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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 :)

Wcttd

Mark L. Pederson

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Now that I have graduated to working on films that shoot 4.5+ hours or Redcode per day ... I am starting to really appreciate the concept of "circled takes" - and finding a way to let the director do this seamlessly while shooting.

And while I think the future holds automated assemblies from meta-data generated on set - and I think we should be tagging "moments", not just takes .... Rome wasn't built in a day. I would like one relatively simple device for my DSMC(s) ... a WCTTD.

I want a Wiress Circled Takes Tagging Device.

Sure I want a crazy, cool wireless control for the camera that also lets me post on Facebook ... but I also want a small, simple WCTTD.

Just a small stick about the size of a usb stick - with ONE button. That's it. The director wears it on a lanyard. If he/she likes the take - he/she presses the button. Anytime during the shot, prior to calling "cut".

Either a "circled take" flag is written into the meta-data of the R3D - or better yet - and a bit more logical - when the POST process writes the QTs - it writes a flag in a sidecar file - maybe the magazine.profile - OR - better yet - the camera could write another file onto the mag that is just a text based LIST of all the filenames the director tagged - which it would write during the POST process - just need the director to press the button before he/she says "cut".

This list could be used to batch process for editorial and/or dailies.
 
I like that idea Mark. I think I gave you 6 to 7 hours a day on the Marines job. It would have been great to have been able to TAG takes.
 
Circle takes are already in the PRD...

Jim
 
Awesome idea Mark! Maybe how the files are written you get two batches of R3Ds. One folder gets the reel folder, then inside that reel folder two folders containing marked takes (directors choice) and unmarked takes are created.
 
Awesome idea Mark! Maybe how the files are written you get two batches of R3Ds. One folder gets the reel folder, then inside that reel folder two folders containing marked takes (directors choice) and unmarked takes are created.

You just need to know what files were tagged. R3Ds can/should get recorded exactly the same. You could then do any number of automated actions - move only the tagged shots - process (transcode) all the media but put the tagged shots in a separate folder, etc.
 
How about someone writing that as an app to the iphone with the new 3.0 SDK and since it has bluetooth now you could set a bluetooth receiver somehow on the cam to input the tag. so there it is someone go write it, it can happen now. sort of :)
 
I really like this idea. Would be great for dalies review. Often the director only wants to see the choice takes and this flagging metadata would make that process more streamlined for sure. It might also be useful if on playback you had a few flags/markers from the directors push buttons that you could skip ahead to the markers on that take. This would be very useful especially on long takes where there may only be a few seconds of goodness on a 2-5minute take.
It could be represented like a RLK Look file is where you would have the option to toggle between the files but in this case similar to a DVD chapter menu.
BTW - I could really use this option right now on the feature I'm DIT on :-)
 
one idea on top of what you guys got going here.... you are shooting a script.... maybe you have a way to tag the takes with what scene number they are...

then upon copying/export all the circle takes auto arrange themselves in sequence based on what scene number they are.....

or even another step further. since your script has scenes with characters, maybe you could tag a take with the character names. then the audio from that take gets converted using something like Adobe's speech to text tool, then auto assembles itself into a rough cut by the actual words in the script cutting between each of the characters based on the words in the script and the circle takes...

ok. hugs....

Mike
 
What about recording audio tone (beep) to one audio channel if you happen to have a free channel.
Just give a tonegenerator with button to the director.
Should be easy to feed wireless.

Priit
 
Now add clip marking (3 levels), and save clip reviewing time in studio...
 
one idea on top of what you guys got going here.... you are shooting a script.... maybe you have a way to tag the takes with what scene number they are...

then upon copying/export all the circle takes auto arrange themselves in sequence based on what scene number they are.....

or even another step further. since your script has scenes with characters, maybe you could tag a take with the character names. then the audio from that take gets converted using something like Adobe's speech to text tool, then auto assembles itself into a rough cut by the actual words in the script cutting between each of the characters based on the words in the script and the circle takes...

ok. hugs....

Mike

All of this is the future. I literarly have a pile of butcher's block paper with crazy whiteboard doodles under my bed for how one can tag data while shooting and use during production and post.

However, it is VERY important to note that director does not want a PDA, or similar hand-held device - he/she does not want a bad ass controller for the camera - the camera dept. does - so do I - but the director wants to just click a button - he/she wants to stay focused on the actors and stay in the moment of the scene.

That's why a device that basically looks like Curt's (Viewfactor) On/Off remote switch on a lanyard is the way to go - in additional to a bad ass wireless controller for the camera. The director doesn't even look at the device - just squeezes a button -
 
All of this is the future. I literarly have a pile of butcher's block paper with crazy whiteboard doodles under my bed for how one can tag data while shooting and use during production and post.

However, it is VERY important to note that director does not want a PDA, or similar hand-held device - he/she does not want a bad ass controller for the camera - the camera dept. does - so do I - but the director wants to just click a button - he/she wants to stay focused on the actors and stay in the moment of the scene.

That's why a device that basically looks like Curt's (Viewfactor) On/Off remote switch on a lanyard is the way to go - in additional to a bad ass wireless controller for the camera. The director doesn't even look at the device - just squeezes a button -

Today director should be also behind camera by my point of view (Soderbergh's too)

and then he/she could click at a sort of Origo button... and say ACTION!


With today's easy of use digital cameras like a RED1 finally for director

(in Europe we would sometimes say an AUTHOR in English/AUTEUR in French because he/she is also writer and editor of the movie)

is possible to finally take over that the most important tool in making movies.


Nothing against cinematographers or DPs but their's days are slowly numbered.

Some of them would for sure become directors and the rest would stay in a field where

is still everything under producer's control (obsolete and pretty old Hollywood, etc...).


Excuse me for a slight digression from the tread topic.
 
Nothing against cinematographers or DPs but their's days are slowly numbered.


Excuse me for a slight digression from the tread topic.

100% disagree. Technology does empower the director/shooter - but there are many directors - some of the best - that just want to be storytellers and get performances out of actors.

And yeah ... let's keep the thread on topic.
 
The button idea is good, but not enough for Red by itself. Of course I LOVE the idea of being able to drop a mark at my own whim from a button tied to my wrist! But I also think we are at a point where we could have more. A lot more. I mean, this is Red, so make this "Red" too.

Say you like something, you drop a mark with your key-chain remote, what have you. But then after I call cut I may want to say a few things to my script supervisor and have them drop it in there. Not onto a piece of paper, but with a little keyboard. It really should happen through the Red Mote, a second one perhaps, one for the camera department to use whatever the thing will do and control, and one for us at the monitor. Red Mote Pro if it has to be.

I also like the idea of tagging takes with scene and page numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who said that? Give him an award!

The little keyboard could have a few function buttons for example, or make the buttons on the directorial red mote be assigned to what we need them to be. You hit A for the scene number, then type the number in. Then after we cut they could hit B for the page number, and in a few short seconds type in the page number, two page numbers, and for those long shots you could still have three or more page numbers in there in just a few seconds! By separating the numbers with spaces or commas that could make them individually identifiable. The only thing left to do is to make sure that NLEs can take advantage of all this info and bring a Google type experience to post.

I REALLY hope we'll see this sort of thing.

OR BETTER YET, give the script supervisor the ability bring in the shooting script + preproduction notes in the RedMote already! (Or RedMote Pro) Then they could toggle from script to the notes. And as the takes get the numbers typed onto them you would link the notes and script to the takes! On the fly, ready to go into the NLE and printable as a separate document. Let them do everything they already do, but help them by making it easier and more effective, link it all into the footage, and make it printable.

Please.... that would be so Red!
 
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