Hollywood directors who prefer analog film

Tarantino has been fighting for years to preserve analog film in Hollywood. "Digital productions are the death of cinema as I know it," he said a few years ago. So it's no wonder that his latest film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," was also shot on film.

Nolan is another Hollywood heavyweight who produces all of his films using the traditional method. He is fascinated by the colors and resolution of cine film. But more important than aesthetics is "preserving this medium for future generations of filmmakers."

The Dutch cinematographer, who has been nominated for an Oscar several times, describes himself as a "film fetishist." So it's no surprise that Nolan chose him as his favorite behind the lens. Hoytema shot Nolan's last three big films, "Interstellar," "Dunkirk" and "Tenet" — all in analog, of course.

Even some actors prefer the old ways. Tom Cruise regularly insists that the film he's in be shot in analog. However, he also makes exceptions. His latest film, "Top Gun 2: Maverick," a sequel to the 1980s cult film, was shot with digital cameras.

The world-famous look of Wes Anderson's films would be hard to recreate without analog film. His warm, pastel colors always transport viewers to a seemingly dreamy, bygone era. "I'm one of the least digital people," he says of himself.

Coppola also loves the warmth of film color. She has experimented with digital cameras, but describes her experience as a director with them as "more passive" than on an analog set. She has since returned to using film reels, including in her last two films, "The Seduced" and "On the Rocks."

When digital cameras took Hollywood by storm about 10 years ago, star director Steven Spielberg also fought back. For him, analog film is part of "cinema magic." Even though he made a foray into the digital age with his 3D film "The Adventures of Tintin," he wants to remain true to classic film "until the last lab closes."

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas was one of the first to experiment with digital cinema. His successor, however, is an analog fan. J.J. Abrams rejects the clinical look of digital cameras. To give the new "Star Wars" films that organic look of the first episodes from the 1970s and 80s, they were shot in analog.

In addition to big names like Tarantino and Nolan, many other directors and cinematographers are also relying again on film reels. In fact, at the 2020 Oscars, half of all nominees in the best film category were shot in analog, including "Marriage Story" and "The Lighthouse." In 2021, there will be more analog blockbuster productions, such as the latest James Bond film, "No Time to Die."