... but in the end, does it matter?

There is so much more to worry about than "film or video." I'm not even sure why people get so worked up over it, because if they're right - they'll reap all the success and the other people will go down in flames.

The truth of the matter though? Everyone who is that worked up over that issue should really be putting that passion on the page and either writing the greatest story or finding the greatest story that's been written - because the people who can do that - those are the people who will always come out ahead.

[snip]

The message here? Don't fool yourself into thinking the cheap solution will empower you and make your life easy. When you decided to be a filmmaker, you chose the hard road. Don't whimp out now, don't cower for fear of something being hard. Don't distract yourself with the fantasy of something that might make your life easy. Do what you came here to do - tell your story!

And be ready - because you will spill your blood, sweat, and tears over a peroid of time you never imagined and no amount of technology will stop that. No clever invention or technological breakthrough will ever allow you to recapture all the time you will not be spending with your family or friends or the people you love - and the moments with them you missed in exchange for telling this story. So make it a good one.

-- Mark of cinemastory post his response to Mike's rant about HDproduction issues. (Emphasis added)

Wow. So true. So utterly painfully true.

Reminds me of Chris Doyle's decdiction at the end of his book on making Hero - R34G38B25 (its a colour code reference). Its a painful reminder of the selfishness of being a filmmaker - the most indulgent of all contemporary dreams:

"My family has lost a son and a brother and uncle and an heir to films. A book may be small recompense, but its what I do and all I have. It's for them"