History Main / VideoInsideFilmOutside

* ''WebVideo/TechnologyConnections'': [[ConversedTrope Conversed]] in "[[https://youtu.be/rVpABCxiDaU?t=904 Film: the reason some of the past was in HD]]". Alec talks about how some shows, such as ''Series/{{Cosmos}}'' and ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', were shot on video when on sets and on film when on location. He also says this is because a [[UsefulNotes/FilmFormats 16mm film camera]] was far less bulky than video equipment for a few decades.

By the mid-1980s, this dual format began to be phased out as so-called "outside broadcast" cameras became more efficient, higher-quality and more portable. Betacam supersided bulky reel-to-reel and fuzzy UsefulNotes/UMatic tape, and computerized video editing[[note]]At first, it was not fully-fledged digital video editing, but linear editing. That means selectively copying from one tape to another, which is very basic editing.[[/note]] allowed for the same flexibility for video in post as film did, without the need to develop film. Productions therefore began to adopt either completely filmed or completely videotaped formats. Lower-budget productions preferred the latter because videotape had lower cost and faster turnaround compared to film. The technique almost completely died out in the late [=2000s=] as productions switched to using HD video cameras, which gave a look in-between video and film and was ultimately cheaper than either of the former two. Consequently, this has become a ForgottenTrope for the most part, with later use only occurring as a result of creators intentionally choosing to {{invoke|dTrope}} it.

* Similarly, Ronnie Barker's now-lost series ''His Lordship Entertains'' was shot indoors on video -- except, OnceAnEpisode, for a filmed exterior physical-comedy sequence with no dialogue.

* ''Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1981'

By the mid-1980s, this dual format began to be phased out as so-called "outside broadcast" cameras became more efficient, higher-quality and more portable. Betacam supersided bulky reel-to-reel and fuzzy UsefulNotes/UMatic tape, and computerized video editing[[note]]At first, it was not fully-fledged digital video editing, but linear editing. That means selectively copying from one tape to another, which is very basic editing.[[/note]] allowed for the same flexibility for video in post as film did, without the need to develop film. So much so that TV shows and commercials that were shot on film often transferred footage to video for editing. Productions therefore began to adopt either completely filmed or completely videotaped formats. Lower-budget productions preferred the latter because videotape had lower cost and faster turnaround compared to film. Film-based productions that required heavy amounts of computer-based special effects, such as ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', would typically transfer the film footage to videotape (a technique known as telecining, most commonly used for creating broadcast and home video masters of movies) to allow it to be digitally edited with ease[[note]]CGI could be incorporated on film, as was the case with movies intended for cinemas. But it was easier to use videotape due to the faster turnaround[[/note]]. The CGI could also be rendered faster in SD, rather than requiring HD resolutions for film. The fact that broadcasting stations could more easily air pre-recorded videotape than film certainly helped (though when UsefulNotes/HighDefinition became the norm, it made remastering these programs a nightmare thanks to the fact that it would require duplicating the entirety of post-production to match the existing SD versions; ''TNG'' managed to get by with it, but the high cost and commercial failure of that effort meant that many other such shows, including its own SequelSeries ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', haven't been as lucky).

The technique almost completely died out in the late [=2000s=], as productions switched to using HD video cameras, which gave a look in-between video and film and was ultimately cheaper than either of the former two. Consequently, this has become a ForgottenTrope for the most part, with later use only occurring as a result of creators intentionally choosing to {{invoke|dTrope}} it.

The rough American equivalent is the [[http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57410231-278/the-soap-opera-effect-when-your-tv-tries-to-be-smarter-than-you/ "soap opera effect"]], so named for the fact that many soap operas are shot on video to save money. This became more of a problem after progressive TV displays became the norm for Western homes; because the videotape these older programs were shot with used interlaced video, the picture would see visible combing when displayed untreated on a progressive display (CRT televisions could handle this just fine, as they, like the tape, were also built around displaying interlaced video). To address this problem, a variety of deinterlacing methods were introduced-- first in the TV sets, then by the broadcasters themselves-- to ensure that the image would look clean on the LCD monitors of today. The most common method was to use software to separate each pair of interlaced fields and fill in the gaps, leaving the resulting footage to look roughly how it would on an interlaced display.[[note]]These deinterlacing algorithms are known as "doublers", for doubling the framerate. However, on many Website/YouTube videos and paid streaming services, originally interlaced video would use "decombers" or "IVTC" (Inverse Telecine) deinterlacers instead, respectively. These downsample to 30fps and 24fps, respectively. Fewer frames mean it is easier to stream over the Internet. Only the more detail-oriented [=YouTubers=] use doublers on interlaced footage before uploading.[[/note]] Thus, the "soap opera/costume drama effect" chiefly describes footage that runs unusually smoothly, making it seem distinctly "off" to audiences acclimated to 24-30 fps footage in TV shows and movies.

When switching between film and video is used for style as opposed to technical limitations, that is DecadeThemedFilter