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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 :)

I just want a shot

Adam Rook

Adam Rook

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Hi guys,

I'm not sure the ethics of this or if I am way out of line for asking this on here so please feel free to scold me if necessary.

Some of you know me here and know that I am not a Red user YET. But I feel confident that if you dropped a Scarlet or Epic in my lap I could hit the ground running with it. I see so many beautiful images from you guys that it makes me ache to get my hands on one and see what I can do with it.

I'm trying the best I can to phrase this so I don't come off as a hard-luck story or lose what limited credibility I may have on this forum. Recently we suffered a set back in our family that required us to tie up a large portion of our income for a while so renting a Red is practically impossible at the moment. It also caused the Raven purchase to slip through my fingers. I could totally rent one after we take care of this matter but until then here is my question...

Is there anyone in the Dallas area that would grant me the opportunity to shoot with their Red? Just have a go with it. I'm so anxious to shoot something just to prove to myself and all of you that I can do it. I would love nothing more than to be able to post something on the "Shot on Red" section.

Also note that I'm not asking you to send it to me and let me drive off with it. I want you there too. But I just want to get my hands on one, shoot with it, and stand back and say, "See that? I shot that."

Let me know if I'm out of line asking this and, if so, I'll delete this post. Everyone here is so great and whatever the outcome... I still love you guys.

*** EDIT ***

I guess I need to clarify something here... I'm am not of the delusion that a Red will suddenly make me a better cinematographer. I know it won't. I want to see it in action. I want to shoot with one. I keep getting responses telling me to shoot with whatever I can get my hands on. I'm doing that already. I want to see how the images compare to what I have and what I've used. I JUST WANT TO EXPERIENCE ONE.

Guys I shoot real estate...not much of a story to tell there. I want to see how a Red performs compared to what I've shot with. That's all. I know it won't magically make me awesome.
 
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I understand setbacks, but I guess I don't understand why you feel you have to have a Red camera right now to make pretty pictures?

Use what you have and hone your skills. You don't need a Red camera to practice your craft.

All the best!

Dave
 
one camera over another wont do anything for you..

get anything you can.. a 7D ... and make pretty images with that.. tell a story with that first..

hell find a dvx100a on ebay for 700 bucks, use that.


if you can make something shine and tell a story with an older camera, you can do it with any camera
 
It's not that. I do have camera equipment and I'm squeezing every last bit of life out of it I can. I've never shot on a Red and I just want to experience it. I've played with countless number of R3D files and I love what I can do with them but I want to play with R3Ds I have created.

Recently I went to my local Porsche dealership and asked if I could drive a 911 because I never had. They were gracious enough to let me do it and I LOVED IT!!! Still can't afford one but at least now I know why so many people are passionate about 911s.

I drove it down the same roads I drive my SUV every day but it was a much better experience. I've shot with other cameras and have decided that Red is THE camera system I want. But I'm basing that on everything I've read, seen, and played with on this forum. I've never actually shot with one. And that's what I want to do. I want to experience it in the environment I mainly shoot.
 
Zakaree Sandberg said:
one camera over another wont do anything for you..

get anything you can.. a 7D ... and make pretty images with that.. tell a story with that first..

hell find a dvx100a on ebay for 700 bucks, use that.


if you can make something shine and tell a story with an older camera, you can do it with any camera
Click to expand...


Thanks Zakaree for that... I get what you're saying and I already do that. My dad had a saying I live by... "Do the best you can with what you have." I'm doing that now.

I just want to experience shooting on a Red.
 
I'm going to try and see if I understand.

You want to shoot on a RED, be able to grade your own R3Ds, and finally prove to yourself that you have all the knowledge and capability it takes to get the best image.

To me, this comes off as gear lust. A Porsche will carve corners better than your SUV. Yet both will get you from A to B. Yes, a .r3d that you shot will give you the satisfaction achieving your goal of shooting on RED, but there's more to it than that.

It seems like these days, nothing inspires a creative professional more than FINALLY getting the equipment they desire in their hands. I volunteer my time at my hometown community college. The students get their hands on a RED way earlier than I did, and in turn, i'm seeing the creative spark light like a wildfire. They try harder. They light better. They bust ass because they know they can't blame their Canon/BlackMagic/GH4/whatever for their sloppy story, weak composition, and awful contrast. Shooting on RED brings out the best in these young creatives, because the limit is no longer their gear. It's themselves.

The mountain you have to climb is convincing someone that you're in it for more than just test driving a RED because it's a RED. If you spend your life chasing the satisfaction of shooting with 1st class gear, you'll never reach the finish line. At the end of the day, a RED is a metal box that makes you money if you use it right.

That's just my $0.02
 
Adam Rook said:
...I want to see how a Red performs compared to what I've shot with. That's all. I know it won't magically make me awesome.
Click to expand...

Shoot with any camera made in the past 6 years and send it to YouTube and 99% of the audience will not be able to discern a difference.
 
Am I asking the wrong question? Am I reading too much into this because it seems like you guys are more bent on putting me in my place here than answering my question. Maybe I lack the credibility to ask this request but it feels like you guys have a need to "school" me on life lessons. I've been filming for years. I have my reasons for wanting to shoot on a Red. I know my reasons. It's not just gear lust. I could;t care less what anyone on YouTube thinks right now. It's not for them. What is this narrative that I'm missing here guys? It seems to me if you don't have the answer to my question then why the need to offer up these responses?

My request is simple. I'm asking for a favor. A HUGE favor I know... and that is this... is anyone in the Dallas area willing to let me spend some time with their Red?

Finances prevent me from renting one which is what I would do, if I could right now, to accomplish the exact same thing I'm wanting to accomplish. Where is the disconnect?
 
Yeah, I have some sympathy for what you are feeling, but for it to have gotten to this point, just that hard edged *knowing* that you just need to try a specific camera means it has gotten out of hand. There is a camera in any budget range that will allow you to truly test and stretch your skills.
 
What? Guys come on... it's a simple request. Why do you see it as something that has gotten out of hand or thinking that I feel this is the be-all, end-all of cameras and I HAVE TO HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW. It's not what I'm feeling. I am intrigued with this camera, yes. I want to shoot on it just to get some experience shooting with it. Why all this push-back?

Let's pretend it is gear lust or I've worked myself up to a frenzy.. so what? What do you care what my reasons are for wanting to shoot something with this camera? I have my reasons. I'm not a newbie. I've been filming and honing my craft for years. I know what I want to see and I know what I want to test and I know why I want to do it. It's that simple.

Either you live in the Dallas area and are generous enough to help me out or you're don't. I'm not trying to test MY skills. I want to test the equipment.

Do you guys have Reds? Do you feel there is soothing flawed with them? Why are you trying to steer me away from this?
 
I would have lent you mine for a week but sadly I do not live in Dallas, nor USA for that matter. But I believe someone else would be willing to do the same in your area!

I think its to much of a discussion to talk IF its alright to ask questions like these. If it feels good for you. Go ahead and ask.
 
A different approach might be to ask if you can put in some time as an AC with a Red owner op? Intern with a local operator, get experience with the gear and then they might see the potential and give you a shot. You might also get a better response approaching Dallas redusers via personal message or email - send some of your work and speak with then directly, let them know what you have to offer.
 
Hey Adam. I feel your pain of just wanting to try the gear out. Totally reasonable to just want to try a camera out to see what it's like. I do it quite frequently to test out different images, see what the workflow is like, etc. I got an Epic Dragon last year and it's been a baller to film with. And I would argue that YES you can tell the difference between cameras on YouTube. If graded properly, you can tell ARRI, Sony, RED, Canon apart due to the different color spaces that each sensor has. Graded improperly with Bleach Bypass or some crap like that, well then yeah they will all look the same. I'm in Indiana, but PM me and maaayybbee we can work something out if my filming schedule allows for it. Can't make ANY promises but we can talk.

Note to the other guys. Seems like Adam simply wants to try the gear out. Nothing wrong with just wanting to try something out for the heck out it to see what it's like. Ease up and remember we should all be trying to help each other even if we don't have the same perspectives.
 
Thanks Robin I appreciate that.
Levi... thank you.. Finally I feel like someone is getting why I'm asking. I really appreciate your responses. And I agree with your YouTube argument. And thank you for understanding where I'm coming from.

Daniel... that's a god idea. I will do that. thanks for the advice.
 
Separate your "needs" from your "wants". Most all great filmmakers started on the shitty gear that they could beg, borrow or steal and made an impression so strong they got support, from those who recognized raw talent, and supported them to be able to advance to the next level. If you have talent it will show. If you want electronic jewelry then don't expect respect - just buy it and wear it. That's what I do ;-)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_25
 
i think you should contact a camera rental house and not see if you can rent one, but just have some time with it on their property and shoot some tests. i think any house would let you do that for free, just bring a computer and a drive!
 
Jordan that's a good idea. I'll check with the rental house I've used for years now.
 
Alexander Thomson said:
Shoot with any camera made in the past 6 years and send it to YouTube and 99% of the audience will not be able to discern a difference.
Click to expand...

This isn't about them. This is about me. What I can see. What I can do. I don't care about the YouTube audience right now. There are technical reasons I want to try the camera.
 
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