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Before filming began, the director and I watched many digital features. The bad films had many things in common. The good films had one thing in common. In every good digital feature we saw, the concept was simple and the parameters were small, which made the use of a digital camera logical, if not obvious. Going digital made sense for that story, it was not just a way to save money. Take for instance, "The Blair Witch Project." A group of kids in the woods stare into their camera and tell the audience how terrified they are. Simple concept with a low budget look actually built into the story. Or how about Thomas Vinterberg's devastating "The Celebration." A simple family gathering turns ugly and is told in voyeuristic fashion using a digital camera. In all, we found that the narrower the dramatic focus, the better the chance the audience will forgive your low-budget look and just be absorbed in the story.

Bad digital films assume that any story filmable in 35mm is also filmable in digital. This, of course, is wrong. "Air Force One" would look ridiculous shot on MiniDV. Bad digital films are also lit as if they're on film. This is also wrong, and may result in your film looking flat and flavorless. Bad digital films never compose shots in a creative fashion, thus constantly reminding you they look like home movies. This is even worse. I don't get too creative when I videotape my 8-year old cousin, but then again, I don't expect Miramax to give video of my 8-year old cousin a platform release.

Weeks after filming on my digital movie was finished, The Anniversary Party, shot in 19 days using a Sony DSR-500, was released in theaters. The director and I hoped the film would do well, which in turn would boost the fortunes of all digital films. The movie did okay niche business, and it really only boosted the fortunes of journalists writing about the onslaught of digital films.

In The Anniversary Party, Joe (Alan Cumming) and Sally (Jennifer Jason Leigh) celebrate the sixth anniversary of their stormy marriage by inviting some friends over for a party. Guests include superstar actress Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow), aging actor Cal and his wife Sophie (Kevin Kline and real-life wife Phoebe Cates). Also attending are the director of Sally's current film (John C. Reilly), his neurotic wife (Jane Adams), a sexy photographer (Jennifer Beals), the insecure guy who looks like Peter Sellers (Michael Panes) and Sally and Joe's neighbors (Denis O'Hare and Mina Badie).

The evening moves along with little drama until Skye brings out tabs of ecstasy for the whole group to partake. With everyone's spine now devoid of fluid, each individual's long-buried emotions come bubbling to the surface. At this point most films of this type would devolve into an insufferable actor's workshop. But The Anniversary Party keeps it together. Credit goes to writers Leigh and Cumming, who juggle a surprising amount of characters, all of whom have issues, all of which are sorted out with no confusion. Performances are strong down the line. It's especially nice to see Phoebe Cates onscreen again. Also great is Mina Badie, and I'm not just saying that because she also appears in my digital film (okay, maybe I am).

In the end, The Anniversary Party is able to overcome two hallmarks of a bad movie: it's about whiny actors and the horrible lives they lead, and it stars performers proud of themselves for working at a fraction of their normal fee "for the art, man!" It's a testament to the talents of those involved that the film becomes a compelling look at secrets and lies we keep from everyone, including ourselves.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The Anniversary Party was shot on a Sony DSR-500 and in post-production was treated to look more like film. As such, the following will not be a surprise: the movie looks terrific. It's presented in anamorphic widescreen at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Black levels are deep, strong and consistent. Cinematographer John Bailey gives the film a slightly over-saturated look that is rich and stylish. He also blows out windows on occasion and the result never tears or shows any chroma noise. As expected, the print quality is excellent: no dirt, no scratches, no specks. Fleshtones occasionally have a slightly processed look, but that is entirely the choice of the filmmakers and it looks terrific. There are no edge enhancements and no artifacting or pixelation, even in the slowest fades-to-black. Since the film is digital and has been treated to look more cinematic, I wouldn't call this reference quality in the way "Planet of the Apes" has becomes a reference standard. But the picture exhibits a nice amount of style, presented exactly as Leigh, Cumming and Bailey wanted it with no blemishes.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

There are two audio options on the disc, 5.1 surround and stereo 2.0 surround. Considering this is a film about a bunch of people talking, there are still strong differences between the two mixes. The 5.1 track is much subtler, a little more creative and not as aggressive. The Stereo Surround is louder and uses the center channel more for dialogue. Lefts and rights are used liberally on both mixes, but on the 5.1, crosstalk and whispering are better integrated. Fidelity is good in both mixes and there are no hisses, dropouts or other audio blemishes. Considering the budget and the locale, both mixes display an admirable amount of range and the dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Bass activity only comes into play during the extensive use of needle drop music, but it does sound fine. There is no imaging at all, but then again, in a film that takes place in one location, there's little opportunity for imaging.

There is no foreign language options on the disc, only English Closed Captions and subtitles.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Somehow, I expected more and better supplements for the film, but what is provided is satisfactory. First off, I liked the Main Menu on the disc. It's not flashy; in fact, it's just the opposite. There is little movement in this menu, but the design is simple and sparse using pastel colors. It was a different, spare, oblique way to go and I appreciated it.

The highlight of the extras is a scene-specific audio commentary from co-directors and stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming. The two have rather flat speaking voices, however, they are still fairly interesting. Most of the conversation has to do with character motivations, but since all the actors are friends in real-life, there is some non-threatening gossip. There is some talk of the freedom of shooting digital and Leigh especially was grateful at the 45 minutes a day she saved just by not checking the gate, as you would using film.

The other major extra is a 20-minute Sundance Channel program called Anatomy of a Scene. In this supplement, Leigh, Cumming, cinematographer John Bailey and editor Carol Littleton discuss the scene where each character proposes a toast to the wedded couple. The filmmakers talk of how each actor was required to write their own toast (except Paltrow, whose speech was in the script) and how each one further deepens the interconnectedness of the characters. The video for this supplement is surprisingly average. It seems practically taped off the television and although the special is presented in widescreen, at times there are lines of noise running up and down the entire screen. Also, the audio varies. The interviews with Leigh and Cumming, taped in a more controlled environment, sound okay, but the interview with Bailey tears significantly. On the plus side, here is the only chance to see the Sony DSR-500 in action and the filmmakers are moderately interesting.

The theatrical trailer is also included. It's presented in anamorphic widescreen and looks as good as the film. No specks, no dirt, no nothing. The audio is fine for a trailer: dialogue comes from the center channel, but the music and narration use the lefts and rights. There are also Cast and Crew credits, but oddly enough, it's all cast, no crew. And yes, I know that CO-directors Leigh and Cumming are cast AND crew, but I would have liked bios on at least D.P. John Bailey, composer Michael Penn, and editor Carol Littleton.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

The included ROM features are minimal. Just a nice screenplay viewer with the complete script with direct scene access, weblinks to the film's theatrical website, and New Line's "Hot Spot" portal.

Parting Thoughts

The Anniversary Party spends an inordinate amount of time teetering on the brink of self-indulgent dross, but somehow, it never tips over. The script, the performances and the sheer novelty of the exercise make it an interesting experiment. The DVD however, is a mixed bag. Although the average moviegoer couldn't care less what camera was used to shoot the film, cineasts would have appreciated a DVD that embraced the uniqueness of a digital film being enjoying using a digital video player. Alternate takes, angle options, behind- the-scenes footage or a short documentary on shooting digital would have honored the film and acknowledged its small, but noteworthy place in moviemaking history.