Raimi Dreams of 1,000-Year Camera

[edonline]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/8994405.htm

Posted on Wed, Jun. 23, 2004

Raimi Dreams of 1,000-Year Camera

DAVID GERMAIN
Associated Press

CULVER CITY, Calif. - Sam Raimi hopes to remain in film a long time after he's through making "Spider-Man" movies. For about 1,000 years.

Raimi wants to build the "Century Cam," a network of cameras that would document the United States' urban landscape for a millennium.

The proposal: Position cameras above all major American cities and shoot one frame - a 24th of a second of film - each day at noon. The frames would be strung together gradually to create a continuous chronicle of each city's development.

"It's the same idea of all time-lapse photography, but over an outrageous amount of time," Raimi told The Associated Press in an interview to promote "Spider-Man 2." "So you could watch the city of Los Angeles rise, and maybe an earthquake might come in 300 years or a tidal wave."

Along with natural disasters, the cameras would capture human rebuilding and demolition. Viewers could watch decades of change in minutes, much like the hero in George Pal's "The Time Machine," who saw landscapes radically altered as he shot forward in time.

At a frame a day, a year's worth of shots over a particular city would add up to 15 seconds of film, a decade would blow by in two and a half minutes and a century would run 25 minutes. A full 1,000 years of film would last just over four hours.

[ANavissi500]

Fantastic idea! I only wish that the Middle Ages people had thought of it.

[adamjohnson]

SO not possible. DOesnt film degrade to dust after a few years?

[Tom Samborski]

Sounds like a really cool idea. Let's hope his idea gets off the ground!

[Scarface98.9]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
SO not possible. DOesnt film degrade to dust after a few years?
I imagine he'd want to use video or DV or something. Those'll last a helluva lot longer than film

[Tweek]

so many people would fuck around with that camera...

[NuclearMisfit]

I think its kinda a neat idea but we wouldnt be around to see the final film :(

[§carecrow]

WOW now thats friggin awesome! i say go for it Sam. THis idea is fantastic as someone metnioned before. if only we lived this long to see the whole 25 mins of a century that would be just mindblowing.

[outsyder]

That idea kicks an unbelievable amount of ass.


You've done it again, Sam!:D

[Mentiroso]

Yeah it is a cool idea if it could be pulled off. Almost like a time capsule, but on film instead. Imagine all the changes you would see at Times Square in NY. All the fashion changes, the advertisements, building, cars. So much to see in 1000 years.

[APzombie]

Cool friggin idea but were would they put the camera? If it is at eye level people will f*ck with it, if its on a building, how long will the building last before its torn down? This is, ofcourse a question that could be answered. I hope someone goes along with it.

[outsyder]

Originally posted by APzombie
Cool friggin idea but were would they put the camera? If it is at eye level people will f*ck with it, if its on a building, how long will the building last before its torn down? This is, ofcourse a question that could be answered. I hope someone goes along with it.

Put them on landmarks that will never be torn down. For example, putting one on the Statue of Liberty would be sweet, as it would give a broad look on the city. The Empire State Building is another good example. They're also high up, too.


It's a shame I won't be around to see it . . . . . :(

[Sigur509]

Sweet idea, but I dont see it happening.

[Jon Lyrik]

Originally posted by outsyder
It's a shame I won't be around to see it . . . . . :(

Have your brain chroyogenically frozen, by the time it comes out you can have it hooked up to an artificial body.

Of course, that all depends if you could afford that.

While it is a sweet idea, I'm 99% positive it'd never happen. And exactly how many people would want to see it? Future film fanatics, sure, but what if film is upscaled and obsolete by then?

[Tweek]

or...

create a satellite camera with a great zoom...

i dunno -shrug-

[edonline]

It would be cool if Raimi could get it together for a shorter period, say five years. The results would probably still be impressive.

[jeo4]

Gosh, Sam...I dream of a Spiderman flick that doesn't suck. That a possibility? No? Oh well. Good luck with that 1000 year thing.

[adamjohnson]

Originally posted by jeo4
Gosh, Sam...I dream of a Spiderman flick that doesn't suck. That a possibility? No? Oh well. Good luck with that 1000 year thing.

Pff! Theres only been one!

[jeo4]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
Pff! Theres only been one!

Yeah? Which one is that?

[Mentiroso]

Originally posted by jeo4
Yeah? Which one is that?

Well obviously it would be the first one duh!

And it was really good. Cant wait for part 2!!

[The Locnar]

Originally posted by Tweek
or...

create a satellite camera with a great zoom...

Uhh...BINGO!!! These already exist.

My fav part is when he says mount it on something really high over LA then an earthquake comes and knocks everything down. HELLO SAM!! wouldn't the camera get knocked down too?!

[KTJ2004]

I think this sounds like an awesome idea. I hope it turns out!

[Tweek]

Originally posted by The Locnar
Uhh...BINGO!!! These already exist.


I know, but one that'll last for 1,000 years!

[jeo4]

Originally posted by Mentiroso
Well obviously it would be the first one duh!

And it was really good. Cant wait for part 2!!

Pardon me if I don't share your opinion or your enthusiasm.


(Duh?):mad:

[The Locnar]

Originally posted by Tweek
I know, but one that'll last for 1,000 years!

Don't need to. When one goes bad and crashes into the atmosphere, they just send another up there to replace it.