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Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Not sure if anyone else is excited about this, but I'm dying to see Soderbergh's new film coming out Jan. 24 which was filmed with the Red One camera.

I truly believe that this is the camera that will change everything!

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:21 pm Post subject:

The Red cameras have come up in several threads over the past six months or so, Dave - probably while you were taking your hiatus. I am excited about the Red cameras in terms of getting image quality into many, many more creative hands. Still, production value isn't just about the camera. So much more expensive stuff goes into a production... Writing, planning, set design, lighting, wardrobe, makeup, sound, mixing, on-camera talent... The list goes on. Still, for a small group with a lot of talent, but no money, the Red cameras - specifically the Scarlet - are a big step toward the "democratization" of "film" production. They'll be very reasonable to rent, too.

Still, even though the Scarlet and even One cameras are a bargain compared to the big dog cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, Arri, etc., they're still WAY out of reach for hobbyists and independents without funding. Given that, what also has me excited is what's happening with the Canon and Nikon D-SLR's.

I don't know if you've been following it, but Canon and Nikon are both selling cameras that will capture damn nice 24p - Canon's 5Ds MkII (1080p, ~$2600) and Nikon's D90 (720p, ~$850). Neither are in Red Scarlet territory, but they're both excellent first attempts at their respective price points. Next year should be even more exciting. If people in the creative community continue to be as excited as they are now, there could be a whole new class of products to enable even part-timers and even avid hobbyist types like myself to be able to shoot really beautiful low budget productions. Shorts, commercials, skits, etc. would all be fair game, in 1080p with beautiful color, depth, low-noise, and with gorgeous depth-of-field - quality that in many ways no video camera at any price is capable of.

I'm really excited. Between these new cameras, really inexpensive computer power and dirt cheap storage, amazing software and encoders, plus really excellent inexpensive displays and sources with which to watch it all on, it's almost like the DV revolution of the late 90's all over again - only better and in high definition.

I'm really excited.

SC

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

It is actually not the democratization of film that interests me. It is two things:
1) You have noted directors very excited about it (like Soderbergh's comment that that this is the camera he has been waiting his whole career for.
2) I don't care about the "theoretical" limits of film. I've watched film in theaters my whole life. I know go to a 4K DCi cinema and it exceeds any film presentation I've ever seen, so the possibility of an "artful" 4K camera with 4K projection--full digital chain--is going to be awesome. Basically looking as good as the CGI flicks do at my local cinema.