Any Big Time Director's Buying RED?

[garageman]

All I can think about is how some of the best and most beautifully shot films ever were shot before the invention of the video assist and without the director looking through the viewfinder as the images were captured. I personally don't think that the technology alone might be the reason for the point you're making. I think it's more about the people shooting it. It's also pretty common for some directors to step away from the video monitors and stand next to the camera to focus on the actor's performances.

This is true, one example that always springs to mind is The Ipcress File which even the DOP had to frame differently to what he saw through the viewfinder because of parallax error. It turned out to be one of the most interesting looking mainstream films ever.

Christopher Nolan never looks through the viewfinder or at monitors but watches the actors during rehearsals & takes. He trusts his DOP completely.

Horses for courses, depending on the context and style of your film.

 

[d. sweetman]

Most traditional "big time" directors don't own cameras nor are they really knowledgable about them, you'd even be hard pressed to find one that has even operated one in a long time.

There are exceptions like Robert Rodriguez or others that actually own a full production company with gear like Peter Jackson but they're the exception and not the majority.

How many "big time" directors have you talked to, that you say that with absolute certainty? I wouldn't be so quick to make that statement with names like James Cameron having been mentioned, who has a reputation for knowing cameras and lighting. Even a quick gance at his IMDB shows several camera department positions. Most of those guys probably grew up shooting super-8, (Jackson and Raimi for sure) where you learn the different stocks, learn how to expose an image, etc. Then in yet another league there's Kubrick, Tarkovsky, and the rest, who fit even more closely into the Andrew Sarris definition of the "auteur."

 

[Ruairi Robinson]

Christopher Nolan never looks through the viewfinder or at monitors but watches the actors during rehearsals & takes. He trusts his DOP completely.

Yeah, during takes - makes perfect sense because the quality of video playback is so shit you'll miss a lot of subtleties. But you aren't going to tell me he doesn't bother watching playback afterwards, are you?

If you are a director, wanting to see what you are actually shooting does not show a lack of trust for the DOP. It shows you want to see what you are actually shooting.

 

[d. sweetman]

But you aren't going to tell me he doesn't bother watching playback afterwards, are you?

do you mean the dailies, or on the set right after the take? I'd assume he'd only review on-set if he thought he absolutely had to. I've only ever seen a director review on-set once, it seems they usually just wait for the dailies.