My first introduction to video was less than impressive.It was a black and white camera about 3 times the size of my super 8 and a reel to reel half inch deck that went to snow when the tape was rewound or fast forwarded.It was 1973,I was in the 8th grade and an AV nerd.I had enjoyed some success with super 8 film projects for science and history classes as well as sports
and already knew my way around a theater projection booth.I had also been doing internships with local TV stations and production companies.I had served as a PA on such 16mm epics as "The Reason for Medicaid" and "Kaybolt Wrecking Company".

At that time,there was a pretty decent "middle class" film business.16mm industrial films,commercials and corporate presentation films kept local production companies busy.Actors,cameramen,musicians,editors and lab folks all had work and didn't have to make an exodus to Hollywood to earn a living by their craft.

The video revolution of the 80's caused the businesses that hired 16mm film people to reinvent their audio visual needs.Cheaper cameras and decks as well as the sudden liberation from film stock costs and lab work seriously devalued the product.Small,fly by night video production facilities sprung up overnight offering cheap production at cut rates.Quality control became nonexistent.The middle class film market died.

Today,what once needed a full production and post production staff can be done by one person with a camcorder,a laptop and an LCD projector.Progress,I guess.

I'm hopeful though,that what killed middle class filmmaking will someday revive it.Prosumer HDV cameras have finally approached "virtual" film quality,very close to 16mm standards,some say it surpasses it,though I think that's debatable.Still,you factor cost of film stock,processing and telecine and what differences there are between HDV 24P and 16mm become negligible.

I'm even more hopeful that the recent advent of RED camera technology and Silicon Imaging's latest that doors will be open to a new generation of independent filmmakers who otherwise would have only dreams.