My first Blu Ray...

[Lewis-M Soucy]

Just burned my first blu-ray out of my MB Pro with the external LaCie burner and Toast Titanium 10. Hassle free, I burned my Red footage, a music video we shot last week (made a quick export from FCP, no Redcine or else (L&T, cut 2K prores, quick exported QT as is in 2:1...)) and it just worked! Beautiful amazing result on my Samsung 52" plasma... So cool!

Beyond anything this camera can be, I just feel like indie work and self distribution is in our hands... My lil' test proves just how much this step is the first one to make a selling clean and credible support to show and sell one's work... And if one gets distribution, the distributor can finance expensive post and film transfer of course...

I feel so lucky to have this camera. Thanks Jim & co.

 

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Theres no Doubt.. that what RED is doing (and surrounding tech companies) is putting the power to make movies and distribute on an indie level

Ive mentioned it before.. but RED is to FILM making.. as DIGI DESIGN was/is to music making.

exciting stuff!!!

Now.. i just need to get a Red prime set

 

[Häakon]

Feels great, doesn't it? Making Blu-ray discs is a lot less hassle than some would have you believe (kinda like shooting with the RED camera in general, eh?).

The big problem still remains that there isn't any Blu-ray playback software for Macs. It's sad that greed is stifling that progress in such a major way. But RED footage sure looks pretty on a giant HD LCD!

 

[Joe G.]

", I just feel like indie work and self distribution is in our hands... "

Does anyone know what the deal is with selling BluRays, particularly the royalties you have to pay, the licensing fees? How much to print a batch?

 

[Iannis Holwech]

To answer the question of the cost of mass producing Blu ray (BD) discs is rather complicated.

For independent film makers and consumers, the demise of HD-DVD was really one of the worst things that could happen for the future of HD discs, because everything became more expensive and more complicated, both in terms of licensing costs, authoring costs and disc production costs.
HD-DVD’s licensing and authoring price structure was nearly identical to SD-DVD and could be replicated on existing SD-DVD replication machines with some add-on equipment, while the whole manufacturing of BD replication industry has to be build from the ground up, use more expensive machines than the SDDVD/HDDVD replication machines and can not be used for dual BD/DVD production. These investments have to be paid by somebody, which are the content producers and the end consumer.

One little known project that independent film makers could have benefited from that went “out the window” with HD-DVD was the Amazon and Microsoft’s 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project. https://www.createspace.com/Special/AboutUs/PR/20070701_HDDVD.jsp

One should have thought that some BD companies would have been happy to take over and continue that project? But even when this project was in the planning stages, the BD side was invited to participate but wasn’t interested. What the real reason for that is not known, but
one reason is that such a project is impossible due to BD specification and licensing, like that AACS copy protection as Mandatory, while in HD-DVD it was choice of the content owner to use AACS or not. Other reasons might be filed under BDA’s strategy for the BD format, like market control and not wanting competition from independent studios before the big Hollywood studios have established BD and themselves in the market.

As of now an AACS licence cost $3000 up front before you can start your project, add BD licence, check disc costs etc. and you should end up around $10000.
Add authoring costs, BD Java, and of course payment for each disc, then one have roughly an understanding of the costs up front before one can (hopefully) sell enough discs to profit from the project.

BD as of now is not for small projects, they are better done as burner projects.
When that is said; things might change somewhat during the next six months when a new BD Licensing system is going to be published.
Only what is known is that it will cost 11¢ for a read-only disc, 12¢ for a recordable disc, and 15¢ for a rewritable disc.
Nothing is said about AACS and other upfront costs.
"Unified Blu-ray licensing is remedy to 'bag of hurt'"(?)
http://www.betanews.com/article/Unified-Bluray-licensing-is-remedy-to-bag-of-hurt/1235601079

For those that want to know more about the implication of getting involved in a BD project; here are some of the articles that have been published on E.medialive about the issues.

The Ins and Outs of Blu-ray Disc Replication and Licensing By Hugh Bennett - Oct 7, 2008.
http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?CategoryID=44&ArticleID=14071

Is AACS Killing the Blu-ray Disc Industry? By Mark Fritz - Sep 30, 2008.
http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?CategoryID=44&ArticleID=14057

Blu-ray Disc Licensing for Small Publishers, Duplicators, and Independent Studios By Hugh Bennett - Jun 26, 2008.
http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?CategoryID=44&ArticleID=13818

I hope this answer some questions.

 

[Joe G.]

Thanks Iannis.

What do you make of all of this? Are they going to lower the price soon for small indie producers?