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First student film shot on the RED camera...

Maybe I have weird eyes, but everything I've seen of the Red Camera looks like video to me. Video at a much higher resolution but video none the less. I've not seen anything shot on it that made me go "wow thats not film?". Specifically regarding your samples, had I not known they were the Red One I would have assumed it was a HD video camera, sorry. It looks very video to me and not especially nice. But that is probably because of crappy lighting.

Speaking of which... Since when does a small crew need Grips to adjust a few lights? What was the DoP doing? Just twiddling his thumbs and moaning that there was no one to move the lights for him. Seems like a pretty weak excuse to me.
 
belovedmonster said:
Maybe I have weird eyes, but everything I've seen of the Red Camera looks like video to me. Video at a much higher resolution but video none the less. I've not seen anything shot on it that made me go "wow thats not film?". Specifically regarding your samples, had I not known they were the Red One I would have assumed it was a HD video camera, sorry. It looks very video to me and not especially nice. But that is probably because of crappy lighting.
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The footage is pretty grainy, something I wouldn't expect out of a camera like the RED.

I guess it all depends on who is using it and how its used.
 
Sorry bud,

The video you posted looks good in motion-wise (looks like film). Although, it's pretty grainy and colour-less.
The video looks like someone could easily perform on a sony handycam that costs $300.

You have to treat high-end video cameras like film cameras if you want good looking shots. If you exposed film to that kind of lighting you wouldnt get much of a picture at all.

Take your time and get some grip to do the lighting. Rushing doesn't make movies look better. Nor does a high resolution camera, it wont excuse bad lighting.

Do some cinematic lighting to REALLY show off what the RED is good for!
 
First of all, I decoded the REDCODE using the low quality codec on my MacBook (I was afraid to find out what happens to a MB using the grade quality codec!). I think a lot of the noise and artifacts are from that. I've seen RED footage that was lit with a single match and moonlight turn out perfectly fine.

Secondly, it wasn't that we didn't have anyone to do the lighting. It was that we had no time to do lighting. With a crew of grips to assist the DP, our first shots went off really well and looked nice. We had the RED and location for only one day, 8AM-10PM, both which were free. (not really much negotiating power on our end) ;)

So, no grips or time may be a lame excuse, but it's the true one.
 
Resolution vs. Image Quality

First of all, I decoded the REDCODE using the low quality codec on my MacBook (I was afraid to find out what happens to a MB using the grade quality codec!). I think a lot of the noise and artifacts are from that. I've seen RED footage that was lit with a single match and moonlight turn out perfectly fine.

Secondly, it wasn't that we didn't have anyone to do the lighting. It was that we had no time to do lighting. With a crew of grips to assist the DP, our first shots went off really well and looked nice. We had the RED and location for only one day, 8AM-10PM, both which were free. (not really much negotiating power on our end)

So, no grips or time may be a lame excuse, but it's the true one.
Click to expand...

You have a good reason for doing what you were doing but maybe you should have thought more about timing.

If you only had one day with the RED but knew you didn't have any time for lighting and the like, maybe you should have opted for a camcorder in which you could have for maybe 2 or 3 days.

Even though the RED will promise high resolution it doesn't promise anything else more than any other camera without making the necessary ajustments.

For example, these are screenshots from a recently shot shortfilm I have done. Shot with a Canon GL2 (1/4" CCD, 740x480 SD). They were lit using bounce boards and the like. It is a lower resolution camera, yet the image still presents itself more cinematic.

 
Regardless of what camera we used, we still had the location for only one day.

The camera was the least of our problems, and the CO's were very professional.
Besides, if one was offered the free use of a RED for a day, I think they would jump at the chance! :)
 
Artofilm said:
For example, these are screenshots from a recently shot shortfilm I have done. Shot with a Canon GL2 (1/4" CCD, 740x480 SD). They were lit using bounce boards and the like. It is a lower resolution camera, yet the image still presents itself more cinematic.
Click to expand...

As these stills go someway to showing... Its really what you do with the lighting and the production values and the other cinematic qualities like the standard of the acting and direction that make things seem "cinematic".

I'd go along with saying that you didn't really show off the full capabilities of the Red One, to put it politely :p
 
belovedmonster said:
As these stills go someway to showing... Its really what you do with the lighting and the production values and the other cinematic qualities like the standard of the acting and direction that make things seem "cinematic".

I'd go along with saying that you didn't really show off the full capabilities of the Red One, to put it politely :p
Click to expand...

And I would wholeheartedly agree. I've gotten some amazing footage out of my Xl-1 and more recently an HVX200, stuff that easily outperforms the "cine" feel, or lack thereof, that we got on this latest shoot.

The RED is an amazing camera. Easily the best I've ever used and I suspect will use – at least until the RED 2 comes out... ;)

A variety of factors contributed to the quality of the most recent footage. Not one of them was the fault of the camera. :)
 
BTW, I wasn't trying to bash your production, just maybe some pointers to pull up the quality to really make your film shine like gold!

Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea.
 
can you elaborate on the post production workflow of the current RED release? I was listing to TwiM, where they stated it only shoots to CF cards right now?
 
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