[this blog is a sort of companion piece to Trevor's article on the camera being a character]

Over the years, I've come to see cameras in a way that I never thought I would. I used to think that the best thing to do was to find a camera with the highest possible resolution, and film with that - no matter the story, content, themes or tone. Over time, though, I've come to appreciate the vast differences between cameras, and how they can complement different stories. I wanted to explore three ways in which cameras have their own personalities, what they mean for the final product, and how filmmakers can use them to their advantage.

1. The Format

Ah, the classic debate - film or digital. Some say it doesn't matter, some swear by it. Writers like Quentin Tarantino write their screenplays with the format in mind. Cinematographers like Roger Deakins are completely fed-up with the whole debate. Tommy Wiseau revolutionized the industry by filming on both film and digital. At the same time. Whatever your opinion, there are a few key differences between the two, besides cost. Here's a over-simplified rundown of a coupl of ways the format affects the film: