-06

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J08862