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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 :)

What RED can do that FILM can't?

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Siva Kollipara

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This is NOT a RED vs FILM topic.

Curious to list out the type of shots that are possible only with RED system, that we cannot do with FILM.

For Example.
1)With 1000ft 35mm film stock @60fps we can shoot only 4:26 min continously, where as with RED HardDisk we can go upto 30/40min
Similarly with 1000ft-16mm stcok @ 120fps we can shoot only 5:33 mins, with RED HardDisk, we may go beyond 40min

2)With RED we can go upto 1600ASA useable image(I don't know if it possible with FILM).

Can you list some other items like this?
 
adjusting ISO without swapping film stock/mags is impossible with film but easily done on RED.
 
That list would be more conservative if you waited until 4k/60fps and 2k/120 has actually been demonstrated.... to my knowledge so far it has not, I think now we are at 4k@25 fps and 2k@72 or 80 fps.

With Red, you can start reviewing and/or even editing immediately after the take. With film, you have to wait for the processing (and hope there's no mistake or accident in the lab). That may enable some Red shots that would be too risky if you had to wait a day to find out if they worked.

I don't know if there many shots Red can do that are flat-out impossible with film. But there's a great many that should be faster, easier, cheaper, and perhaps better (for the right definition of "better".)
 
Yes, but don't forget there are film cameras that can run over 1000 fps, which the RED can't. Color negative has at least another stop or two of overexposure latitude. And for all the complaints about having to reload a film camera for every ten minutes of footage, people using CF cards in the RED are finding out that this is not the end of the world.

And 1600 ASA is certain possible with film; in 35mm, it's moderately grainy but you do have the ability to run it through some noise reduction in post. "Eyes Wide Shut" was shot on an older EXR 500T stock pushed to 1600 ASA and looked grainy in the theaters, but the home video version is very clean-looking (whether or not that is a good thing, I won't discuss.)

I'd put the advantages this way (and some of these are nothing new and go back to HD):

Low-light photography with less grain.

Ability to use shutter angles greater than 180 / 200 degrees for more exposure when needed.

Much cheaper per-minute.

No registration issues.

Longer recording times possible when using hard drives.

Ability to easily change ASA rating and color balance.

Instant preview, instant dailies, instant editing.

You might also list the advantages of RED over 2/3" 3-CCD video cameras too.
 
Red cannot adjust ISO in camera. In fact, Red can't adjust ISO at all, period. It is what it is. The "ISO" setting you are changing has no effect on the sensor sensitivity, it's simply meta data that changes how your monitor perceives the RAW data.
 
With RED you could make a film like TIMECODE or RUSSIAN ARC. Both of these one take films would not be possible on film.

Over a 2/3" camera:
DOF
Lens selection
Picture quality
Scalability
Modular design
Shoots speed (more than Varicam)
SHOOTS TO CF CARD Non proprietary Data centric recording device (not p2 and XDCAM)
4K Recording


David
 
I'd say the only thing you really can't do with RED is slow motion. Even if 60fps or 75fps would be enabled. You still can easily go 150fps with most film cameras.

And well ... optical viewfinder.
 
I think the really important thing about RED is that you now have a camera that can run the paces with the 35mm standard while retaining all the effeciency advantages that electronic imaging brings. Real time playback, workflow, cost, etc.

However I think there is a potential danger. With email, text messages, and the web came sloppier less concise writing as opposed to a hand written letter. Now this speeds the flow of information up. However, I don't think filmmaking is any different. How often do you hear, "keep rolling, keep rolling, it's videotape" nowadays?

David is right. Changing a mag is a good thing. Higher data rates can be seen as good thing. They force us to be more precise when we are rolling. Cutting and the clap of a slate says, "ok...here we go, lets focus" to everyone from actor to the jaded grip. We need to remeber not to "blast away" carelessly with our cameras all like the gatling gun in Predator. We need to take aim and maintain our focus on what were trying to do with these new technologies. Unless of course it's reality TV. Blast away.
 
I personally think a dual RED/Film set will be amazing. You can pull the camera off the base plate, and slide a 435 on an your ready to go to 120/150fps. The fact that the AKS and lenses are the same is the biggest deal about the Red in my mind.
 
The concept of being able to see exactly what I'm recording as I'm recording it has always been appealing to me...
 
What RED can do that film can't do? Make me grin from ear to ear. Make me say, "Are you fu$#ing kidding me?"

That's just two things.
 
Shawn Nelson said:
Yes it is awesome to have him here, but you reply to him patting me down? Whatever.
Click to expand...
Hey Shawn, it's great to have you here too man...

EDIT:
Plus, If you're going to get patted down by anyone, might as well be someone with ASC after their name!!! :)
 
David Mullen ASC said:
How can it NOT be??? :biggrin:
Click to expand...
.

Because, my future(willing to consider) producer heard the FILM vs RED arguments, he wants to see a demo reel with only capabilities of RED, so I am trying to find out the only points of RED, so that I can previsualise some story/scenes/shots that enhance RED only strengths and the improve our chances
 
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