Image by freddie boy

It's easy for movie directors to get wrapped up in the techie obsession with camcorder resolution, number of chips, scan lines and color depth. These directors can find themselves worrying more about the way to capture images than what images to capture. It might seem like audiences demand this ultra-realistic look to be able to enjoy screen stories, but it has not always been that way and doesn't have to be like that for all your projects.

VHS

Video cassettes were the only way to see many movies from the early 1980s to late 1990s. The thing that most people don't remember is the movies never looked that great. When you view a VHS copy and compare with even a DVD, there is a very clear difference in quality. These tapes, nonetheless, were able to entertain people for over a decade even though they weren't the best looking copy. People could have watched movies on near-DVD-quality LaserDisc, but most didn't feel the need. People didn't obsess over visual quality because it didn't matter, the story mattered.

Rabbit Ears

Before cable, we got our television signal over the air and received it via antenna. If you were lucky enough to live in a fortuitous location you would get a clear picture of every station, but this was rarely the case. Even if you could get most stations perfectly, there would always be a few that were never quite right. If you lived in a rural or remote area you would have trouble receiving most channels. So nobody had perfect reception, but we didn't stop watching TV. We watched whatever was on as long as it didn't make us nauseous. The important thing was what was on TV and not how it looked.

Small B/W TV

Along with reception problems, in the early days of television black and white pictures was all that could be seen anyhow. Not only was no color TV available, most televisions were small. With all these inconveniences, small screen, no color, and poor reception, it's a wonder anybody wanted to watch this box. Television succeeded because of the content, not its delivery. People wanted entertainment in their own homes and this box delivered.

Early Silent Movies

In the beginning of the film business not only were filmmakers unskilled, but the equipment was also not yet perfected. Jumping frames, scratches on the film and poor exposure were a part of most silent films and yet people still watched. To be sure it was novelty value that drew in many, but stories were the reason why these films are still viewed now. Poorly designed sets, amateur editing, overacting, and even disintegrating prints can't stop people from watching something compelling.

When you're watching a less than pristine picture your eyes will adjust if you are involved enough in the story. Even TVs of today have pixels that you can recognize if you concentrate hard enough, but with involving stories these things becomes less and less important. If it is a valuable experience the audience will watch it. I watched Todd Haynes' "Superstar" on a bad VHS copy and saw the "Phantom Edit" of "Star Wars: Episode 1" on video cassette and once I adjusted to it the message was received loud and clear.