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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

ALERT! Please read.

Mark, thank goodness no one was hurt. Hope you and your family were able to have a nice holiday getaway even in the face of this craziness.
 
Lousy way to start the year. Let's hope for better ahead. If 00006 does not surface, will Mark get 00006A?

Happy rest of the New Year,

Mike
 
This is terrible news. I've never met you Mark, but I'd like to. I've been robbed, and I know the awful feeling of being violated. Unlike many of the stories I've read, I was fortunate. Dumb thieves took a bunch of power tools, but missed our generator, air compressor and my Sachtler tripod!

I know a couple of red shooters in London. I'll alert them. Hope you get your gear back sir.

Joe Schmitt
At Will Productions
 
Yecid Jr. said:
I hope you make this New Year a happy one for you and your loved ones, because happy years don't HAPPEN, they are made by us. Greetings all the way from Bolivia, South America. Hope we can meet in person some day...and I obviously hope that you find time in this hectic period of your life to read this (now that I see it...rather long) message.

Yecid Jr.
Click to expand...

Hey Yecid - your long post put a smile on my face. I really appreciate the thought - and all of the positive comments and emails I've been getting from others. Hope we can meet one day as well - maybe you should come over to the USA for NAB 2011? NAB this year is going to be fantastic. Anyway, Happy New Year to you and everyone. People all over the world are looking for this camera, let's hope it's recovered and someone gets what they having coming to them. I will tell you that the camera is just incredible - and the images are stunning. I will also tell you that once you get one - you really don't want anyone to take it from you. Thanks for taking the time to write such a great post Yecid - may 2011 be the best year of all of our lives!
 
I had an idea once for a security gadget that might be dubbed the “Too Hard Basket”™. It would have been perfect for this situation.
My idea was to make a collapsible carry bag out of Kevlar or something similar, that could be folded up and carried like a normal suitcase when not in use.
When you wanted to use it, it could be unfolded to make a large flexible carry case, a bit like those rectangular insulated zip-up PVC carry bags KFC etc sometimes supply larger “Meal Deals” in.
I’d envisaged something that folds out to about 4 feet x 18 inches x 18 inches, about the size of a largish flight case. The top would zip up, and the zips would then be covered by lockable Kevlar shrouds.
The trick is, the bottom six inches of the case would be taken up with a flexible water tank which would then be filled from any available water source when you wanted to immobilize it. Six inches x 4 feet x 18 inches of water would weigh almost 200 pounds, which would make it extremely difficult for any casual thief to make off with it. The general “floppiness” of the case would also make it difficult even if there were two people involved.
The only way of emptying it would be to unlock the top to gain access to the drain hose. There would also need to be a built-in pump to empty it in a reasonable time.
It would be a pretty effective way of making sure things stayed put!
 
Mark L. Pederson said:
Hey Yecid - your long post put a smile on my face.
Click to expand...

That's great.

Hope to make it for NAB this year and meet you there. It will be my first time at NAB, and, should things go according to Jim's plans, I might have my EPIC by then.

Take care
 
Mark, by now I hope the entire world will be after the unfortunate bastards who committed this theft.
I'd like to go one step further and wish they'd be made an example of when they are caught (and they'll eventually be caught)
Because a theft is one thing but committing any sort of criminal activity in such close proximity to children is unforgivable.
Now that you have done everything you can an the authorities and the community at large are on the case I hope you and your family will try to enjoy the rest of your stay there.
I wish you and your family all the best for a 2011 filled with joy, happiness and the return of EPIC #00006 :-)
 
Keith Walters said:
I had an idea once for a security gadget that might be dubbed the “Too Hard Basket”™. It would have been perfect for this situation.
My idea was to make a collapsible carry bag out of Kevlar or something similar, that could be folded up and carried like a normal suitcase when not in use.
When you wanted to use it, it could be unfolded to make a large flexible carry case, a bit like those rectangular insulated zip-up PVC carry bags KFC etc sometimes supply larger “Meal Deals” in.
I’d envisaged something that folds out to about 4 feet x 18 inches x 18 inches, about the size of a largish flight case. The top would zip up, and the zips would then be covered by lockable Kevlar shrouds.
The trick is, the bottom six inches of the case would be taken up with a flexible water tank which would then be filled from any available water source when you wanted to immobilize it. Six inches x 4 feet x 18 inches of water would weigh almost 200 pounds, which would make it extremely difficult for any casual thief to make off with it. The general “floppiness” of the case would also make it difficult even if there were two people involved.
The only way of emptying it would be to unlock the top to gain access to the drain hose. There would also need to be a built-in pump to empty it in a reasonable time.
It would be a pretty effective way of making sure things stayed put!
Click to expand...
Keith, Make it a little larger, and you've just invented the first portable water bed.:bath:
 
Well I passed this story on to all the filmmaking communities I am a part of. I figure the more places people read about this, the further the details will spread. I tend to find that the filmmaking community is pretty tight nit in the world.

Mark, I wish you and your family the best. Glad that everyone was safe, which is important issue #1.
 
Dear Red developers,

I have a camera rental company in Holland and allmost every year camera's are stolen from me and other camera rental houses. How difficult is it, to develope a camera with GPS tracker in it. For 60 dollars you buy a simple GPS tracker on the net. Why not develope a GPS tracing device that is build in a 10/20K camera.
Maybe the company's that build the camera's don't give anything about camera's being stolen, cause the insurance pay's and new camera's have to be bought.

I once called Arri to tell them I've had an offer from a ebay seller for a Arri D21 for 10.000 euro (this camera costs like 140.000) They didn't seem very interested and said: hmm ok well sent us an email and we will look at it. I've sent them an email with the story and asked them to contact me cause I wanted to provide the contact details of the seller... Never heard anything of them!

I feel very sorry for what happend and I think this whole situation will slow down the release of the Epic untill it is found (how to find it otherwise back on the net) I just hope that company's that develope professional equipment such as camera's will think about a GPS option in future camera's. If red had done that, I think they would be very happy now!

Once more I feel sorry for everyone involved and wish everyone the best!

Best regards Sebastiaan
Elephant Media
0031(0)629605042
 
This got me thinking...
As a potential Epic-M holder (wishful thinking since #1333 is too far for me even having a chance at it) maybe announcing who's going to get an Epic-M is a bit risky...
If test footage was to be published, it could be uploaded to RED and then released to the public (though that entails more work for some people inside RED)
Just to have a proxy so they (dare I say, us) who get an Epic-M are not put in harm's way.
 
Keith Walters said:
I had an idea once for a security gadget that might be dubbed the “Too Hard Basket”™. It would have been perfect for this situation.
My idea was to make a collapsible carry bag out of Kevlar or something similar, that could be folded up and carried like a normal suitcase when not in use.
When you wanted to use it, it could be unfolded to make a large flexible carry case, a bit like those rectangular insulated zip-up PVC carry bags KFC etc sometimes supply larger “Meal Deals” in.
I’d envisaged something that folds out to about 4 feet x 18 inches x 18 inches, about the size of a largish flight case. The top would zip up, and the zips would then be covered by lockable Kevlar shrouds.
The trick is, the bottom six inches of the case would be taken up with a flexible water tank which would then be filled from any available water source when you wanted to immobilize it. Six inches x 4 feet x 18 inches of water would weigh almost 200 pounds, which would make it extremely difficult for any casual thief to make off with it. The general “floppiness” of the case would also make it difficult even if there were two people involved.
The only way of emptying it would be to unlock the top to gain access to the drain hose. There would also need to be a built-in pump to empty it in a reasonable time.
It would be a pretty effective way of making sure things stayed put!
Click to expand...

I actually really like this idea! The engineering would have to be worked out a lot more of course, but it's pretty brilliant.
 
Here’s my crappy two cents.

Perhaps we give these crooks too much credit.

I’m guessing that these are basically junkies that steal to pay for their habit but are not normally in the business of stealing cinematic equipment. I doubt sincerely that they have done a lot of research on the internet to find out what an Epic is, and I doubt that their English is good enough to understand any of the posts on this forum, if they could even be bothered to find it. They have probably stolen lots of cash and cameras before, i.e. standard procedure, nick cash and cameras get out quick. If they were more serious villains they would have stolen the US passports (as these are worth a hell of a lot more money!). They probably passed the camera on almost instantly (not knowing what it really is) to whoever they normally pass on nicked cameras to. Probably some other low level junkie/hood has the camera sitting on his mantel piece having paid 50 Euro for it and is fixing one day to make some nice videos with the camera. Probably six months from now he’ll realize he can’t do anything with it and will probably end up on a market stall or Pawn shop in Marseille for sale for 100 Euro. I don’t think that these petty thieves will panic and throw the camera in a lake or dumpster. It’s out there somewhere but very much like stolen art, it has to go through several changes of hand until all provenance is lost and it might turn up a year from now. Someone might step forward who says I bought this from a guy who bought it from another guy who he met in a bar who bought from another guy and so on… I don’t think that these guys will be caught, but the camera might turn up a year from now.

Mark I’m really sorry about what happened, leaves a bad taste, hope you and yours can find nice ways to distract yourselves from such a scummy and unfortunate incident.

Very Best,

Eric
 
Sebastiaan de heer said:
Why not develope a GPS tracing device that is build in a 10/20K camera.
Click to expand...
In a similar vein, I wonder why the Boeing 787 doesn't have a completely sealed off Pilot area with bunks and toilet, the meals could be passed in via a lazy susan type affair. The Cockpit would have a burglar proof door. There would be no hi-jacks of 787's because the terrorists would know that cockpit entry was impossible. Why didn't Boeing design this?
 
if they can remotely lock an iphone and wipe it , why not the ability to remotely lock down an Epic or at least firmware with a list of banned serials that will lock it out if someone tries to upgrade the firmware plus a gps trace
 
Sebastiaan de heer said:
Dear Red developers,

I have a camera rental company in Holland and allmost every year camera's are stolen from me and other camera rental houses. How difficult is it, to develope a camera with GPS tracker in it. For 60 dollars you buy a simple GPS tracker on the net. Why not develope a GPS tracing device that is build in a 10/20K camera.
Maybe the company's that build the camera's don't give anything about camera's being stolen, cause the insurance pay's and new camera's have to be bought.

I once called Arri to tell them I've had an offer from a ebay seller for a Arri D21 for 10.000 euro (this camera costs like 140.000) They didn't seem very interested and said: hmm ok well sent us an email and we will look at it. I've sent them an email with the story and asked them to contact me cause I wanted to provide the contact details of the seller... Never heard anything of them!

I feel very sorry for what happend and I think this whole situation will slow down the release of the Epic untill it is found (how to find it otherwise back on the net) I just hope that company's that develope professional equipment such as camera's will think about a GPS option in future camera's. If red had done that, I think they would be very happy now!

Once more I feel sorry for everyone involved and wish everyone the best!

Best regards Sebastiaan
Elephant Media
0031(0)629605042
Click to expand...


Sebastiaan I think you raise a really interesting point.

If you are Arri or whoever, if you have GPS tracking on a piece of equipment, and the piece of equipment phones home and says “help I’m being stolen” then what?

What are the laws concerning that?

Are GPS coordinates sufficient grounds for obtaining a search warrant or launching a police raid (risking lives) to recover a piece of equipment?

With vehicle recovery systems it’s a bit easier as someone parks the car in the street, but having the rights to launch an armed raid for what the police would consider a $50k toaster/appliance, I’m not sure what the normal MO is in various countries for that?

In Europe the use of fire arms is much less than the US, but year on year this difference is becoming less and less.

It is a bummer that companies are unable to support the rental houses with some form of recovery, and as you say they feel that insurance IS the safest route which it probably is...
 
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