Keith Partridge (UK) is known for his unique experience in shooting documentaries for BBC such as „The Human Planet“. He is a fan of tape-based productions. Pros and Cons of a tape-based vs. a file-based workflow system discussed from a documentary
perspective:

Why is tape, card, disc (delete as applicable) no good as a recording medium for cameras. Is there an optimum solution for shooting ?

Digital Gremlins are arguably more destructive that the old analogue ones.  Just one byte out of place and a whole production falls apart.  With all of todays fabulous technology at our disposal we still are at the mercy of the little understood digital 'error' on top of all the hostilities mother earth can throw at a film team.  Tape, cards, discs are they all as bad as each other or is there really a panacea for recording ?

So we take tape-based cameras into a white water cave system in Papua New Guinea and into an active volcano in Indonesia.  Are we mad ?   Would tapeless be better ?  Why not shoot on cards ?  Well we also tried that and the camera never made it out of the volcano.  But would any ?  Oh, and a computer hard drive system had to be reconfigured for the five nights spent underground on another job.  What about disc ?  Great but we almost ran out of power.

Keith Partridge DP explores the limits of where technology can go.

About Keith Partridge

Capturing the essence of adventure in over 60 extreme films cameraman Keith Partridge has taken to some of the worlds most hostile and spectacular environments. From the Eiger North Face, the Arctic and Alaska to the white-water caves of Papua New Guinea, Keith has been pushing the limits of extreme film-making for TV and cinema.

 

Productions have notched up over twenty film awards, two BAFTAs and an International Emmy. In 2004 Keith was presented with the International Explorers Festival 'Camera Extreme' Award for his work on series' such as Wild Climbs for the BBC and on the documentary feature film of Joe Simpson's Touching the Void.