Filming, taping... now what?

[Nicholi Brossia]

For the longest time, capturing an image onto a piece of celluloid has commonly been referred to as "filming", for obvious reasons. With the introduction of tape (VHS, Beta, DV, etc.), "taping" became another process of capturing images. Many people use these terms interchangably.

In school, we used miniDV. One of my teachers absolutely despised us saying, "We're going out to film..." At first I thought that was silly, but soon fully supported his point. If its being captured onto tape, then how can you call it filming? That term is reserved for film and film only.
Putting liquid in your mouth and swallowing is called "drinking." Putting something more solid in your mouth, chewing, then swallowing is called "eating." You don't drink a slice of pizza, you eat it. The same goes for recording onto tape.

I'm sure, by now, everyone is very well aware of the up-and-coming medium that captures images straight to a digital storage device (harddisk, flash, optical disc, etc.). Since referring to this as filming, or even taping, will drive me crazy, I'll have to call it something else.
Technically "capturing" refers to the process, not the medium - which applies equally to digital storage, tape, and film. "Digitizing" has an automatic associating with converting existing analog footage into digital files. "Filing" would apply, I guess, but is already reserved for paperwork.

I'm sure someone else came up with the proper term a long time ago, but they didn't tell me. This question has been circling through my head for quite some time now, and I think its time to put it to rest. What do you guys think?

[Rob Lohman]

Recording?

[Nicholi Brossia]

Wow, Rob, that was fast.

I thought about that one too. Much like "capturing," "recording" is more of a process than medium. Plus, I tend to associate "recording" more with audio, although it does apply to video just the same.

"I'm going to record some footage."

Does that sound right?

[Rob Lohman]

Sounds good to me. I'll just say "I'm making a movie" <g>

Seriously, I don't care too much about what to call such things.
Let's make some movies!

[Dylan Couper]

Shooting would be the correct general term for me.
Shoot some film....
Shoot some video...

Just watch where you use the term "shooting" in public these days...

[Michael Wisniewski]

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

[Jeff Donald]

I've used the term shooting and shooter for so long it would seem odd to use any other phrase.

[Richard Alvarez]

It's really a moot point. When I discuss "filmmaking" with someone in the biz, they say "What format?" by way of asking for clarification - If film, what guage, if video what res. It's like the word "Cinema" and "Film" and "Movie" - they are used generically at this point, and often take on a regional flavor. Depending on where you live. (Like words for "soda" "pop" "soft drink" or "Coke(tm)

Vidoegrapher/Cinematographer both fall under the working title of "Director of Photography". Recording is an accurate word for whatever medium the image is being "captured" on. (You record the image on film, disk, tape, paper... whatever)

I think it might become more and more common to refer to the act "Filmmaking" even when shooting on digital mediums, because at present, if you want to show it "At the Movies" you have to transfer it to "Film".


I have to go now, my head hurts.

[Josh Bass]

Guys. . .I thought we were hipper than this. Ok, check this out, see how cool it sounds:

"Yo, homeslice, me and my dawgs be all up in da schizzle, diskin', yo." I was all like, hangin' out at the park, and this fly honey done walked by, so I got out my camera and started diskin' her. She told me to stop diskin', but I was like, 'yo, you too fly fo' me to stop diskin'. So I kept diskin. Tomorrow, we diskin' a rap video.

Yes, I think I'm onto something.