Fear of Post

[Greg M]

"or simply buy Final Cut and drop the quicktimes the Red camera produces and start editing...couldn't be simplier."

And after that, when I want to get some vfx produced at the minimum cost, what format will I be stuck in? What format will I need to convert to, and etc.?

I dont understand what you are asking here. You can go to whatever format you want.

Just so we are clear, what I am saying is...post is not complicated. The simplest solution is to work in Final Cut with the files that the camera creates. It is literally as simple as I said. Drag the files to a $2500 laptop, or desktop and start editing. If you want "vfx produced at the minimum"...then get it done and drop em in your edit.

If you want a higher quality solution its not that much harder either.

If you need a Post House give us a call, we would be happy to help...we have been editing Red footage for over 6 months now.

 

[mezmo]

I have several nagging fears about jumping into this red pool, but the biggest so far is that I have no idea what is going to happen when it comes time to assemble the actual movie. You guys have 50 different programs, and all sorts of jargon complicating matters to an unacceptable degree.

I can't make an informed decision about what it will cost for post production.

Is there a LIST of post production houses that support the Red system?

Are there special effects companies I can contact that support your format?

Apparently there is a program called "Scratch" that apparently sells for $5000??? In order to use the footage on another (standard?) platform you have to pay a third party software company 5 gs?

Is that correct?

Why doesn't RED simply provide a file conversion application for FREE?

When you create a proprietary format like ".R3D" you incur some responsibility to see that it has adequate support and compatibility.

Lastly, I would like to know about editing "proxies" that are smaller than the 4k native files. Is this process explained simply somewhere? How easy is it to take this data to a place and say "Make me a 35mm print?"

I don't want to get a PHD in computer science in order to put my movie together.

Hi joeg,
If your looking for film-out then a Post House with Scratch is possibly the
best and least complicated solution at the moment.
Lower Rez 'offline proxie' style editing can be done in FCP.
Final Conform, Grading and Color Management need to be done in a bigger
Post setup like Scratch if you intend to produce film prints for exhibition.
RED are about to release a Software Development Kit, so more and varied
post solutions will be availiable soon. Mac and PC based.
So hang in there dude, it's a rollercoaster ride. All here have taken it.
Join the club.
Mezmo

 

[Fredrik Callinggard]

Joeg what Greg is saying is true. You can create a perfectly fine online even for print to film, through laser, on your laptop if you wish. It'll take you some time but it's doable hahahaha.

It's this easy:

Shot RED RAW

Convert it to favorable offline codec (soon in more or less any program but at the moment. FCP Compressor (through proxies), RED Alert and/ or REDCine (provided for free by RED) and last Scratch/ ScratchCine - EDIT

Your edit list (EDL or XML) can now go to a RED RAW "converter" - after the SDK there will be many solutions but what works best right now is that either you go to Scratch directly (which is a high end grading solution). Or you can use Ians Crimson to convert the XML file of FCP to a REDCine XML.

In REDCine or Scratch you can do a primary grading and export to whatever codec you wish for.

From REDCine you can import non REDCode files to any grading program you want - Color, Lustre etc

Scratch is the faster way and it uses the strength of REDcode since it can work with it natively and it's also secondary grading, that's all.

The workflow is super easy and not any different to any other format. Knowledge in how to do this is all in this forum. It will also become even easier as soon as REdcode is released (sdk) and thirdparty developers can start to develope, which is about to happen any second now.


Fredrik Callinggard

 

[Jim Brennan]

Arrogant?

I just have to say that, although I am far from getting my head around the whole proess (understatement of the year), the information on this site is incredibly detailed and helpful. Yes, there are some assumptions made at times that you have certain skills/info (like what exactly a DPX file is), but the tone is hardly arrogant.

This site offers a Ph.D. in a bleeding edge technology that people would pay boatloads of money for. You just need to poke around and read what's here. Then, if you can't find what you need, ask a question. Then (and this is the key) actually research and/or try what is suggested.

How many places can you find professionals who will teach you for free to perform a task that they would charge a client hundreds of dollars an hour for?

 

[Allan Stallard]

There are so many great answers here. I just want to respond to what you said about calling a post house and hope that they have "heard" of Red. Chances are that you will be hard pressed to find a post house that HASN'T heard of Red.

There has been literally 1000's of projects from commercial, music video, promotional/industrial, and features that have been shot on Red. Yes, there is a little homework to do but no more than any other format. If you are used to shooting one way doing it another is going to require learning something new no matter what it is.

If you are an independent (or not) film maker then Red will open up great possibilities for you.

Good luck! With a little patience all your questions can be answered here!