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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 :)

Really, an iMac? Come on!?

Johann Schulz

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I've been searching high and low, I'm poor and kinda slow, but tell me if I buy (I already did) the newest iMac, can I edit my great RED footage without the need for a MacPro or a MacBookPro?

The new iMac's running a 3.02 GHz Intel Core Duo with a NVIDIA GeForce 8800GS graphics card with 512mb memory. I've got 4 gigs of RAM and a G-Force 500gig 800fw external HHD. It's not even close to the ultimate, but can I make it due?.... I'm not one of the rich muffs, I just want to be self sufficient and in business. Thanks!

BTW, If you can actually do this, edit RED on an iMac, wouldn't that just drop and raise the bar at the same time, thereby democratizing this system 100-fold? Baby, you want filmmakers in production? You got it! RED RULES!
 
Well, I think you should be fine. I'm not too sure about the HDD. I would go for atleast 1TB of not a decent raid system. Other than that I think you should be fine.

But do keep in mind that, the renders will take its own sweet time. If time is not the issue, then yeah...
 
i have borrowed 24" iMac 2.14 with i think a geForce 7300 .. i use a Redcine build from last Feb as the newer builds do not work that well on it ... i mainly use it to render the 2k proxy's in FCP ... and sometimes to make new proxy's with CC in Red Alrert ... then edit on PC
i have a two 400gig external firewire 800 units (G-tech) that i use with the Mac & PC ... playback was fair to so -so on both iMac & pc using the firewire 800 drives ... last week i installed 2 internal 1 terrebyte drives into the PC as raid 0 = excellent playback = day/night difference on performance ...
so the weak link could be getting enough MB/s using FW800 drives ?
 
The place where I work is buying Macs of all flavours all the time. I've loaded RedCine on some of the latest iMacs and so far so good loading R3D files into RedCine and rendering out to ProRes and the like. Have then taken the R3D proxies into iMovie on the same machine no problem. Just did this for curiosity as I personally use a MacBook Pro with Final Cut to dabble with Red proxies. Hope this is some help.
 
we use octi cores. G5s MacBooks and they all can cut the rendered out quicktimes. Once you make a prorez QuickTime it opens the door to all your macs. Yes render times are slower on a slower machine but usually if you are on a budget you can afford time. If you cannot get an octicore. Refurbished macs are as low as 2k. ;)
 
I've been rough editing a 2k test shoot last weekend with quicktime proxies on my macbook 2GHz Intel Core Duo (1GB) with Final Cut Pro - it worked fine for the purpose of rough assembly of some sample shots.

kind regards,
martin
 
The new iMac's running a 3.02 GHz Intel Core Duo with a NVIDIA GeForce 8800GS graphics card with 512mb memory. I've got 4 gigs of RAM...


Many of us are using current Macbook Pros on set and on the road. Not ideal for working with Red footage, but they work! If your Mac mini specs are better than MBP's you should be OK.
 
Hey Guys, i am new to this tread and excited to see this site with lot of info about Red.

i have a question that If i shot a movie on Red at 4K and do all my post including applying effects, color correction etc in Final cut studio at a lower resolution ( with the QT reduced res). Now What do i do if i have to make my movie printed on film for the theatre release? Can Final cut do the job or Do i have to take my EDL to some big production house where they use Quantel Pablo or some other way to finalize for film.

Thanks in advance.
 
Thank you everyone for the feedback. My date with RED ONE should-might-could-we'll see-be in September?.... and I'm just updating my accessories wish-list. The EVF, 16gig cards and the 7" pro LCD; heck, even the variety of rods have changed! It just keeps getting better!

Since I'm an English teacher in Taiwan, I'm dealing with limited resources and want to put what I've got with RED first, before going 8core, or more.

...An English teacher, battling it out with top production houses from around the world to see who gets their RED ONE first! Incredible! I feel lucky. From the realm of my dreams, thanks RED!
 
I just re-read my original thread-post: I've got to stop eating in those cheap restaurants and surfing at 4AM! I tend to get overly wordy and ramble on, but I've noticed a similar tendency in other characters whose anticipation for their camera arrival causes weird impulses to materialize in odd forms. See! I told you!

Anyway, the bright side of the whole deal is that after these clinical cases take possession of their RED ONE's, they become inquisitive, productive, outstanding members of this forum. Since I haven't taken possession yet, please be aware that my posts may continue to harbour exclaimations like, "Come on, baby, I'm ready fo ya! Who's your daddy gonna be?!"

~I think I'm limited to about 80MB/s with the G-Force HHD. I saw some good posts on other drives that'll take it to the next level and I'll look into those.
 
I tend to get overly wordy and ramble on, but I've noticed a similar tendency in other characters whose anticipation for their camera arrival causes weird impulses to materialize in odd forms. See! I told you!

that's the red effect, it's contagious.
 
Hey Guys, i am new to this tread and excited to see this site with lot of info about Red.

i have a question that If i shot a movie on Red at 4K and do all my post including applying effects, color correction etc in Final cut studio at a lower resolution ( with the QT reduced res). Now What do i do if i have to make my movie printed on film for the theatre release? Can Final cut do the job or Do i have to take my EDL to some big production house where they use Quantel Pablo or some other way to finalize for film.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Rubancam,
Doing film out requires some pretty serious color managment, also a lot of
other things. As a rule you would require approx 5x20minute 2K DPX reels
on disk for the film burn. Boxes like Assimilate Scratch 'Cine' can do this,
It's a little 'over the head' of applications like FCP. Scratch will work with
native R3d files for compile, Pablo would be fine for grading the DPX reels
and usually set up in an establishment already aligned to a Film Lab, both
using a common color managemnt system. Beware of so called 'cheaper' alternatives.
Mezmo
 
Dear mezmo, are you saying FCS2, using Color of course, can't do it? Or can you be more specific to it's limitations? I've been reading the manuals and the interviews and they seem to say that at least up to the "forehead" that it can be done, same edit-speak and all: break the film down into 20 minute reels, etc. 4K, obviously not yet, but lower rez as Rubancam is asking about...

The Coens do an interview for FCS2 on the Apple site, talking about their experience and the development of color DI's, etc. I'm hoping to find out myself soon enough. Then I can post with experience. That's the kicker.

As an Indifilmmaker asks: Can it be done? Just like the i-Mac I think: well, yes and no... Then again, I don't think you're going to have to worry about "film out" for much longer. Bigwigs go for the most cost-effective quality they can get. I remember the projector/opperators striking in front of the first muliplexes as they went to digital projection. A person has nothing to do with profits and the debate rages on about old school having trouble adapting to new technology and times, and as they make up their crusty old minds, the times, they have a-changed!
 
Thank you Mezmo and Ricopedra , In an ideal world we could edit like DV or HD content in our desktop. Right now it seems to be the power of the desktop computers and the Displays or projectors which are capable of displaying 4k resolution are lacking.

Why not they make the system work like using manageable size of proxy files to edit, color grade and when you export, it could save as 2K DPX or 4K DPX files using the 4K footage to render the finals and that can be sent for film print.

I agree mezmo the color grading is a hard thing to do, Apple and other software makers like Adobe, Avid, Sony etc can make an application like Auto Desk's Lustre. Apple Already has Color which work within the Final cut edit suite but needs to learn from Lustre.

i hope next Final cut studio 3 will address all that .
 
Rubancam, I just noticed your user pic for some reason and I can't remember what we were talking about! ;>) WOW!

Oh yea, Assimilate is getting close, but you've got to pay. I think you're right though, and FCS3 must be just around the corner; LCD/monitors are less than 3k, but that's not a killer.

Where I think we're going though, is into the REDRAY territory and the hushed/screamed talk-whispers of a possible RED 4k projector. Busting theatre monopolies, smashing 35mm filmmaking price-points, holy cow! I need my Oakley's! Can you imagine walking into your local coffee house's art room and being able to see a locally made doc or drama looking better than one of those neglected films that run out of focus for a few minutes at your local cineplex? The future's almost here, man! Ha ha!
 
I'm starting to feel shitty, posting in my own thread so much, but this is a link to: post #6 in the thread, "My Workflow Plan". This sounds knowledgable and interesting for a modern-day workflow to film-out.
 
Rubancam, I just noticed your user pic for some reason and I can't remember what we were talking about! ;>) WOW!

Oh yea, Assimilate is getting close, but you've got to pay. I think you're right though, and FCS3 must be just around the corner; LCD/monitors are less than 3k, but that's not a killer.

Where I think we're going though, is into the REDRAY territory and the hushed/screamed talk-whispers of a possible RED 4k projector. Busting theatre monopolies, smashing 35mm filmmaking price-points, holy cow! I need my Oakley's! Can you imagine walking into your local coffee house's art room and being able to see a locally made doc or drama looking better than one of those neglected films that run out of focus for a few minutes at your local cineplex? The future's almost here, man! Ha ha!


When i joined this site, i saw everyone had some kind of Red logo in thier profile pics, so i tired to do mine Hahaha... Her name is Shilpa Shetty from India.


The main problem now is that most of the theaters do not have digital projectors which are capable of projecting 4K resolution. Soon all will have to upgrade to that and i think REDRAY disc may be a delivery medium just like film reels now. All this make people like us to get access to great medium at very low cost, no compromise in quality, previously only enjoyed by the big productions where they could afford to shoot in film.

The improvement needed here is Editing work flow, i hope Apple will address in next Finalcut studio 3 and possibly Sony may produce more 4K projectors and LCDs for affordable price.

A dream come true for us : -).
 
Basically the FW800 is the worst drive to use, An imac has ZERO upgradability.
 
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