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By Erich Ocean
Since the invention of motion pictures in the 19th century, live-action (non-animation) filmmaking has been a linear process. Recent technological advances provide the tools to implement a non-linear production process for live-action films.
By analogy to similar process improvements made in the technology sector and actual non-linear production in 3D animated films at Pixar and (partially) at Lightstorm, I propose that non-linear film production has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of films while simultaneously reducing the risk of catastrophic failure due to "story" problems.
It is no coincidence that the closest attempt at non-linear live-action production, James Cameron's Avatar, is also the most successful film in history, having grossed over $3 billion USD worldwide.
It is also no coincidence that the first 3D animation studio, Pixar, has had an unbroken string of hits spanning 15 years and averaging over $550 million per film, many of them from first time directors and/or writers. 3D animation almost requires a non-linear production process — a perfect fit for a tech-company like Pixar. (Pixar was eventually sold to Disney for a whopping $7.4 billion USD, a testimony to the huge financial upside of non-linear film production.)
Simply put, non-linear film production allows even first-time directors and writers to make far better films, with far less risk, and far greater financial upside.
Even better for the future of filmmaking, non-linear production is perhaps most effective with original stories and characters, so-called "execution-dependent" projects that are traditionally risky but also carry enormous upside for producers. As both a filmmaker and an audience member, these are the kinds of films I want to see made (and made well).
Next: A brief history of live-action filmmaking
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Last updated January 15, 2011.
Copyright 2011 Erich Atlas Ocean. All Rights Reserved.