The F-Word Conundrum

The Word Film

The word film has three meanings relevant to us. As a verb, film means to make or shoot scenes for a movie. It also means the act of shooting or producing a movie. As a noun, film means a thin strip of flexible material, a cellulose derivative, coated with a photosensitive emulsion. As a noun, film also means the motion picture or movie presented on a screen in a theater, on a TV, computer monitor or portable media player - that which is watched.

We have resisted the alternative use of the word film. We felt that filmmaker should refer only to someone using a cellulose derivative coated with a photosensitive emulsion. We felt that the person who uses videotape or flash media is not a filmmaker. However, shooting a cellulose derivative has become too costly and too difficult to edit. Very few people shoot with photosensitive emulsion, yet our popular culture is reluctant to give up the word film or filmmaker.

So, with great reluctance, we have begun to use filmmaker to refer to people who make video. The word videomaker is not in the dictionary, so technically it does not exist. The name Videomaker refers to our company and our products. Culturally, the two words, video maker, are becoming synonymous with the word filmmaker. As of 2008, when reading articles here, you will find that those who direct or produce movies are filmmakers, even if they use videotape or flash media.