Keanu REEVES on a tour of the past and the future of filmmaking

USPA NEWS - 'Side by Side' is a 2012 American Documentary initiated by the American Actor/Director Keanu REEVES, directed by Christopher Kenneally and premiered at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival and it was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival...

'Side by Side' is a 2012 American Documentary initiated by the American Actor/Director Keanu REEVES, directed by Christopher Kenneally and premiered at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival and it was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Keanu Reeves invites you on a tour of the past and the future of filmmaking in SIDE BY SIDE. Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters.

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. He is best known for his acting career, beginning in 1985 and spanning more than three decades. He gained fame for his starring role performances in several blockbuster films including comedies from the Bill and Ted franchise (1989““1991), action thrillers Point Break (1991) and Speed (1994), and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix (1999““2003). He has also appeared in several dramatic films such as Dangerous Liaisons (1988), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and Little Buddha (1993).

During his film career, Keanu Reeves has engaged in several forms of artistic expression. Active as a musician for a decade, he played bass guitar for the bands Dogstar and Becky. Acting onstage, he performed as Prince Hamlet for the Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of Hamlet. He wrote the text for a picture book, 'Ode to Happiness', illustrated by Alexandra Grant. He has also produced the documentary, 'Side by Side', and directed the martial arts film 'Man of Tai Chi'.

SIDE BY SIDE Documentary (Tribeca Shortlist) :

Often when we look at side-by-side comparisons between film and digital film, we think of the revolution of CGI. With the explosion of the superhero and science fiction genres, it seems like every film features a digitally rendered character, or an extravagantly animated action sequence. The reality of the digital revolution is that the production, postproduction and exhibition of films has changed dramatically. Because of the current acceleration of technology, the way we see films is in a state of flux.

Whether you´ve downloaded Star Wars on an iPad, watched Rocky IV on a streaming service or if you´ve managed to sit through the latest Marvel movie in a 3D cinema, digital has become the means of distribution. Some may pine for the days of a scratchy film projection, or even the weekly trip to Blockbuster to hire the new arrival, but the reality is that the industry will not turn back.

Side by Side perfectly captures a moment in cinema that is uncertain. Celluloid film projection has been the industry standard since the industry´s inception. There´s a real sense in film that the digital sea change is inevitable and that traditional filmmakers will go the way of artisans and factory workers, replaced by more efficient and precise technology. Rather than focusing too much on the technological aspects of the revolution (although it does this quite well), film directs its attention towards the filmmakers.

We hear from the directors and cinematographers that have innovated and defined cinema for the last 50 years, as well as the young directors who will go on to define the next 50. It´s clear that there are two distinct camps in Hollywood, Team Film and Team Digital.

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