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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 :)

The Big Mistake...

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It will make some people a better filmmaker. You've only got to look at the discussions on here to see how people are improving their knowledge. But I agree 100% that for talented filmmakers it will be utterly superb.

Look out world. The right tool, in the right hands, makes all the difference. All aspects of that statement must be in play for true success.

The problem is, until recently, there was NO way I could afford to shoot a feature film with image quality comparable to, or exceeding, a 35mm print - and minus all the post and processing fees. And I have been dying to do just that since my days in film school.

What this represents for me is not having to ASK anyone for anything...anymore. I realize, everyone has their own path to success, and there are filmmakers that were able to pull off the feat before the RED. However, for anyone who has actually been involved in Hollywood for any length of time you know what a crap shoot that is. For every famous director you can think of, typically that person has some back-story where they're related to someone already on the inside. Not saying that's always the case, but it is more often than not.

I recently shot a few promos on the RED for a client, and I was amazed at the image quality and what we were able to do with all the resolution. The outcome was truly UNBELIEVABLE. And we did this as a test, pennies on the dollar. The client is getting stuff they wouldn't have been able to get for 300K...let alone the price he paid. Hell, he wouldn't have been able to get a Handycam wedding video for that price.

In another case, an associate shot a VERY basic set of 5 spots for a well known attorney in the Socal area :) (you can guess who), and IMHO they were not able to even scratch what my small detachment was able to pull off for a literal fraction of the cost. I still do not understand how they were able to justify the expense.

Who cares though. What this tells me...there is going to be a world of opportunity for new, and emerging filmmakers in the very near future.

I hope you've all been studying and writing content. Although the RED is an AWESOME TOOL...it is still only that. At the end of the day, it is going to be about what you are capable of with that tool. The distribution channel (read: the Internet) is large enough to accommodate each and every one of us. Brand yourself.

Television, and computers are finally one and the same. And soon you'll be able to add movie theaters into that fold. GO REDRAY!!!!!!!!!!

Eryc

BTW the way, the associate I mentioned shot on the 2700, NOT the RED. :/
 
I don't watch sports - ever. I sure hope that doesn't keep 4k broadcasts from becoming a reality.
 
Look out world. The right tool, in the right hands, makes all the difference. All aspects of that statement must be in play for true success.

The problem is, until recently, there was NO way I could afford to shoot a feature film with image quality comparable to, or exceeding, a 35mm print - and minus all the post and processing fees. And I have been dying to do just that since my days in film school.

What this represents for me is not having to ASK anyone for anything...anymore. I realize, everyone has their own path to success, and there are filmmakers that were able to pull off the feat before the RED. However, for anyone who has actually been involved in Hollywood for any length of time you know what a crap shoot that is. For every famous director you can think of, typically that person has some back-story where they're related to someone already on the inside. Not saying that's always the case, but it is more often than not.

I recently shot a few promos on the RED for a client, and I was amazed at the image quality and what we were able to do with all the resolution. The outcome was truly UNBELIEVABLE. And we did this as a test, pennies on the dollar. The client is getting stuff they wouldn't have been able to get for 300K...let alone the price he paid. Hell, he wouldn't have been able to get a Handycam wedding video for that price.

In another case, an associate shot a VERY basic set of 5 spots for a well known attorney in the Socal area :) (you can guess who), and IMHO they were not able to even scratch what my small detachment was able to pull off for a literal fraction of the cost. I still do not understand how they were able to justify the expense.

Who cares though. What this tells me...there is going to be a world of opportunity for new, and emerging filmmakers in the very near future.

I hope you've all been studying and writing content. Although the RED is an AWESOME TOOL...it is still only that. At the end of the day, it is going to be about what you are capable of with that tool. The distribution channel (read: the Internet) is large enough to accommodate each and every one of us. Brand yourself.

Television, and computers are finally one and the same. And soon you'll be able to add movie theaters into that fold. GO REDRAY!!!!!!!!!!

Eryc

BTW the way, the associate I mentioned shot on the 2700, NOT the RED. :/

Interesting, because a cinematographer friend of mine and i could shoot a feature on 35mm for a low cost. Why? because we asked the right people the right questions at the right time.

For the most recent student film I worked on, we were able to get a Panavision Gold package at an insane rate that I won't say here because it's too ridiculous. We got our 35mm stock for free from Kodak because we asked them just as they came out with Vision 3, and so they gave us about 28 000 feet of Vision 2. Deluxe gave us an equally insane deal on post processing, and when all the chips fell, 4 days of shooting cost us maybe around $2000 for a 10 minute film at an 8:1 shooting ratio.

Right tool for the right job is absolutely correct though, which is why is makes me sad to see people shooting on the DSLR's for film and television work. That's a journalism and still camera, and has no place in the film and television world. It looks atrocious and very unprofessional, even in the right hands.

I won't speak to the Red, but I simply do not like the Red, I've had way too many issues with it on set. That being said, I'm dying to get my hands on an Alexa and work with that.
 
Interesting, because a cinematographer friend of mine and i could shoot a feature on 35mm for a low cost. Why? because we asked the right people the right questions at the right time.

For the most recent student film I worked on, we were able to get a Panavision Gold package at an insane rate that I won't say here because it's too ridiculous. We got our 35mm stock for free from Kodak because we asked them just as they came out with Vision 3, and so they gave us about 28 000 feet of Vision 2. Deluxe gave us an equally insane deal on post processing, and when all the chips fell, 4 days of shooting cost us maybe around $2000 for a 10 minute film at an 8:1 shooting ratio.

Right tool for the right job is absolutely correct though, which is why is makes me sad to see people shooting on the DSLR's for film and television work. That's a journalism and still camera, and has no place in the film and television world. It looks atrocious and very unprofessional, even in the right hands.

I won't speak to the Red, but I simply do not like the Red, I've had way too many issues with it on set. That being said, I'm dying to get my hands on an Alexa and work with that.

Kind of a cool story Mark. If you can get a deal like that, sure does make it more palpable to shoot on film, especially if the project calls for it.

Although I do think the DSLR needs to be implemented carefully for movie and TV work, I don't think it has no place. Just limited.

Surprised to hear your experience with the RED. Very rock solid these days. Only issues for the most part are things RED is unable to improve via firmware. Otherwise, it's a workhorse. Very easy to use these days.

Alexa is nice. Slightly different feel to the image. But in some ways, very similar to RED M-X. RED has some advantages, not the least of which is resolution. Alexa has some advantages, monitoring outputs being one of them. Epic, in a league all by itself.
 
I won't speak to the Red, but I simply do not like the Red, I've had way too many issues with it on set. That being said, I'm dying to get my hands on an Alexa and work with that.

OK, I'll bite. Why are you posting here instead of the Arri forum? I don't quite get it? 322 posts and you don't like RED?

You are certainly welcome here and I don't mean to imply otherwise... just curious what the thinking is.

As for problems on set, what was the project? What kinds of problems? When was this?

Jim
 
OK, I'll bite. Why are you posting here instead of the Arri forum? I don't quite get it? 322 posts and you don't like RED?

You are certainly welcome here and I don't mean to imply otherwise... just curious what the thinking is.

As for problems on set, what was the project? What kinds of problems? When was this?

Jim

Sick 'em Jim!
 
I LOVE the RED.

When I have an Epic I will be beyond happy.

When I was younger I always wanted to own an Arri BL II etc, or a Panavision Camera (though they only rent).
I truly believe that an EPIC will outperform them.
18 Stops of Dynamic Range is crazy awesome.

:)
 
For the most recent student film I worked on, we were able to get a Panavision Gold package at an insane rate that I won't say here because it's too ridiculous. We got our 35mm stock for free from Kodak because we asked them just as they came out with Vision 3, and so they gave us about 28 000 feet of Vision 2. Deluxe gave us an equally insane deal on post processing, and when all the chips fell, 4 days of shooting cost us maybe around $2000 for a 10 minute film at an 8:1 shooting ratio.

You are citing an exception, not the rule. Which is fine. I just wanted to point it out.
 
Nice knowing you Mark.. best of luck to you in the future.
 
You are citing an exception, not the rule. Which is fine. I just wanted to point it out.

Exactly. If you can get a deal like that and the project is better suited going that route for whatever the reason may be, I suppose why not. But let's face it, those deals aren't popping up all over the place, so I agree it's a big exception.

Not sure what the beef was about shooting RED. If it's stability, Alexa is having some of the same growing pains that RED did in the early days. R1 is pretty solid right now. Guess we'll never know, but seems like he could have approached it a little different. I'm with Jim on this one, if you don't like RED why hang out here? Weird.
 
I won't speak to the Red, but I simply do not like the Red, I've had way too many issues with it on set. That being said, I'm dying to get my hands on an Alexa and work with that.

It's great that you had the chance to shoot on film in an affordable way. That's a rare exception though, as others stated. And for that matter, a RED shoot would still likely be cheaper.

Out of the two shoots I've directed with the RED, one of them was met with random hangs when rebooting the camera that was solved by unplugging the monitor from the camera when rebooting (build 31 I think?). I can see why you might have issues with the camera, and this is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to the Scarlets and Epics.

Oh well, looks like your account got nuked. Looks like Jarred's perception of your post was a bit different than Jim's... :leaving:
 
Nice knowing you Mark..
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Lest the press yet again say that Reduser only supports one point of view, I think we should note that Mark did not get banned for saying he preferred Alexa, which I suppose at some point is a personal aesthetic choice, which Red would respect. He got banned for making statements that smelled of FUD and B.S.
 
I won't speak to the Red, but I simply do not like the Red, I've had way too many issues with it on set. That being said, I'm dying to get my hands on an Alexa and work with that.

I don't understand why you have problems with the RED. the RED is a perfect tool on set. From day one i bought it, i had no issue. No one.

Maybe you had people on set that didn't know how to use the RED.
 
There are people who have had trouble on set... usually a long time ago... or an exceptional situation recently. We have helped many solve problems, many self-induced. But saying what the project was and what the problem actually was (if there really was a problem) helps the community understand if we solved the problem or not. Just saying you had problems and don't like RED smells a bit. Especially since the RED ONE is now considered one of the most used and bullet-proof cameras in the industry. We are certainly open to criticism and personal experiences. But this one was just a bit too weird for me.

Jim
 
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