Enter the Dragon

[Alexander Ibrahim]

It's not a solar flare though more a realisation of how much more money I'm likely to have to invest to keep this camera competitive.

Let me get this straight ...

You have a Red Scarlet.

In a world where feature films have been shot on Canon 7D and 5DMK2 DSLR's. Craptacular 8bit subsampled cameras that don't even have decent audio recording.

And you think you have to "keep this camera competitive"

You're doing it wrong.

Its YOU who needs to stay competitive.

I only own a Canon 7D. Sometimes I get to shoot Scarlet or Epic or recently F55.

With any of those cameras, it looks like my work. Higher resolution, better bit depth and dynamic range ... but more like "Alex's work" than Red or Sony look.

Because what I contribute to the production has greater impact than what the camera contributes ... even a badass camera like a Red Epic. (My favorite)

If the camera is contributing more to your billable rates than you are ... you're doing it wrong.

 

[Mark Andersen]

Well said.

 

[Jay Birch]

But there are many, many clients/producers out there that jump onto the industry buzz.... "we must shoot Dragon", "Alexa is the king, we must use Alexa" etc etc

It really depends on the type of work you are doing and the type of clients/producers you are dealing with. Also, whether you are an owner/operator.

Sometimes, you have to spend big $$$s to stay relevant.

 

[George Butterfield]

Sometimes, you have to spend big $$$s to stay relevant.

If you're using a Scarlet , you should be able to shoot a "Sling Blade" or "Reservoir Dogs" type film, no problem.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117666/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/

not to mention "Eraserhead" or "Blue Velvet" ....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090756/

the list is endless ... just do it ....

I'm presently negotiating to shoot a low cost Doc. I am going to use my Panasonic HPX170 and shoot in 1280x720 at 60fps not my Epic-X and RPP's.

 

[Rick Darge]

The production of ZEN DOG needs Dragon chips like a Sunchip needs the Sun. The start of our principal photography will be so very very close to the ramping up of these chips, it'd be a sad day in movie land if we missed the mark by a day or a week or a month, who knows. Hopefully the stars align for everyone as they have been doing and we make some ZEN DRAGON! The TWO biggest benefits of this new chip in our Epics that I see is the increased latitude which will help when we are shooting interior car scenes, preventing the blow out of our exteriors and who doesn't like creamy 15+ stops of range to work with. We are an indie road film. Any little bit of stoppage helps us HUGE - The second benefit is the increased sensitivity. We are going to be using my Canon k35s for night shooting since they are T1.4 and Angenieuxs for the rest but it would be so nice to not have to shoot WFO - I'm just excited knowing that my Epic will be getting a second re-birth for some loose change eventually. KEEP ON KEEPING UP RED! Can't wait to see imagery out of that thing soon. I have a feeling you guys are holding onto something BIG for an NAB Surprise. My Co-Producer and DP Richie Trimble and I will be taking a day trip to Vegas amidst all this Zen Dog chaos and are excited to see what's in the stove

 

[Suresh Kara]

Hi Alexander

yes i have a scarlet and yes it is great camera. Although i feel confident in the work i produce i am aware that having the camera with a start to finnish work flow has been appealing for some if not most of the freelance work i have been doing, i do both as in produce projects and work as 1ac with kit.

From working with many producers and being one my self i know that advances in technology that help to reduce production costs and improve output are appealing especially in the middle market where the scarlet sits so yes keeping this camera competitive is important, especially in the current UK market.

as regards to " you're doing it wrong." my situation is a little more complicated than a couple of reduser posts so i would'nt pass judgement without having some more facts but thanks for the advice anyway.

The Scarlet is a great camera and all we can do is wait to see what the future holds for it, hopefully the upgrade path will be fair

 

[Tommaso Alvisi]

The Dragon sensor actually uses less power ( i.e. heat ) than the current EPIC sensor. New tech.

Thanks Jarred!

And what about the new ASICs?

Will the Dragon total power consumption be the lower? By how much?

How can we expect an increase in battery life? 20%? 30%? Double!?!

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

Let me get this straight ...

You have a Red Scarlet.

In a world where feature films have been shot on Canon 7D and 5DMK2 DSLR's. Craptacular 8bit subsampled cameras that don't even have decent audio recording.

And you think you have to "keep this camera competitive"

You're doing it wrong.

Its YOU who needs to stay competitive.

I only own a Canon 7D. Sometimes I get to shoot Scarlet or Epic or recently F55.

With any of those cameras, it looks like my work. Higher resolution, better bit depth and dynamic range ... but more like "Alex's work" than Red or Sony look.

Because what I contribute to the production has greater impact than what the camera contributes ... even a badass camera like a Red Epic. (My favorite)

If the camera is contributing more to your billable rates than you are ... you're doing it wrong.

A great camera just gets out of your way, doesn't impose itself on you. So a great camera should make your work even more "Alex-like", if anything, because the last limitation we all face is ourselves.

However, I don't think very many features many people have actually paid to see who don't personally know the crew have been shot on the cameras you mention. I can think of only one episode of one TV show and just one feature.

Shooting on a DSLR I could not be "Rob Ruffo and Amber Lomer-like" because so many things we love to do would be impossible on that camera - it would get in our way so often there would be too much noise between our intent and the result - part of our artistic intent would be lost in the camera's limitations.

A Scarlet though? I agree with you. It's way past that point where the camera is what is stopping you from doing anything.

 

[Kyle Dones]

hate to say this, but after Django he IMHO is one film too many already. weak, and pulling tupac tracks out of the woodwork made it all that much weaker!!!

No disrespect. I just think you didn't get it. Not saying its the best film by any means but everything he did for the most part had purpose. Blaxploitation, noir western done well.

that being said. Can the dragon enter now?

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

Let me get this straight ...

You have a Red Scarlet.

In a world where feature films have been shot on Canon 7D and 5DMK2 DSLR's. Craptacular 8bit subsampled cameras that don't even have decent audio recording.

And you think you have to "keep this camera competitive"

You're doing it wrong.

Its YOU who needs to stay competitive.

I only own a Canon 7D. Sometimes I get to shoot Scarlet or Epic or recently F55.

With any of those cameras, it looks like my work. Higher resolution, better bit depth and dynamic range ... but more like "Alex's work" than Red or Sony look.

Because what I contribute to the production has greater impact than what the camera contributes ... even a badass camera like a Red Epic. (My favorite)

If the camera is contributing more to your billable rates than you are ... you're doing it wrong.

I can't say this enough: A camera is a business investment, separate from your creative career. You can be a very successful DP because of your creative work, but if the camera you own is no longer perceived as competitive, you may instead be asked to rent some other camera for the jobs you do, so the camera you own is just money flushed away, and you never get your money back. It has nothing to do with talent, nothing to do with which jobs you get hired to do because of that talent.

Owners who complain about resale value and rental rates are entitled to. A pro camera that provides poor cash returns over its life is a bad buy. One that pays back a lot of cash, even it you personally never use it - personally don't even like it - and just rent it to other people, is a good buy. Otherwise, rent.

We are on the fence over Dragon. Not sure if we would recoup $10 000 over renting. We will have to see what rental rates will be here, and how much advantage it really provides our projects vs additional data cost and so on.

Don't get me wrong, I am first and foremost an artist in my values, but when it comes to buying gear I put on my businessman hat, and only that hat. Otherwise I would go broke in a hurry.

 

[Kyle Dones]

I'm pretty sure both of those points are absolutely valid. If you're not looking at it from both pov's then you are doing it wrong. Some jobs will come from skill others will come from products.