well that's just fantastic....

[Jay Birch]

think yourself lucky you get good quality cameras like the fs100.... some of us studied in the 90s and did most of our work on awful video cams, with very occasional use of an s16 film camera. i can't imagine what we would have done with an fs100.

just enjoy it, take those skills and use your scarlet in your spare time

 

[David Carstens]

Class exercises generally meant to be based on a uniform learning environment and tools so that the students can learn from each others' mistakes, and the instructor is better able to critique the assignments. This doesn't preclude the OP from using a RED on personal projects.

And yes, the OP should be grateful the school at least has tools with the ability for such great images to begin with. My first class handed us handicams for the explicit purpose of learning base storytelling, and not to worry about high production value.

 

[Edward Blythe]

I've seen more than one Film School grad screw up badly on set - mostly it would seem because film school film sets and real world film sets are different animals; and for some that certain air of "I graduated film school and shouldn't need to start with schlepping sand bags and C stands".

Just my experience.

Yup and yup. Don't be that guy.

 

[Paul Schneider]

Take it as a challenge. When I was in design school I was forced to hand letter type and use actual airbrushes for some projects...very unforgiving. It teaches one to make decisions and made me a better artist even though I hated it at the time.

If I was teaching film school I'd make at least one or two projects a year be shot linearly in camera...maybe even with super8 or super16mm. You'd be amazed how much you reference those experiences later.

As for your Scarlet, make stuff with it outside of the classroom. Make, make, make. Don't wait for permission.

 

[Timur Civan]

Classic corporate buy outs forcing their crappy equipment o schools to whom they give some cash in exchange of exclusivity, such an insane sac of S^%@#...

Well, the FREE Film School at KETCH ROSSi TREE of LiFE will use ONLY EPIC and SCARLET, so I guess I'll be also forcing the same products on to our students, but it will be a little better gear, and it will be provided by us to the students for FREE...

Nothing of the sort. NYU ( i went there) owns several RED cameras. They force the students to use the same camera because its levels the playing field for school projects.

 

[PatrickFaith]

... If I was teaching film school I'd make at least one or two projects a year be shot linearly in camera...maybe even with super8 or super16mm. You'd be amazed how much you reference those experiences later.

Agreed, I think the cool thing of NYU is they have a bunch of s16 laying around, I'd try to use those as much as i could since everything after school will probably be digital ... but it's a huge experience base to have for the future.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

+1 Paul, Timur and Patrick.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Nothing of the sort. NYU ( i went there) owns several RED cameras. They force the students to use the same camera because its levels the playing field for school projects.

That makes sense too of course...

I guess paying the kind of money paid for Film school this days, I would prefer to be tough on a half decent camera.

 

[Shane Kelly]

fs 100 is a great camera, if you can't make it look good them maybe you are in the wrong business. Try concentrating on telling a story and choosing a lens and placing a camera in the right spot to tell that story. When you graduate, you are not just going to be shooting on the red, you need to find out how to make all cameras sing, that's a major part of being a cinematographer.

 

[Marc Wielage]

Starting my 2nd year at NYU and we're forced to use the school's new shipment of Sony FS100's leaving my Scarlet to dust in my dorm room. Says an F would be given to students using different equipment.....

Well, I have two thoughts on this:

1) part of learning filmmaking is accepting that there are many ways to make good pictures

2) sometimes, non-technical people (like producers) are put in charge of major technical decisions that affect the entire production in a negative way. You may have to learn the discipline to accept the decisions of people who are essentially your boss -- even when they don't do what you want.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sony is a sponsor of the school and donated the equipment. Here in LA, I believe the AFI uses almost all Avid editing gear, because Avid is a big sponsor and gave them a lot of free stuff. No law against that, and Avid makes good equipment.

Ultimately, it's all about what you do with the gear, not necessarily the gear itself. But then, I remember at USC when the first year in film school, everybody had to make silent films in 16mm. Not sound, and not 35mm -- even if they had the money to do so.

 

[Michael Millichamp]

Just do your best with what you have.

 

[Jaakko Rinne]

I've seen more than one Film School grad screw up badly on set - mostly it would seem because film school film sets and real world film sets are different animals; and for some that certain air of "I graduated film school and shouldn't need to start with schlepping sand bags and C stands".

Just my experience.

Very true, but then again refusing to do the necessary grunt work to actually learn your trade beyond just going to school is an attitude problem with some individuals and not a problem with film schools in general. Our school had a mandatory six month trainee course doing - preferably - real work to learn at least the basics of the things you don't learn on school sets.

 

[Jay Birch]

if you are still feeling bad.... remember that you are a film student that has a scarlet in their dorm room!

 

[Meryem Ersoz]

Starting my 2nd year at NYU and we're forced to use the school's new shipment of Sony FS100's leaving my Scarlet to dust in my dorm room. Says an F would be given to students using different equipment..... hehehehehehhe

Then you are not shooting enough. If all you are doing with film school is completing assignments, then you're squandering the opportunities which camera ownership offers you. Dust off your camera. There's work to be done.

 

[Brian Merlen]

My school had PD150's, one dslr, and bought some flip cams for the 101 course.... Its all relative...

 

[paulherrin]

if you know what's good for you, put your head down, rent that thing out, and learn some stuff.

 

[Elsie N]

Guys, although I was guilty of it myself, I don't think the OP was really asking for advice. He was pointing to the irony of being forced to work with a certain camera while having a superior camera sitting idly in his dorm room.

 

[Timur Civan]

That makes sense too of course...

I guess paying the kind of money paid for Film school this days, I would prefer to be tough on a half decent camera.

YES! that does make sense..... But, part of being a student is to try things you'd never try otherwise... these days thats film!

 

[Michael Pyon]

Guys, although I was guilty of it myself, I don't think the OP was really asking for advice. He was pointing to the irony of being forced to work with a certain camera while having a superior camera sitting idly in his dorm room.

Lol, someone finally gets it

 

[Marc Wielage]

We get it, but: what happens if you work on a paid project where the producer says, "we insist that you use Camera X." Are you going to turn it down out of pride for the camera you own, or do you take the money and do what the client wants?