Lazy Sunday

[Humberto Rivera]

I was thinking; why is-it that many of the “Old Guys” the ones that call a “Film” a “Picture” think that there is something wrong if they choose Digital Cinema, and many of the ones that might accept Digital Cinema are more likely to accept the Alexa, over the Red Epic? It’s definitely an interesting question. Now I must emphasize that what I’m writing about is just MY OPINION, and at that just one opinion, mine, there might be others! As matter of fact there are others, especially on this forum.

First there was my recent experience of understanding the difference between 1/32 and 1/64 of second shutter speed and at a 270° Shutter Angle. I was looking at it from a Filmmaker’s perspective, not a Videographer. I think that the distinction in metaphors is important. The correct answer is /64 of a Second Shutter Speed at a 270° Shutter Angle, it took me a while to wrap my hands around that concept.

Next was HDRx, you can’t do that with a Film Camera, only with an Electronic Shutter, where you can simultaneously record two different fames onto the same moment in time into an R3D frame.

As a Director of Photography or Director, you tend to go with what you’re comfortable with, such as; Steven Spielberg. So to introduce something new into your bag of trick, especially something not from Panavision, well it’s difficult. Red is a new company, it does not have the full support of the “Trade Press”, although that is slowly changing. They’re Producers in Hollywood that whatever they read in the two major “Trade Papers" they go out and peach it to advance their own position.

In an industry where people meet informally most of the time to talk about things that they don’t fully understand, but go out in the world and preach-it as if it were the Gospel Truth, well it’s misleading. I always said it doe not matter what you say about the film business, no matter how outrageous,” there is someone, somewhere that is always saying that the way it is”.

Red has done the right thing, build the best camera possible, at the highest resolution, the most dynamic range with HDRx, gotten a U.S. Patent for-it so the competition can’t copy-it, and moving ahead with the next best thing well into the future. They we also right in providing support for a number of major Motion Pictures, to both learn how to adapt the camera to the industry need, and when those film continue to come out at good clip, one and after the other, eventually the industry will take notice, like the many independent that populate this site already have.

Meanwhile keep the lawsuits coming out, such as the current Arri controversy that will eventually be resolve by the courts. Any controversy is good publicity, especially when YOU WIN.

Eventually the film produced with the Red Camera will be beyond ignoring, such as “The Social Network, “Contagion”, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, and many others, but the granddaddy of them all; “The Hobbit”. Those Producers that read the “Trades” every day will begging to preach Red everywhere, why, because they read about it on the Trades TODAY. Meanwhile Red continues to do the right thing, making the best Motion Picture Camera possible, and not staying put, keep on moving forward.

I think that the Motion picture industry is kind of pathetic, there is too much “Hype”. Look at one way to finance a picture, it takes three half’s, you don’t have the first half for your budget, but you say you do with ‘letter-of-intent’ from actual people with the verifiable money, but they are NOT going to invest. With that half you get the second half, once you have a ‘real-half’, and ‘phony half’, you obtain the ‘third-half’. You then begging pre-production and go sell the worldwide distributors’ territory by territory. Eventually you can start shooting. That’s just one of the many ways you can do-it, that why I say; “Anything you say is true”.

Anyhow today is the Sunday before the Government gets back to work tomorrow after a long two week recess from December 23 rd to the 9th of February, in Escazu, that’s the town where I live in Costa Rica it's all is quiet. My wife is on her computer doing her thing, and I’m on mine writing this nonsense. REMEMBER THIS IS MY OPINION.

All the best to Red, and may they, and you-all have a prosperous 2012, and that the Producers and Directors all over the world see the light.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Elsie N]

So, Humberto. Are you saying that the current state of the motion picture industry as we know it is falling victim to the Kodak syndrome?

I would say RED and companies like it unintentionally caused the Kodak troubles to some degree by offering a cheaper solution for picture taking and movie making. Maybe they are doing the same for the major motion picture industry, only they are in an earlier stage of that final result.

Like you, just musing... on a Sunday Afternoon.

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Hi Elsie, Not only the Digital Cameras, but KODAK is also suffering from “Films” that shoot on film, but they have no “Work Prints”, and fewer prints for releasing for theater distribution. In addition to the bias for Aleax, Panavision, Sony, now Canon, and of course Red which continues to be the best way to shoot a film? Those are the players, that where the change will take place, within those five companies. Who will dominate the marketplace? Only time will tell; but Red has the best chance.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Erik Franzén]

I'd be scared if only one player dominated the playground. Of course I want RED Digital Cinema to prosper and keep making great cameras, but not to the point where the expense is at the complete destruction of other companies. Competition is healthy. Domination is not.

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Dominate does not mean conquered, one player will always be dominant. But conquered, I don’t think so! I do think that Red’s turn at the top of the “Heap” is coming, and by default “Trade Press” (Industry) acceptance.

For now there are five companies competing for that title.

Humberto Rivera

 

[PatrickFaith]

Look at one way to finance a picture, it takes three half’s, you don’t have the first have for your budget, but you say you do with ‘letter-of-intent’ from actual people with the verifiable money, but they are NOT going to invest. With that half you get the second half, once you have a ‘real-half’, and ‘phony half’, you obtain the ‘third-half’. You then begging pre-production ....

I think RED is changing how the money equations work in two huge ways:
1) the buy/lease/rent equations (as camera's become more like computer hardware ... they will move to the buy/lease path where DP owns production processing)
2) pre-production/production/post-production work balance will change (more work will occur in pre&post production and less work in normal production[which is the huge cost]).

By having this flexibility... it allows a lot of things to occur which simply could not in the old cost models. I haven't seen much move into pushing more things into pre-production (thus huge cost reductions), but I'm hopeful to see that thru 2012. I also think it's likely (meaning it's not certain),that RED's laser projectors will have major impacts to the entire business (opening up a ton of business models). Allowing more flexible business models allows a lot more creativity(could also generate a lot of trash movies ... but I think that's just learning).

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Patrick, absolutely that’s definitely another way, but there are many ways, and someone is inventing a new one every day; “whatever any one says it’s true, no matter how outrageous” I could sit here a write a dozen ways by just writing what comes to the tip-of-my-head, but there are lots of way, that’s why it all “Hype” and what is worst, in most cases it becomes the picture of the guy who paid the bills-last, usually not the producer.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, Give the Producer all the money he asked for, whatever the amount but within reason, all less 15% (that’s actually higher than what the producer asked for), you know that Producers are “most-always-wrong” about the cost of their movie, 90% of the time, it’s the nature of the beast,. Especially when they get into post-production, that’s where they get them, now the investor usually has a delivery date in the contract that he signs with the producer, and it’s not right up front in “Bold Letters”, but buried well within the “many-page-contract”. So when the date comes, and the Producer does not comply, that’s history for the Producer after he and the crew/actors did all the heavy lifting, when the production is complete; but post-production? Another time that we hear of another Hollywood Story where the Studio, Distributor “came-out-on top”.

Most Producer spend 90% of their time looking for money, and 10% making a movie, and the script has change so many times, another reason why Hollywood Films come out they way they do. The best thing to do is to “Get out of Dodge” once you have the money and go where ever. They’re a so many unnecessary clause in an Investor contract, things such as completion bond, interest on the money till the film is paid back (which never occurs), way too many to thing to remember this early in the morning. I could go-on and on, but Making Movies is still a good “calling-in-life”, it’s just the character that it attracts, they’re a real collection.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Elsie N]

I think RED is changing how the money equations work in two huge ways:
1) the buy/lease/rent equations (as camera's become more like computer hardware ... they will move to the buy/lease path where DP owns production processing)
2) pre-production/production/post-production work balance will change (more work will occur in pre & post production and less work in normal production [which is the huge cost]).

By having this flexibility... it allows a lot of things to occur which simply could not in the old cost models. I haven't seen much move into pushing more things into pre-production (thus huge cost reductions), but I'm hopeful to see that thru 2012. I also think it's likely (meaning it's not certain),that RED's laser projectors will have major impacts to the entire business (opening up a ton of business models). Allowing more flexible business models allows a lot more creativity(could also generate a lot of trash movies ... but I think that's just learning).

I agree Patrick. As someone watching from outside the industry one forms the opinion that in the larger productions, at least, money is just thrown into the movie assuming it will ROI in multiples. Smaller scale movies seem to be more interested in efficient investment. The changes that are happening now and soon will surely have great impact on efficiency, if not the industry in its entirety.

Patrick, absolutely that’s definitely another way, but there are many ways, and someone is inventing a new one every day; “whatever any one says it’s true, no matter how outrageous” I could sit here a write a dozen ways by just writing what comes to the tip-of-my-head, but there are lots of way, that’s why it all “Hype” and what is worst, in most cases it becomes the picture of the guy who paid the bills-last, usually not the producer.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, Give the Producer all the money he asked for, whatever the amount but within reason, all less 15% (that’s actually higher than what the producer asked for), you know that Producers are “most-always-wrong” about the cost of their movie, 90% of the time, it’s the nature of the beast,. Especially when they get into post-production, that’s where they get them, now the investor usually has a delivery date in the contract that he signs with the producer, and it’s not right up front in “Bold Letters”, but buried well within the “many-page-contract”. So when the date comes, and the Producer does not comply, that’s history for the Producer after he and the crew/actors did all the heavy lifting, when the production is complete; but post-production? Another time that we hear of another Hollywood Story where the Studio, Distributor “came-out-on top”.

Most Producer spend 90% of their time looking for money, and 10% making a movie, and the script has change so many times, another reason why Hollywood Films come out they way they do. The best thing to do is to “Get out of Dodge” once you have the money and go where ever. They’re a so many unnecessary clause in an Investor contract, things such as completion bond, interest on the money till the film is paid back (which never occurs), way too many to thing to remember this early in the morning. I could go-on and on, but Making Movies is still a good “calling-in-life”, it’s just the character that it attracts, they’re a real collection.

Humberto Rivera

Take heart Humberto. The near-term picture you are describing may be about to undergo a change--especially over the long term--in regard to the big picture world. And like Patrick inferred, we can't say for sure what the change will look like... only that a sea-change is coming.

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Elsie, all true! At the end of the day, it’s about the “Idea” and having someone take a calculated chance on that “Idea”, however the problems begin to slowly escalate as the “Original Idea” is taken up the food-chain to whoever is going to be the “Executive Producer” (usually a code for the money man, or at least someone connected to them, or if more than one person). This is why most of the Studio Pictures (actually distribution in certain territories) have multiple production partners at the beginning of the “credits” they usually contributed to the budges. The films also have end credits, that’s where there is a multitude of “Below the Line” workers that help the whole effort, and that is the “Industry” (Supported by the “Trade Press"). But I continue to say; “anything you say is true, no matter how outrageous”. Somewhere in the Planet Earth, somebody is at this time is working on financing a Picture, they may or may-not have successes, but they’re definitely trying to get it finance. Not only in Hollywood, in Bombay (Bollywood), in Europe, all over the World.

I agree with you Elsie they're already changes taken place, take the current Domestic Box Office Receipt for 2011, they were the lowest level in 16 years, however the World Wide Receipts have substantially increased over the same period, the World is indeed changing.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Costa Rica is back to normal again, the traffic going toward San Jose is caught up in the daily traffic jams. Meanwhile the Producers and Directors around the world are going to pitch their Ideas.

I was thinking; about what it takes to make a film, first the idea, or a book, or a star attached to film. Some stars ask for money up-front to read a script. Anyhow, it starts with the pitch, the development of the Idea, the ordering of a script, the approval process for the script (usually it means many changes), the pre-production, the casting, the “cold-reading” of the script (rehearsal for some), the production schedule (and the production board, and/or the story board), the actual PRODUCTION BEGGING’S, the post-production, beginning to think about the marketing, the first answer print (by that I mean editing changes in the electronic parlance), test screening, “locking-up” the final release print and doing a script transcript, preparation of the sales kits, film festivals (with the hopes of picking-up a distribution contract at the festival), lots of meetings, translating and dubbing into other languages, then the opening, and good luck. I’m sure I forgot a lot of steps (or not in that order), but those are the ones that just come to mind or maybe a different route for some Films (Pictures). But at this point “Not a RED Cent” has been made by the Film, only the “Crew”, the “Actors” and all the providers of services, UP-FRONT.

At anytime during that process the film can be stop (and collect the Completion Bond), the Producer fired (or continue with a different Producer put by the Completion Bond Company, maybe the Director), you may not get a distributor to pick-up the film, you may not sell all territories, anything could happen! Wow! It makes you think!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

It’s Sunday again, the streets are typical for a Sunday in Escazu, Costa Rica! I was thinking if Jim Jannard had not decided to make a “4K Camera” that at-the-time seemed impossible to perceived, and he did not know what he was doing. But somehow they came up with the first models of the Red One; that’s the one that “Peter Jackson” used in “Crossing the Line”, and constantly modify the software so it became the Red One that was used to make “Gamer”, or the one that “Steven Soderbergh” used on “Che” and countless other productions. That Red One!

The camera capable of recording R3D files; the camera that Thomas Graeme Nattress and James Jannard where given the U. S. Patent too, in the name of Red.com. That’s the camera that other people did not take seriously, only a few committed Red Users the ones that decided that they would take a $1,000.00 “Crab Shoot”. For whatever their reason, they took a chance, and then they lived through a very long process as the camera continued getting better and better trough a series of software up-grades, it was not an easy journey for them, I’m just saying.

That effort led to the “M” and now the “X”, which is now going into Stage 3, and soon will go into Stage 4 for the rest of us! Wow, what a ride, even looking at it from the side line as I have for that last four year or so. I don’t really know how many cameras they made so far, and how many they are going to end up making, but it’s going to be a LOT. But that Camera has turned the “Film Industry” on its head. It’s become a kick in the butt for all the 4K cameras that are soon to populate the “Industry”!

They’ve tried to ignored-it at-first, many-still-do, but Red continue to work both ends of the spectrum, from the very high end film productions like the “The Hobbit” in S3D with a “Half Billion Dollar” budget, to Independent Films all over the world with many different budgets and sometimes practically no-budget at-all; the camera is the same price FOR-ALL! It’s just amazing; they managed to get a U. S. Patent issued without any objection from ANYONE, which was one of the many struck-of-luck and stubbornness perseverance’s that Red.com managed to accomplish.

Now look where they are, they continue to manufacture the camera that continues to advance in features and accessories that continue to improve at a fairly good clip. They are looking forward to the introduction of the “Red Dragon”; I think the “Red Dragon” is going to turn the “Industry” on-its-head again! That’s just MY OPINION; they now have a track record to compare-it-against. What will the “Industry” say then! Who knows!

To Red I say; that you may have a long journey down a road with many impediments that you will overcome; to successes’! Another lazy Sunday morning writing whatever comes to my head! As they say in Costa Rica (loose translation) “If God Wants”!

Humberto Rivera