Reshaping of creative software culture - Celtx 1.0
The contemporary world of cinema and moving image media production is currently in a state of change that is unprecedented. And yet the presented indicators of the revolution, the much referenced point makers of these radical changes, are often mis-aligned. The introduction of DV was sported as a 'Revolution' but whist it did provide a platform of accessible quality and efficiency it was, in truth, just an obvious next incremental step from previous steps in image quality and accessibility. The software NLE was likewise touted as a 'revolution' but in truth the NLE was just a digital way of doing a previously analogue job - the assembly of images into sequences. There's a reason why all NLE's refer to 'Bins' and 'Razor' tools and 'B-roll' and 'I/O points'; these are all legacy of analogue tape and celluloid.
This is not to say that these technologies are not significant evolutions; they are indeed major and substantial steps forward in technical proficiency. But true Revolutions are about the culture of creative process more so than the tools, re-defining the paradigm in which creative process takes place much more than just a simple advancement of technology.
In more than a decade of making moving image media and writing prolifically about the tools and technology of creating it, I have encountered very few technologies or products that truly represent a paradigm shift in the way the creative process is engaged and the framework in which creative technologies are presented, let alone tools that challenge production industry precepts.
Several years ago I stumbled across a fledgling open-source software application for screenwriting called Celtx. Though still finding its feet at that time, it was a tool that promised a great deal, a tool that, with time, had the potential to grow into an exciting and productive system with a very new and fresh perspective.
Read the rest of this 2-part article here.
Posted at 12:00AM Jun 13, 2008
by Mike Jones in general |
