From: Ken Bawcom (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Jul 02 2006 - 21:32:08 PDT
Thanks, David. I should have at least spotted the metric equivalent of
two inches. Yes, I know the IMDb can be wrong, I've sent them a
correction or two myself. I looked up 200 Motels on Wikipedia, and and
found the claim that it was the first feature film made in video, which
Sam has amply demonstrated is not true.
If the info I located on Google can be believed, "Electronovision" was
really just Ampex's earliest B&W video tape system. I will confess that
I don't know much about video formats, especially the older ones.
I do remember that 200 Motels, shown in theaters in 35mm, had the most
amazing colors I had ever seen on film, especially the reds. And no,
that isn't because of personal chemical augmentation. The video
versions I have seen since don't have the saturation, or even the same
hues. I do think it eminently reasonable to call 200 Motels a film,
since it was originally exhibited on film, but of course any real
discussion of it needs to note that it was shot on video. I was
enthusiastic about the format at the time, and expected to see more
features made on video tape, and shown in theaters. It didn't happen,
then.
Ken Bawcom
Quoting David Tetzlaff <email suppressed>:
> I think Sam is poking gentle fun at the lack of knowledge some of the
> film-film purists seem to have about (historical) video formats.
>
> Standard professional videotape recorders circa 200 motels used two-inch
> tape (thus "50.8mm") and the 'quad' recording system. I have never heard
> of a 16mm video format. Sometimes people who write entries for IMDB don't
> know what they're talking about.
>
> ... and almost all the references to 200 Motels on the web,authored by
> Zappa fans, refer to the work as a 'film' not a 'movie.'
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>
>
>
"Those who would give up essential liberty
to purchase a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty, nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin 1775
"I know that the hypnotized never lie... Do ya?"
Pete Townshend 1971
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.