Do some people confuse the art and craft?
GOI: I will give you a specific example. While speaking at a seminar in Florida, I asked if there were any questions. A student asked, don’t you think that your job as a cinematographer is obsolete? I asked him what he meant by that. He said anybody who picks up a digital camera today is instantly a cinematographer. I asked him if I gave him an electric guitar, would he instantly become Eric Clapton? The false belief that new technology inherently increases your aesthetic ability is definitely circulating, but it’s not something that actual filmmakers or anyone intelligent believes. The reality is that the tools are always going to change. What you have to decide is whether any new tool is better or worse, and whether they are right for your vision. There isn’t a simple answer. QUESTION: Do you have any other thoughts to share about this issue? GOI: Some people seem to be in a frame of mind technologically where they are willing to settle for good enough. That’s a dangerous place to be
