Häakon
Well-known member
There are two sides to this coin, and I think that everyone just needs to take a deep breath. At this point, RED is just sharing information. There are still things we don't know, and it's RED's prerogative to address those questions as they see fit. But the level of back and forth about details that haven't been revealed yet is crazy.
First of all, Jim has never said anything about an absolute price increase. They've removed all of the pricing information from the Epic and Scarlet information pages, so right now there isn't anything concrete to go on... we just have to wait. All Jim said was "stay tuned" and his usual "everything is subject to change." Of course that leaves us in the dark for another month, but that's just something we have to deal with.
To that hand, I can understand the frustration of some users who read posts like this one:
that say very definitively things like "final changes" have been made, and there will be "no negative price/performance changes." Of course there are always unforeseen circumstances that affect development and production. But what is one supposed to think with a barrage of messages that say conflicting statements? There will be no negative price/performance changes, but everything is subject to change? I'm not sure what to take from that but to wait until the next "definitive" announcement (that is subject to change). Basically, I've learned not to accept anything as final until I've paid for it and it is in my hands. To a degree, it makes people guarded about the kind of information that is released, though, because we've learned that nothing really is final until it's final... and sometimes that means we can't get as excited as I think Jim would like us to be. When we hear things like "3K for $3K!," people get excited... so if that target slips a little, then their frustration is, I think, understandable - even if the price change is completely reasonable. RED made a change to their policy this year by holding back on information until they were more ready to release it. I think perhaps they should do this with pricing targets as well.
I know that what Jim & Co. have taken on is extraordinary, risky, and monumental. They have done what no other camera company would have even come close to bringing to the table for at least a decade and have certainly made a lot of people excited about what digital filmmaking has to offer. None of what they have accomplished should be understated.
That being said, they have a dramatic way about doing things. It's just their style. Some people say it's "brilliant marketing" (others bash them for it), but I don't think it's marketing as much as it is genuine passion that resonates with their audience. Sometimes they get a little sensitive to posts because they know firsthand the incredible advances they're making and we don't always have the information. So there's a bit of a disconnect there. And perhaps they bite off more than they can chew sometimes, but they choose to figure it out and (over)deliver on their promises even if it means missing their targeted schedule. It frustrates people, but again, ends up being the right choice in the end.
I think all discussion about price should just stop completely until the October announcement is made and things are made more clear. And I think that RED needs to understand that there's no way they can please everyone, regardless of how amazing your products are, and you just have to let the obscene amount of crazy posts roll off your shoulders. It's just really not worth getting worked up about.
In my opinion, these new renders are nice - but nearly all of this stuff has been on the table (literally) since the NAB party in April and even more recently at IBC. Do some searching and practically all of the questions that are being asked have been answered by RED in some capacity or another several times over. What is still unknown will be made plenty clear by RED when they lay everything out before the cameras are made available. Until then, rest assured that RED is committed to bringing the best quality products at the most reasonable prices they can to everyone. They've not given us a reason to doubt that up to this point.
First of all, Jim has never said anything about an absolute price increase. They've removed all of the pricing information from the Epic and Scarlet information pages, so right now there isn't anything concrete to go on... we just have to wait. All Jim said was "stay tuned" and his usual "everything is subject to change." Of course that leaves us in the dark for another month, but that's just something we have to deal with.
To that hand, I can understand the frustration of some users who read posts like this one:
that say very definitively things like "final changes" have been made, and there will be "no negative price/performance changes." Of course there are always unforeseen circumstances that affect development and production. But what is one supposed to think with a barrage of messages that say conflicting statements? There will be no negative price/performance changes, but everything is subject to change? I'm not sure what to take from that but to wait until the next "definitive" announcement (that is subject to change). Basically, I've learned not to accept anything as final until I've paid for it and it is in my hands. To a degree, it makes people guarded about the kind of information that is released, though, because we've learned that nothing really is final until it's final... and sometimes that means we can't get as excited as I think Jim would like us to be. When we hear things like "3K for $3K!," people get excited... so if that target slips a little, then their frustration is, I think, understandable - even if the price change is completely reasonable. RED made a change to their policy this year by holding back on information until they were more ready to release it. I think perhaps they should do this with pricing targets as well.
I know that what Jim & Co. have taken on is extraordinary, risky, and monumental. They have done what no other camera company would have even come close to bringing to the table for at least a decade and have certainly made a lot of people excited about what digital filmmaking has to offer. None of what they have accomplished should be understated.
That being said, they have a dramatic way about doing things. It's just their style. Some people say it's "brilliant marketing" (others bash them for it), but I don't think it's marketing as much as it is genuine passion that resonates with their audience. Sometimes they get a little sensitive to posts because they know firsthand the incredible advances they're making and we don't always have the information. So there's a bit of a disconnect there. And perhaps they bite off more than they can chew sometimes, but they choose to figure it out and (over)deliver on their promises even if it means missing their targeted schedule. It frustrates people, but again, ends up being the right choice in the end.
I think all discussion about price should just stop completely until the October announcement is made and things are made more clear. And I think that RED needs to understand that there's no way they can please everyone, regardless of how amazing your products are, and you just have to let the obscene amount of crazy posts roll off your shoulders. It's just really not worth getting worked up about.
In my opinion, these new renders are nice - but nearly all of this stuff has been on the table (literally) since the NAB party in April and even more recently at IBC. Do some searching and practically all of the questions that are being asked have been answered by RED in some capacity or another several times over. What is still unknown will be made plenty clear by RED when they lay everything out before the cameras are made available. Until then, rest assured that RED is committed to bringing the best quality products at the most reasonable prices they can to everyone. They've not given us a reason to doubt that up to this point.
hmy:
