Forum: movies.stackexchange.com
Tags: <cinema-history><cinematography>
Title: What was the first full-length feature film shot completely with digital cameras?
Question: Nowadays almost every movie is shot with digital cameras. I would like to know what was the first full-length feature film shot completely with digital technology instead of celluloid.

Answers:
sents: text: Beginning in the late 1980s, Sony began marketing the concept of "electronic cinematography," utilizing its analog Sony HDVS professional video cameras.
text: The effort met with very little success.
text: In 1998, with the introduction of HDCAM recorders and 1920 × 1080 pixel digital professional video cameras based on CCD technology, the idea, now re-branded as "digital cinematography," began to gain traction in the market.
text: In 1994 Sony executives approached Party of Five (FOX) producer Ken Topolsky and director of photography Roy H. Wagner, ASC, in an effort to photograph side by side tests with Sony's prototype High Def camera and 35mm film.
text: This resulted in one of the first network broadcast television series, FOX Pilot PASADENA (2001), directed by Diane Keaton, photographed by Wagner.
text: The results were so successful, shown to directors and Industry decision makers at the Directors Guild of America and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) meetings, that many were encouraged by the film like images.
text: Soon many series were considering HD originated image capture.
text: In May 2001 Once Upon a Time in Mexico became the first well known movie to be shot in 24 frame-per-second high-definition digital video , using a Sony HDW-F900 camera, following Robert Rodriguez's introduction to the camera at George Lucas's ranch whilst editing the sound for Spy Kids.
text: In May 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was released having also been shot using a Sony HDW-F900 camera.
text: Two lesser-known movies, Vidocq (2001) and Russian Ark (2002), had also previously been shot with the same camera, the latter notably consisting of a single long take (no cuts).
text: I've read the Digital cinematography wiki page .
text: You can read more about that.
text: Hope that's what you were looking for.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/613/Advicer
score: 18
sents: text: Depending on how you define digital (I suppose the relevant part would be the bit that catches the light, an electronic sensor instead of chemical process), then Prospero's Books released in August 1991 may be a contender.
text: See the tech ref on imdb.com.
text: It's directed by Peter Greenaway, starring John Gielgud.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/30946/emtee
score: 2
sents: text: Some of the answers on this page show some confusion about the difference between digital and hi-def formats.
text: The question is asking about the first feature film shot with digital cameras, not high def.
text: The correct answer, I believe, is the film Windhorse, shot in 1996 in Tibet and Nepal and premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 1998.
text: The film was shot on two different cameras, both digital - a professional Sony DVW-700WS (then still a prototype) and a prosumer Sony DCR-VX1000.
text: The film was edited digitally on an avid system and final post and color correction was done digitally at Roland House in northern Virginia.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/56808/Lhasan2
score: 2
sents: text: Back in the day (1995)
text: I worked at a Motion Picture Camera rental shop in Boston and it was commonly known that the under the radar Hollywood re-make "Sabrina" (1995) had been shot on early HD video but to this day I don't see any credit for that, so maybe that is the first film.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/24012/Adam
score: 1
sents: text: I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to say Brad Anderson's Session 9 was shot using the Sony HDW-F900 camera mentioned by previous commenters.
text: I know other commenters have noted films that predate Attack of the Clones
text: but I thought this, too, was worth noting.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/38508/P-Train
score: 1
sents: text: Rainbow was the first all digital film shot in 1995 in Montreal.
text: Directed by Bob Hoskins, DOP Freddie Francis Written by Ashley Sidaway.
text: Produced by Robert Sidaway and me for Winchester Pictures using Sony HiDef equipment.
answer_details: author: movies.stackexchange.com/users/58210/Gary Smith
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
In  1994  Sony executives approached  Party of Five (FOX)  producer Ken Topolsky and director of photography Roy H. Wagner, ASC, in an effort to photograph side by side tests with Sony's prototype High Def camera and 35mm film. This resulted in one of the first network broadcast television series, FOX Pilot PASADENA (2001), directed by Diane Keaton, photographed by Wagner.  In May 2001  Once Upon a Time in Mexico  became the first well known movie to be shot in 24 frame-per-second high-definition digital video 
In 2001 Once Upon a Time in Mexico became the first well known movie to be shot in 24 frame-per-second high-definition digital video