What can I expect?

[David M]

I really don't get these guys who desperatly need a camera but only if it is a Scarlet. Do you have some projects? Get an already avaiable camera and do it - no camera will ever automatically turn what you do into a masterpiece, no matter how good it may be.
Besides, when you buy a camera you aren't marrying it for life: you can always re-sell it (ebay anyone?).
Why don't you buy a EX-1 (random model) now and then put it on ebay when the Scarlet comes out? I can assure you that, despite the presence of the new Reds, there will still be quiet a lot of people willing to buy a recent, prosumer camera in good conditions.

I guess the RedOne success has become an obsession for some...

Yeah.
Or they should maybe just concentrate on the pre-production organization the other 99% or so of making a movie that is pretty much format-irrelevant.*
I'm sure that will give them plenty to do while waiting for their number to be called.
And if they already done all that, well, start planning your next one:cheers2:



*You know,

Shooting script
Location Scouting
Sets
Wardrobe
Sound recording
Talent
Rehearsals
Lighting
Transport
Catering
Finance
Insurance
Permits
Grip
Pyrotechnics
Etc
Etc
Etc
Etc

 

[Lawrence Bansbach]

Undoubtedly Jim Jannard wishes he could release Scarlet and Epic tomorrow (except for the fact that this economy has made it a bad time to release a new product), but a lot of stuff is beyond his control. Red knows what they are doing, but only up to a point. They're having to invent stuff that has little precedent. They can't always predict when something will work, or when it will be completed, especially if suppliers crap out on them, which, as Jim has said, has already happened. For those of you who counted on Scarlet to be released by a certain time, yes, the delays will be inconvenient. But because digital-cinema technology is all Red does, they have to get it right -- they won't release another "beta" cam. The only risk they face is that the competition has an extra few months to come up with something. But Canon, Sony, and Panasonic don't really seem to care too much. They've got nothing that remotely competes on a priceerformance basis.

 

[sbcooler]

RED is doing just as they should. Those that are upset or frustrated, etc...have no one to look to but themselves.

Anyone with 4K can buy a used Sony Z1U for 3K or even less...shoot with it for a few months or even the next year and sell it as soon as Scarlet is released, recoup all or most of their money and buy the Scarlet when it's released.

I personally intend to buy Scarlet 3 months after its released or so, to make sure its well tested by the pioneers and updated with any glitches or firmware that needs adjusted.

It really is AMAZING that the original poster has not learned how to effectively deal with and communicate his feelings in a way that is MUCH more likely to result in a better outcome. We all have these feelings (frustration, impatience, etc.) but hopefully most adults learn how to more effectively express and deal with them.

 

[Emiliano Ranzani]

Honestly though, I don't know if 4Ks will be enough to get a Scarlet (even if it is the fixed lens brain) ready to shoot properly- I mean with 3750 $ you're going to get the fixed lens "complete kit" - but does it comprises CF cards? And what about all the stuff you need that Red doesn't provide, like a good tripod, the computer horsepower to handle and process datas, microphones (even if it is just a Rode NTG2 mounted on the camera to get some environmental sound) etc.?

And what about starting gigs in order to put togheter a showreel and keep working? I can assure you that even if you had a Thompson Viper camera, it'd be quiet hard working without previous experience and reels.

EDIT:

Btw, why is everybody so obsessed with BUYING stuff? There's a lot of people out there who offer nice rental deals. I have a couple of upcoming gigs which I might shoot on rented RedOnes, if the budgets get greenlit...

 

[Jeff Coatney]

Rob, depending on where you live, renting a Red One package with an operator over a weekend can be quite reasonable if you make it clear up front that you have limited funding. I would make a shift toward getting my project made, vs. waiting what could still be quite awhile for the camera you want. To quote Donald Rumsfeld (!) "You go to war with the army you have, not the army you want."

I've worked in product development for nearly 15 years. The course Jim set with the announcement of the Epic and Scarlet re-design was very ambitious. Why should they hurry at break-neck speed to complete cameras that will most likely sit in an overstocked warehouse until the recession ends?

I'm sure that the 2/3" fixed lens Scarlet will land soon, my guess is Nov - Dec this year, but that's just speculation. Scarlet will have iPhone-like popularity regardless of when it's released, but a traditional fourth-quarter "holiday gift-giving" model makes sense. Red would get a torrent of revenue that would boost their operational capital for expansion, year-end bonuses and patch the big Red hole in Jim's checkbook.

I think Red has about 100 days left to make it for a 2009 release, but that could be way off. Since Jim has committed to the Epic trade-in program for Red One owners, the first ones will be heavily discounted going out the door. Revenue from an early fixed-lens Scarlet launch would make that more plausible.

Also keep in mind that while the fixed lens Scarlet is one product, all the myriad modules and components that would make up your average Epic or S35 Scarlet are like making a bunch of individual products. They may already have the battery modules, the mother Brain, the drives and the I/O module finished and sitting in a warehouse somewhere, waiting for the controller to be finished up.

Its fun to speculate. The one thing that I know for certain is that at some point in the very near future, we'll all be shooting with those cameras.

 

[Emiliano Ranzani]

Bought an EX1 and I've been shooting all summer (thanks to this group for prodding that decision!) Wish I had the extra coin at this time to go RED ONE/EPIC!

I doubt I'll be frustrated when the next flavor is released ... because I'm hoping the next flavor is a candy apple flavored RED Scarlet 5K.

I have an EX1 myself (got it almost a year ago) as my basic camera and I am doin' good with it - sure, I am looking forward the Redone or at least the Scarlet, but I doubt I'll ever ditch it - it would do good as a "b" (or "a-b") camera.