Silence!
Silence please.
Roll camera!
59, 1, first.
Mauro!
Filming with a digital camera
was new to me
and as with all new experiences, especially ultra-technological ones,
it's been fascinating.
I thought that using this digital betacam camera,
which resembles a 16mm in size and weight,
would be like asking electronics
for something that it could never achieve.
But after we did the first tests
I started to change my mind and I was very surprised
by its quality and especially its fidelity
in sharpness and in blacks.
For me as a producer,
it was a fundamental factor because, understandably,
it slashed production costs
I didn't have to buy negative stock which, as you might know,
is extremely expensive, I mean...
it costs enormous amounts of money.
And when doing a feature film
you often have to use tens of thousands of metres of stock.
In this case we filmed on tape,
and tape is certainly...
...infinitely cheaper than stock.
This has made it possible
for a firsts-time director like Asia
to experiment, try out things, repeat,
and this was a key factor,
one of the main reasons
we chose the digital medium.
As I began working on set with the digital beta camera,
I initially thought that its weight and size would be...
would impose the same limits as a 16mm,
that is to say the same limits
involved in using film,
but we found that some things were actually much easier.
First of all, the monitor control
of photography.
Then, because Asia was director
and actor, she was often in the scene
and she was able to view everything that she had done
just as it was made and as it would come out,
that is, not just the acting as in a combo,
but all the acting and the movements in their final environment
just as it was lit
and photographed.
If it's good, let's try and turn it into a detail.
It's important for your career, do you understand that?
What career? I want to be a director, not an actress!
Roll cameras... Switch off your mobiles... Ready.
With digital you can...
...it's much more intimate
than film.
First of all, you need a much smaller crew.
I could film some of the scenes on my own.
I would position the camera and just press play and film,
it was just me and another actor.
This is quite amazing.
The actors are not intimidated
and they give their best.
My experiences with digital date back to several years ago,
to when I was filming "Trauma" in the U.S.
In Los Angeles I had a look at the first experiences of this kind,
but the equipment was still rough
and transferring the picture on to film was very problematic.
Quite disappointing.
In the last few years, though, this system has made great progress.
The equipment has greatly expanded and improved,
and especially the possibility of transferring on to film has improved,
and now it is possible without losses.
On the contrary, the richness of colour and sharpness is amazing.
Thus, I'm very happy that Asia has used this technology,
the new digital technology.
Had it been available when I made my first film,
I would have had greater experiences.
The most obvious advantage
is that you can do
countless takes or even have filmed rehearsals,
since the film medium is abolished
in terms of costs,
and in terms of time limits
which were 4 to 10 minutes for film,
as opposed to 40 minutes for beta.
Cinecittą.
Above all, it will be a great message:
now there are new ways to make cinema.
This is wonderful. I'm sure I'll do this again, it's very exciting.
Don't look into the camera, the first to look into the camera, you're out.