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My how things change.
I remember when Hollywood movies on VHS and BETA (remember that?) were $100. I worked at a video store called "Video Exchange", a revolutionary concept in retail where you could rent Hollywood movies. We all believed that dubbing the tapes would somehow alert someone and we'd get in trouble.
I remember when blank VHS tapes were $25 each, and you could get a recorder for the bargain basement price of $799.
Back when the Mercer twins and I were making movies - that would have been, say...1984-1990-ish - it was about $10 film + developing for three minutes worth of Super-8 Kodachrome film*.
I'm going to record the concert tonight, burn it to DVD as a keepsake for the benefit-ee's family. I'm going to Wal*Mart to buy two tapes - about two hours - for $8. Let's take a moment and do the math, shall we?
Super-8, Kodachrome 40, chosen for it's tight grain structure and better color reproduction** in normal light: ~$ 3.50 a minute, and you have to wait a week to see the the results of your efforts.
Mini-DV. Hi-Def 1080i or DV 740p: ~$.07 a minute. The results are immediately viewable, and you can reuse the tapes.
Damn.
* By that time the price of VCRs had dropped to an astoundingly low $300
** As compared to Ektachrome, which was better for low light, but was unpleasantly grainy.
I remember when blank VHS tapes were $25 each, and you could get a recorder for the bargain basement price of $799.
Back when the Mercer twins and I were making movies - that would have been, say...1984-1990-ish - it was about $10 film + developing for three minutes worth of Super-8 Kodachrome film*.
I'm going to record the concert tonight, burn it to DVD as a keepsake for the benefit-ee's family. I'm going to Wal*Mart to buy two tapes - about two hours - for $8. Let's take a moment and do the math, shall we?
Super-8, Kodachrome 40, chosen for it's tight grain structure and better color reproduction** in normal light: ~$ 3.50 a minute, and you have to wait a week to see the the results of your efforts.
Mini-DV. Hi-Def 1080i or DV 740p: ~$.07 a minute. The results are immediately viewable, and you can reuse the tapes.
Damn.
* By that time the price of VCRs had dropped to an astoundingly low $300
** As compared to Ektachrome, which was better for low light, but was unpleasantly grainy.