What's the benefit of Hollywood still using film for most major productions?

Question

As a semi-professional cinematographer and photographer, I've always wondered why large productions mostly always prefer to use Film cameras, even with the development of cameras such as RED and BlackMagic?How do the recorded films get converted to digital? isn't there some sort of inevitable quality loss from this process? Not to mention expensive?(Sorry in advance if any of these points sound uninformed or just plain dumb!!)

Answer 1

Fewer and fewer Hollywood films are actually shot on film. Source: https://stephenfollows.com/digital-vs-film-on-hollywood-movies/

The aesthetic qualities of film keep many filmmakers shooting on it, a lot of beautiful imagery can be captured on film that often looks inauthentic on digital. Though it is more expensive and there are fewer technicians who are masters of it. Film is also safer to be preserved, there isn't a risk of accidentally wiping out computer data or a bug/glitch with film, it's a tactile object.

There are labs all across the country but especially in LA that can convert film to digital, so that part is pretty easy. Film quality is often better than digital captures, or at least parallel, so there isn't an issue of quality loss.

For me personally, I would love the opportunity to shoot on film but it is more expensive so have yet to have a project that allows for it. I also work primarily in documentary where you record for so long that film doesn't make sense. But I've seen the results and there are definitely movies shot on film that are incomparably stunning.

Hope that answers some of your questions. There's a documentary called "Side by Side" that further explores the debate too, but it was made in 2012 and even since then there are substantially fewer film productions.