The Red One is gaining ground each month and it's beginning, in a smaller way to resemble the historical moment when IBM ignored a kid in a garage named Steve Jobs, who put together something he called "The Apple" from existing parts. Sony and the rest of the so-called "Big Three" video camera manufacturers have been caught off-guard and there isn't really any way they can reposition themselves quickly to recapture the market they are losing to Red.
A good summary can be found here, on a RedUser forum, but suffice to say they are big companies with a full line of products to push, and huge R&D teams to support while Red is simply a smart camera build from mostly pre-existing materials. To vastly oversimplify, a RED ONE is a computer with a PL lens mount, built in a garage and priced accordingly, and marketed in a web 2.0 way, the same way that we arrived at Obama and the iPhone. Top that, 42nd street.
The downside for some seems to be that it's hurting camera rental houses rather seriously, already. If the major studios make or buy 500 feature films a year to release on average, and Red has already sold 5000 units and counting, it means there are now more than ten cameras for every feature - the rental market is saturated fully, with no end in sight as newer models are getting ready to be launched, some cheaper and some better, all still relatively affordable and seriously undercutting the hide-bound competition.
In some way, this is merely more good news for indie film makers, since it drives the price of camera rental down due to supply and demand issues. A case study HERE describes how one indie feature producer got three rental houses in a bidding war and reduced his camera package cost for a six week shoot from an initial quote of $18k to less than $8,000 in a single day. It's not good news for camera owner-operators however, many of whom probably are green and overextended, and lacking in good lenses and accessories as well.
There may eventually be some fallout from this, however when the level of support and technical expertise that used to center around rental houses starts to ebb. But the worm is turning, and the camera is emerging strongly (as the maker intended) as an owner-operator model instead of a flagship for a rental house. There also may be a shortage of good 35mm cine lenses, just as there once were fights each summer over at Panavison over the choicest anamorphic lenses, effectively limiting the number of cinemascope films released each year by major studios. Not to worry there, however since RED has begun partnering with optic firms to introduce their own line of lenses (with poor results so far but in plentiful supply). Still camera lenses area lso being pressed into service, and manual focus and iris Nikon lenses are once again in vogue.
In addition the the Red, there have also been two DSLRs recently introduced from Nikon and Canon that have the ability to record HD video. Almost as an afterthought, the still camera giants decided that, after adding a live preview capability to their flagship cameras they realized that this meant the cameras could also record high quality video, in short clips at least. The consumer Nikon F90 (retail $1300) shoots 24p 720p HD only but the Canon D5 Mk2 is a wonderment - delivering Full HD video capture at 1920x1080 resolution for up to 4GB per clip (with an HDMI output for an external monitor) and a low light sensitivity that is almost uncanny. Only the lessor resolution Nikon will shoot 24p, ideal for transfer to film for eventual theatrical release, but both herald things to come and are already being adapted and pressed into use by documentary film makers who are pleased with the unassuming profile they present to subjects, many of whom don't even realize they are being recorded. A NYC based fashion fotog caused a small sensation last fall when he got his hands on a prototype Canon D5 Mark 2 and shot a sizzle reel called REVERIE, which can be seen on the Canon website. A behind-the-scenes making of video is also available on the photographer's site.
All of this leaves out the deeper discussion of whether or not the Red camera (and it's tiny DSLR brethren) are worthy of killing film - it isn't, yet, but it damn sure isn't doing film any favors. It's like the punk who shoots the aging gunfighter - he's just as dead, worthy successor or not. Soderberg says he will never go back, after shooting CHE and his next two still in production features on the Red. Editors are not happy with having to wrangle huge amounts of data, and a less-than-smooth workflow that comes with shooting Red/RAW and have been slow-marching directors and producers, who drag many kicking and screaming to the Kool-Aid. And, like I mentioned in Part One, Sundance is not yet awash in SHOT ON RED logos appearing in the credits. There were at least two features in dramatic competition shot on Red, but as of this writing neither TOE TO TOE or THE MYSTERY TEAM has secured distribution. We'll see about New Directors/ New Films and then Tribeca and Toronto. Word on the street is that all the recent docs hitting fests were shot (and presented) on HD, while the features show a mix of 35mm, super16 and HD still.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment