THE SMALL-FILE IMAGE
A small-file image is an image designed to use the least possible bandwidth in online transmission. Because streaming video is responsible for 1% of global warming, by some calculations, we need to reduce the file size of streaming media. For moving images, the Small File Media Festival (smallfile.ca) suggests a goal of 1 megabyte per minute. (For comparison, a 720 x 1080p high-definition video with frame rate of 24fps is anywhere between 60 and 350 MB/min). You can make your movie files small by compressing them with a codec like Handbrake or H.264: to retain image quality before compression, move the camera slowly and use a shallow depth of field. Or use “obsolete” technologies. Or use GIFs. Or reduce the frame rate. Or substitute moving images with still images, some kinds of animation, or text and keep a rich soundtrack, since sound uses less file space. If you still long for lush, high-resolution images, enjoy them in physical space rather than online. Laura U. Marks
