Ind-E-Focus

The development of digital video has spawned an entire generation of independent film makers over the last decade. As technology continues to develop, the gap in quality between digital video and film is beginning to close. No one knows this more than Mark Rhodes, the creator of the DV awards.

Martin Rhodes (MR): Several years ago while working at a post-production facility, I started to notice an increasing number of people coming to us with these new little tapes called “MiniDV.” Usually they needed them converted to a more accepted format such as Beta SP or DigiBeta. At first I viewed this format and all who used it as second-class citizens. ‘Those little tapes are just the next version of Hi8,’ I thought. But I started to notice that the quality was really pretty good. Sure it had a few limitations, but with a decent camera and lens and the right lighting, the images were nothing to apologize for. And as desktop (and laptop) editors came into play, the playing field between the big production companies and the one-man bands started to get a lot more level. I knew that this would create an explosion of independent producers and small production companies. This inspired me to create the DV Awards, to serve this emerging market.

MM: You have been giving the DV Awards since 2003. As contestants have become more familiar with digital video, what changes in the quality of the submitted videos have you seen over the course of the past six years?

MR: The quality of work has been nothing short of remarkable; it continues to improve each session. It’s been both technical- and content-driven. I think in our first competition, about half of the entries were submitted on VHS, now of course nothing is. But the content is really the thing that sticks in my mind. Our last few sessions have really been full of crisp, clean, tight and creative works.

MM: You are currently receiving videos for your upcoming Spring 2009 Awards. What exactly is it that judges are looking for in a submitted video that makes it stand out from the rest?

MR: Storytelling never goes out of style. Whether it’s a 30-second spot or a 90-minute feature, if we haven’t “gotten” the story, you’ve missed the mark. (Source: ‘DV is No Fad, and Neither are the DV Awards’ by Mark Hurley | Published February 19, 2009.)