HD For Indies

Reel Stream :: View topic - Reel-Stream Update

The Reel Stream company had interesting ideas - getting 4:4:4 output from DVX and HVX cameras. Unfortunately, it didn't catch on, and the technology has been sold, and will likely not be sold to the public. Bummer.

Somewhat predictable though - for one-off indie filmmaking projects, a maybe. But for professional rental situations, the effort, while valiant, creative, and good use of tech, struck me as undercapitalized, understaffed, and undersupported. The fact that it was wedded to fixed lens cameras was also a signficant hindrance, IMHO.

Juan worked his butt off to make it fly, but he's moving on to another pasture, I sincerely hope it is greener in all respects for him.

There is a petition to try to get the buyer of the tech to make it publicly available is here:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/hydraandromeda/

Don't know who the buyer is, but I'm not holding my breath for it to be made publicly available. My speculation is that either the tech is getting folded into another product, or the tech was bought specifically to cap that well.

-mike

Freixenet :: The Key to Reserva

Fun little short Martin Scorsese did, shooting the 3 1/2 pages of the "lost" Hitchcock project The Key to Reserva.

thanks to Paul for sending this in.

: )

-mike

Cinematographer.com - The Daily Cinematography Resource

Our friend and fellow deep-geek (I mean that in the best possible way) Adam Wilt posted his thoughts on the new Sony EX1 camcorder. It is that new one that is their attempt to take down the Panasonic HVX200 in the under $10K, solid state recording camcorder category. Image quality and codec sound good, lens controls sound good, but ergonomics have issues. Read on for Adam's breakdown.

-mike

The Business of Documentaries | Studio Daily:
"At the 41st Annual International Quorum or Motion Pictures Producers a panel of noted documentary producers and directors spoke about successful funding, marketing and distribution techniques for documentary filmmakers. This panel includes Doug Block, driector of 51 Birch Street, J.R. Morley, producer of Super Size Me, and Amy Sewell, producer of Mad Hot Ballroom. "

DV - Features - First Look: Red One

Ah, the nature of the print media. I just noticed that my article on the Red One's Launch Day (what I dubbed Day Zero) is up on DV.com, is why I hadn't said as much about it here - if you're writing for a magazine, they want exclusivity on that coverage. But anyway, a bit more on what picking up the Red was like, and the first week working with Mark/Aldey/Pliny in NYC.

Go read.

-mike

On December 4th, at 1pm at the 501 Studios Stage, Mike Curtis of HD for Indies (hdforindies.com) will be presenting the Red One camera to the Central Texas market. Mike will be covering the advantages of the camera, covering how the camera works, the workflow, and in general, Why Red Matters.

GEAR (an Austin based rental house) will be providing their Red One camera for the event.

Date: December 4, 2007
Time: 1-3pm-ish
Location:
501 Studios Stage
501 North IH-35 Austin, TX 78702

EDIT - PREVIOUSLY POSTED MAP WAS INCORRECT - the location is 5th and IH-35, on the east side of Interstate 35.

The Plan:

The presentation will include:

-footage from Red shoots in New York and Spain
-overview of the history and philosophy behind the Red One camera
-Details of the camera system - the body, the accessories, the sensor, the codec, the software, the workflow, etc.
-what Red means for production and post
-a live runthrough of Red's workflow - shoot footage, post process, editorial workflows, etc.
-Q&A

I'll update this with more info as the date gets closer.

-mike

UPDATE - in response to a reader posed question, YES this is open to the public.

Labels: Red

Wrote a long, ranty screed over on my NATO (National Association of Theater Owners) blog -

Little Mammals Amongst the Dinosaurs’ Feet, talking about the changing ecology/economy of the post industry, and the inevitable changes I see coming there.

It runs a little long, but I like it, a lot. It sums up a lot of the vibe I've been thinking and writing about on here for the last few years.

-mike

Labels: blogs

Sony Announces HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270U Pro Cameras at FreshDV

two new cameras, the HVR-Z7U ($6850, handheld), and shoulder mount HVR-S270U, $10,500.
-3x 1/3" CMOS
-1080p24/30, 1080i recording
-tape or CF card (!!)
-interchangeable lenses on both
-lower end has HDMI, higher end HD-SDI

new deck - HVR-M35U, HD-SDI, $5,540

read on for more info

More info here too:

Sony Delivers Two New HDV Camcorders for the Pro's Wishlist - Sony

About the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update - looking at the description, I didn't see anything vital for editing purposes, BUT, only after you update can you see Final Cut Pro 6.0.2 as an available update (see article on those changes here).

So, YES, you MUST have 10.4.11 to update to 6.0.2. The MANY benefits of that are outlined in the article above.

Other updates:

Apple - Support - Downloads - DVD Studio Pro 4.2.1

-Compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5
-Still images added to DVD Studio Pro project now encode correctly
-Now correctly supports following HDV formats for native use in NTSC HD projects:
-720p24/30/60
-1080p24/30
-1080i60

DVD Studio Pro now correctly supports the following HDV formats for native use in PAL HD projects:

720p25/50
1080p25
1080i50

-Now correctly supports following H.264 formats for native use in NTSC HD projects:

720p24/30/60

Apple - Support - Downloads - Color 1.0.2

LOTS of meaningful changes in here, thanks to intern Gideon for summarizing and quoting below:

-Compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5 (what about 10.5.1? Anybody try it yet? Let me know in the Comments, please!)
-AVCHD and AVC-Intra formats are transcoded by FCP on import as either ProRes 422, ProRes 422 (HQ), or Apple Intermediate QT files.
-XDCAM EX media is imported by Final Cut as XDCAM HD, which is supported by Color for import, but not as Original format or as an Export Codec.
-Improved Round Trip Support for Upconverted Media Rendered by Color.1.0.2

Improved Handling of Aspect Ratio and Field Dominance
The following issues with Aspect Ratio and Field Dominance handling have been fixed:

After a Final Cut Pro to Color round trip of a sequence combining standard definition and high definition HDV clips, the aspect ratio of each clip rendered by Color now matches that of the original media.
Instances where interlaced sequences sent to Color and then back to Final Cut Pro would have their interlacing set to None have been fixed.
Instances where sequences with non-square pixels sent to Color and then back to Final Cut Pro would have their pixel aspect ratio set to Square have been fixed.
Improved Image Processing
The following improvements have been made to image processing:

Improvements have been made to address color and luma shifts appearing in some formats.
Visible noise introduced by adjusting the Luma curve has been reduced.
Instances of artifacts in mattes created by the HSL qualifiers have been eliminated.
Improved Project Reconforming
Color’s Reconform command has been improved:

Instances where the Color Timeline did not match an updated Final Cut Pro sequence after a reconform operation have been fixed.
Instances where Color would send a version of the project that existed prior to a reconform operation back to Final Cut Pro have been fixed.
Color now properly reconforms altered Motion parameters from Final Cut Pro sequences.
Improved Rendering of Clips with Speed Effects
The following improvements have been made to the handling of clips using speed effects from Final Cut Pro:

Keyframed secondary vignettes now work properly with clips using speed effects.
Clips using the reverse speed effect now render with the proper frame range in Color and are sent back to Final Cut Pro with correct In and Out points.
Any Volume Can Be Used to Save Color Projects
Color will now function properly on systems with home directories saved on any volume or partition, and the Default Project Directory can be set to any volume or partition you choose.

Improved Media Handling During Final Cut Pro to Color Round Trips
The following improvements have been made to media handling during Final Cut Pro to Color round trips:

Clips that start with 00:00:00:00 timecode are now sent back to Final Cut Pro with the correct timecode.
Final Cut Pro programs containing nested sequences with cross dissolves on the first clip no longer cause problems in Color. This corrects the issue covered in the Color 1.0.1 Release Notes.
Improved Handling of Motion and LiveType Clips, and Offline Media
The following improvements have been made to the handling of Motion and LiveType clips:

Motion templates, Motion projects, and LiveType projects all appear as offline shots in the Color timeline, instead of as gaps as in previous versions of Color. These media types, although unsupported in Color, reappear when your sequence is sent back to Final Cut Pro.
Offline shots in the Color timeline no longer obscure shots in video tracks underneath them.
Fixes to Undo
The Undo command has been fixed in the following instances:

You can now undo operations in the Render Queue.
The Reset Secondary and Reset All Secondaries buttons can now be undone.
In the Primary Out room, using the Undo command after clicking the Reset Primary Out button now properly restores the Ceiling Red, Ceiling Green, and Ceiling Blue parameters to their former state.
Attaching and Detaching shapes can now be undone.
You can undo the application of a saved effect in the Color FX room.
Operations in the Shot List can now be undone.
Creation and removal of shapes in the Geometry room can be undone.
Many of these fixes correct issues covered in the Color 1.0 Release Notes.

-Superimposed text tracks no longer affect playback
-copied and pasted grades are now autosaved properly
-Improved text fields

Click once within any field to place the text cursor at the position you clicked.
Double-click within any field to select the word at the position of the pointer.
Triple-click within any field to select the entire contents of that field.

-Adjustments and corrections made in the Secondaries room now appear correctly in the Color application's video scopes
-Keyboard Shortcuts fixed and updated

The keyboard shortcuts for Copy Grade > Mem Bank 1-5 (Control-Option-Shift-1 through 5) have been fixed.
The keyboard shortcut for Set Beauty Grade has been changed to Control-Shift-B.
The Rooms > Shot List command (Command-9) has been fixed.
The Rooms > Project Setup command (Command-0) has been fixed.

-Hiding Color no longer causes rendering to pause
-Modifications to supported keys for the CP100 control surface include:

F4: Alternate panel encoders
F5: Set scope resolution to 100%
F6: Set Scope Resolution 25%
F7: Parade Waveform
F8: Histogram Waveform
In the Secondaries room:

F4: Alternate Panel Encoders
F5: Toggle Secondary
F6: Toggle Secondary In/Out Control
F7: Toggle Vignette
F8: Previous Secondary
F9: Next Secondary


Apple - Support - Downloads - Compressor 3.0.2

-Compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5
-Compressor and Apple Qmaster updates may disable any existing clusters you have configured, so set'em up again
-To use Compressor distributed processing feature with 10.5, you must manually enable NFS
-filter pane of Inspector now includes Color tab for adjusting color space settings. Only available for H.264, Apple ProRes 422, Apple Intermediate Codec, and JPEG output formats. HOPEFULLY THIS FIXES THE GAMMA ISSUES!
-Square Pixels Pop-Up Menu is now called Correct for Pixel Aspect Ratio


Apple - Support - Downloads - CinemaTools 4.0.1

-Compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5
-Pull lists show the correct value in Footage length, Time length, and Count length for speed changes
-Exported film lists includes information and warnings about issues occurring during export process
-Change lists exported from FCP and Cinema Tools now support same PDF formatting as other lists that you are able to export
-When importing an ALE file, the frame rate for the sound timecode now matches the Sound TC rate of the database you are importing

Apple - Support - Downloads - Motion 3.0.2

-3.0.2 compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5
-Supports 50fps
-60fps Drop Frame Timecode Support
-Master templates playback performance enhanced
-Master templates can be moved and scaled without render problems
-Master templates used in FCP sequences with mixed frame rates or rates that don't match master template are no longer improperly scaled.
-Field dominance settings are correctly reported in PAL FCP sequences containing master templates
-Printing to video renders properly in FCP sequences containing master templates with drop zones
-In FCP, opening a master template containing drop zones that have been cut and pasted no longer causes FCP to stop responding

Apple - Support - Downloads - Soundtrack Pro 2.0.2 - I'm not enough of an audio guy to detail the changes, but go knock yourself out....

Also see Red public software updates here

Labels: Apple, DVDs, Final Cut, Final Cut Studio 2, software

Redcine Publicly Released!

For those who haven't kept score, Redcine (think telecine for Red footage) is Red's software tool to convert native Redcode to other formats for you to use - such as to any codec you have installed on your system. You can also think of Redcine as Red's answer to having a hardware deck...sort of. It is how you move and convert footage to other useful formats.

REDcine download page - available for both Windows XP and Intel based Mac OS X.

They've also posted a bunch of user interface overview videos, which I strongly recommend:

http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/interface_overview.mov
http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/project_settings.mov
http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/shot_settings.mov
http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/color_settings.mov
http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/output_settings.mov
http://red.cachefly.net/redcine/library.mov

It is quite geeky and not for the casual, shoots once-in-a-blue-moon user. If you want to get optimal results, spend a lot of watching, reading the release notes, and testing. But the good news is that it has a lot of power and flexibility well beyond what Red Alert offers. I'll be posting more in depth analysis later.

Final Cut Studio 2 REDCODE Plugin

Final Cut Studio 2 REDCODE Plugin Page

From the page:

When you transfer media from your CF cards to your hard drive for editing, please be sure you take the Native .R3D files, the QuickTime Reference movies and the Magazine Profile from the CF card. They should all live together in the same folder to allow for offline/online editing and finishing. After you have imported your QuickTime Reference movies into Final Cut Pro do not move the original files to another location. If you move the RED files and media after importing the QuickTime Reference movies into FCP you will lose the connection to the FCP master clips and will have to reconnect the files manually.

Import the QuickTime Reference movie size you wish to edit with (2K or 1K) and ensure that your clip parameters match your FCP sequence parameters. FCP will prompt you to automatically match the sequence settings with your clip when you make your first edit into a new timeline. Set your timeline to Unlimited RT and Medium or Low quality playback using the timeline’s RT pulldown menu.

For this release, import your 2K or 1K QuickTime reference movies into your project by using File: Import Files or File: Import Folder. The advanced RED Log and Transfer interface is in the final stages of development and the installer package will be available from RED at this web link in the coming weeks. RED’s integration for full FCP Studio 2 functionality with RED camera workflows is in continuing development.

Depending on your system configuration, you may see less than full frame rate playback. RED recommends the current top end configuration of a MacPro with 8 cores, fast RAID 0 striped drives and a minimum of 4 gigabytes of RAM if you plan on editing the 2K QuickTime Reference movies. RED recommends for RT editing on a MacBook Pro that you use the 1K QuickTime Reference movies or smaller frame sizes that can be generated with the RED Alert! Program provided to camera owners by RED.


Note that this isn't the ultimate solution of importing directly nor converting to ProRes. Note the NAB discussed plugin to alter the Redcode attributes is not mentioned....yet.

RED ALERT! 1.3.0 page - RELEASED TO PUBLIC (wasn't working earlier today)

RED ALERT! page

From the page:


RED ALERT! is an image processing tool that allows you to load REDCODE RAW footage, adjust image exposure and color correction settings, and render selected frame or image sequences images out to 4K or 2K resolution DPX and TIFF file formats. It will also generate QuickTime reference movies from original REDCODE RAW data(.R3D) files for use by 3rd party QuickTime compatible applications.


Latest version of the simpler tool to convert Redcode to proxies, and alter their Redcode color settings. This can do some tricks Redcine can't, like make new QT reference files (proxies), so is definitely worth downloading.

Red QT codec

RED codec download page - still requires a Red camera owner login, so I'm presuming this comes with some of the other tools, would be silly otherwise. Will update this line when I know more.

OK, so now what?

There's already a thread on Redcine feedback:

RedCine feedback.. - Reduser.net

Jarred tells us where to get some Redcode source clips to play with:

1st clips - Reduser.net

Questions and discussions: go to town here:

Redcine Workflow - Reduser.net

Redcine tidbits from Lucas at Assimilate:

REDCINE tidbits - Reduser.net

More good notes on current Redcine status:

REDCINE Information - Reduser.net

This has been the "just the facts, ma'am" post, analysis and hands on to follow later.

-mike

UPDATE - Apple released updates to all parts of the Final Cut Studio 2 suite, OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5.1, read about it here and here.

Labels: Red, Red Alert, Redcine

UPDATE - Scott Simmons has a nice bit on some of the new features here:

The Editblog � FCP updated. Now more Avid-like

Nice breakdown of the new features in Final Cut Pro 6.0.2.


Oddly, it isn't showing up in my Software Updates (probably because I need to update to 10.4.11 first, also new UPDATE YES THAT'S WHY), I had to go dig it out after hearing about it elsewhere. So here's one place to get it:

Apple - Support - Downloads - Final Cut Pro 6.0.2

NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS (found here: Final Cut Pro 6 Release Notes)

-6.0.2 compatible with 10.4.11 and 10.5, ONLY
-Sony XDCAM EX support, but requires the Sony XDCAM extra here
-supported formats under XDCAM EX:
-1080p24/25/30 VBR, 1080i50/60 VBR, 720p24/25/30/50/60 VBR
-can either connect camera directly, or put the SxS card in a MacBook Pro's ExpressCard/34 slot
-the format suports 25mbit CBR (constant bitrate) or 35mbit VBR (variable bitrate)
-when capturing from the HVR-V1, can capture to native codec, or Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC), or ProRes422
-has some nice notes about optimal workflows for working with 24p on 60i and 3:2 pulldown removal, etc.Hell, I'll just quote it:

24p/60i on tape: Capture to the 24p Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple ProRes 422 codec, then output to the HVR-V1 camcorder in 24p/60i mode.
25p/50i on tape: Capture to the 25p Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple ProRes 422 codec, then output to the HVR-V1 camcorder in 25p/50i mode.
30p/60i on tape: Capture to the 30p Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple ProRes 422 codec, then output to the HVR-V1 camcorder in 30p/60i mode.

-support for had drive based HDV cameras via Log & Transfer, such as Sony HVR-DR60
-AVCHD o Intel Macs (1920x1080 interlaced) such as Panasonic HDC-SD3 and HDC-SD5, spanned clips NOW recognized since 6.0.1 didn't properly recognize them
-AVC-Intra support - Log and Transfer window, BUT: must transcode to ProRes, Intel Mac only, no audio playback when limited playback capability (due to too slow of a Mac???), full video preview requires Mac Pro, Panasonic's AVC Intra codec must be installed. So - LOTTA caveats there
-720p50 DVCPRO HD native support now works right
-Canon HDV 1080F24/25/30 setups!
-more setups, such as HDV-Apple ProRes 1080p24 ProRes 422 for Sony HVR-V1, and HDV-Apple ProRes422 and the same with ProRes HQ - EXCELLENT
-60fps Drop Frame Timecode support
-50 fps timecode in ALL timecode fields and project properties, including 50@25 timecode format for decks and EDL compatibility
-720p50/60 support for JVC's GY-HD200 and GY-HD250 cameras
-improved BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) support concerning iXML support
-Skipping Directories in the Reconnect Files Dialog - I'll use this a LOT, as I'm constantly relinking files
-Hiding Clip Names in the Timeline
-New Playhead-Centered Zooming Commands in the Timeline:

Zoom In on Playhead in Timeline: Keeps the Timeline playhead centered while zooming in (regardless of the selection in the Timeline).
Zoom Out on Playhead in Timeline: Keeps the Timeline playhead centered while zooming out (regardless of the selection in the Timeline).
Scroll to Playhead: Horizontally scrolls the Timeline so that the playhead is centered in the window.

-Opening a Nested Sequence Displays the Playhead in the Expected Position
-Holding Down the Shift Key Forces Final Cut Pro to Open with an Empty Project
-Gamma Import Option Has Been Renamed
-“Show as Sq. Pixels” Option is Now Called “Correct for Aspect Ratio”
-Log and Transfer Window Improvements
-FxPlug Plug-in Improvements
In Final Cut Pro 6.0.2, FxPlug plug-ins display collapsible parameter groups in the Filters tab of the Viewer.

New Apple Events Support
Final Cut Pro 6.0.2 responds to three new Apple Events that allow you to:

Query which effects are currently installed
Query which projects are currently open
Select specific clips based on UUIDs.
For details, go to http://developer.apple.com/appleapplications.

-Lost Render Files for Duplicated Sequences Issue Resolved
-Final Cut Pro 6.0.2 projects are not backward compatible with Final Cut Pro 6.0.1. - SO UPDATE ALL AT ONCE!
-for latest 3rd party stuff:

For P2 driver software from Panasonic: Go to https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/support/desk/e/download.htm.
For Sony XDCAM Transfer software and XDCAM EX plug-in: Go to http://www.sony.com/xdcam.

WHEW! Lots of good stuff and new goodies.

I wonder if retimed (especially ramped retimed) shots work after being Media Managed? One of my biggest online editor gripes.

Labels: Apple, FCP, Final Cut, Final Cut Studio 2

Apple Releases Final Cut Express 4

Highlights:
-based on FCP 6
-$199
-AVCHD support
-mix SD/HD on same timeline
-CAN import iMovie '08 projects
-FXplug support
-Open Format Timelines let mix DV, HDV & AVCHD in real time
-720p & 1080i support (50 AND 60? dunno!)
-upgrade from previous for $99

COMMENTS:
-AVCHD only on Intel Macs
-iMovie '08 import support was VERY limited for Final Cut Studio, may or may not be different/better, so test/do research before you get very far. ALL KINDS of adjustments, as in MOST, didn't carry over to FCP, so FCE may or may not be any better

OK, here's another batch of images from the Sitges Day Shoot (this is Part 2) I did in Spain with Equipo Rojo España, shot by Jendra Jarnagin and Pol Turrents. In case you missed it, check out part 1, which I've updated with some more comments and how-done (screen shots of curves and hue/sat adjustments in Photoshop).

This was with Red One #17, and it had some of the same backfocus issues as some of the other early cameras, thus this series of shots are not as sharp as a Red One can generate. So don't refer to this as what Red can do for sharpness, just Red has fixed this camera and is working on a fix.

For the latest on that see Jim's post on Reduser.net:

Reduser.net - View Single Post - New Schedule:
"Improvements include a new lens mount system, less noise and higher data rate for improved dynamic range, new features and time to test. Several other minor improvements will also be made. We have also committed to bringing serial numbers 1-100 up to the new spec (at no charge to our customers). We also anticipate a few new formats, although they will likely follow in a firmware upgrade. We are doing our best to continue to improve the RED ONE. This effort won't stop as long as I am around..."


Bummer there has been trouble, but they are aggressively on it, so that's far better than them saying something like "Problem? What problem?"

As with Part 1, I've decided to apply no artificial sharpening. So feel free to Unsharp Mask in Photoshop or whatever you deem appropriate. UPDATE - speaking of sharpening, Jim posted his thoughts on the matter, and distinguished between Sharpening and Unsharp Mask:

Sharpening... ugh? - Reduser.net

I also found comments #7, 8, 12, 13, 20 & 33 most useful.

So back to it - here's a bunch of shots below, and to continue the discussion on original camera image vs. graded vs. what can be done in camera, I've taken the liberty of making three versions of each image:

flat=original camera image as shot, no modifications other than perhaps changing the white point to make all the similar shots consistent

graded=tweaked in Photoshop - I pushed these pretty hard to get a strong look, but didn't make much effort to keep them consistent from shot to shot. Just to show you've got ample room to push and still get good results.

RAgrade=adjustments made in Red Alert (so RAgrade=Red Alert graded) exactly equivalent to what COULD be done on camera (read part 1 if this doesn't make sense) - this COULD HAVE BEEN original camera image if we'd taken the time on set to adjust the knobs

Not all shots have an RA grade - for whatever reason I didn't make one or think it necessary.

==========

Shot: B1C1
Frame: 676
Description: closer shot of the base of the stairs (as compared to the shot posted in part 1) and the waves crashing against the shore, 4K@24p

Lens: 24mm UltraPrime
T stop: T8
Filtration: ND 1.2
Resolution: 4K
Frame rate: 23.976

B001_C001_071013_00676_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
ISO: 320
Exposure Adjustment: 0
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

B001_C001_071013_00676_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings were the same as above, changes were all made in Photoshop.

B001_C001_071013_00676_RAgrade

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: 0
Saturation: 1.75
Contrast: 0.50
Brightness: 2.00

Shot:C1C1A (the "A" was a designation we put on it when we found out it IS possible to make two shots with the same name...ugh...there is an onset workflow to fix this heinous problem, though)
Frame: 5123
Description: is 2K shot at 72fps rocks, similar frame - so compare this to the above for the difference between 2K and 4K...sorta. Keep in mind we had the PL mount issue - none of these are as sharp as they should be. But perhaps the RELATIVE sharpness between the two can be instructive.

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2
Filtration used: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 72fps, 1/192 exposure duration I think - or was 1/125

C001_C001_071013a_05123_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

C001_C001_071013a_05123_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

C001_C001_071013a_05123_RAgrade

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.43
Saturation: 1.3
Contrast: 0.60
Brightness: 4.51
Slight curves applied on the low end in the 25% area.

Shot: B1C7
Frame: 207
Description: more people, fewer stairs

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2.8
Filtration: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 4K
Frame rate: 23.976

B001_C007_071013_00207_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

B001_C007_071013_00207_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.


Shot: B1C8
Frame: 366
Description: 4k @24 rocks

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2
Filtration: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 4K
Frame rate: 23.976

B001_C008_071013_00366_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 22

B001_C008_071013_00366_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.


Shot: C1C1a
Frame: 1446
Description: 2K272 rocks, pretty much same shot but cropped and faster

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2
Filtration: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 23.976

C001_C001_071013a_01446_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

C001_C001_071013a_01446_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.


Shot: A1C6
Frame:227
Description: stormtroopers wide - Mos Eisley? Most unlikely.

Lens: Unknown
T stop: Varies
Filtration: None
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 23.976

A001_C006_071013_00227_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5618
Tint: 22
Exposure Adjustment: -0.4

A001_C006_071013_00227_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

A001_C006_071013_00227_RAgrade

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Grading in RedAlert, I futzed around with Kelvin and Tint for a while until durf! I'd forgotten about the "Pick WB" button (that's Pick White Balance), which was one click easy. There is, of course, a button on camera to do this as well.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Kelvin (white point): 9250
Tint: 15.68
Exposure Adjustment: -0.5
Saturation: 2
Contrast: 0.20
Brightness: 4.00

Shot: A1C6
Frame: 1100
Description: closeup trooper

Lens: Unknown
T stop: Varies
Filtration: None
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 23.976

A001_C006_071013_01100_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5618
Tint: 22
Exposure Adjustment: -0.4

A001_C006_071013_01100_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

A001_C006_071013_01100_RAgrade


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.5
Saturation: 2
Contrast: 0
Brightness: 1.21

Shot: B1C6
Frame: 31
Description: nice waves crashing shot

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2.8
Filtration: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 23.976

B001_C006_071013_00031_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

B001_C006_071013_00031_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: 0
Saturation: 2
Contrast: .75
Brightness: 2.5


Shot: B1C7
Frame: 207
Description: base of Church & people again

Lens: 16mm
T stop: T2.8
Filtration: ND 0.9+1.2
Resolution: 2K
Frame rate: 23.976

B001_C007_071013_00207_flat

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0

B001_C007_071013_00207_graded

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 500
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.3
Saturation: 1
Contrast: 0
Brightness: 3


Shot: D1C2-C5
Description: Various exposures of a high dynamic range scene. These are all the modified flat originals - some we shot at ISO 320, some at ISO 100 to help us try to identify sensor clip, but here they've all been processed the same to allow more direct comparisons. The major relevant variable is the T stop.

Lens: 24mm UltraPrime
T stop: T11.5
Filtration: None
Resolution: 4K
Frame rate: 23.976

D001_C002_071013_00117

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
Standard Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.41

D001_C003_071013_00113

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.42

D001_C004_071013_00110

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): -0.42
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure Adjustment: -0.42

D001_C005_071013_00112

Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

Red Alert settings
DI Mode
Exposure (ISO): 320
Rec 709 Gamma
Kelvin (white point): 5600
Tint: 0
Exposure: -.040



...so yeah, this is taking forever. Given. But I wanted to do this at a certain level of correctness to be Worth Doing. More coming, and it gets better as we go...

-mike

Labels: Red, Red Alert, Sitges, Spain

Avid Announces Major Shift in 2008 Strategy in Response to Customer Feedback

...including NOT having a booth at NAB.

Hmm....much could be read into that.

" In the past, we’ve seen how investing marketing resources in alternative, customer-focused activities, can be more effective with our users – and to our bottom line. It’s time for Avid to start giving something back to the industry and these activities will create a more vibrant community where customers and newcomers can learn, share, and understand where the industry is headed – and how they can help shape it.”

From my perspective, Avid has been threatened by Final Cut Pro for some time. While they make good products that serve the high end well in ways that Final Cut doesn't (hello media management, dailies audio syncing, ScriptSync, etc. etc.), their value/dollar for the majority of the market I've found lacking in the increasingly DIY market. DNxHD is a great codec. That you have to use Adrenaline HD to ingest it is not. AJA's $3500ish IO HD with Apple's ProRes codecs is a direct threat to Avid's technology initiatives in that area.

He who has the biggest market share usually wins, and Avid hasn't been gaining market share.

-mike

PS - thanks to Jim G for sending this in!

Labels: Avid

My buddy Frederic Haubrich sent me a report on some issues they are facing with DVCPRO HD in Final Cut Pro 6 - namely that exporting a self contained QT of DVCPRO HD material gets the aspect ratio screwed up. He discusses the bug in detail, and some possible fixes.

He's deep into post on a 13 show piece for a cable network, so this is a Real Problem for him.

Here's his PDF report on the issue.

Hey all -

I've started blogging for NATO - not the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, this is for the National Association of Theater Owners. They've asked me and several other folks to blog about what we think is going on in the industry, so here goes. I've got two entries up so far, one as an intro, one about where I think the industry is headed.

Greetings and Salutations from the Frontier > Boxoffice�

Where have I heard this (swan) song before? > Boxoffice�

Labels: blogs

I've been getting busier of late, but here's some info that I snagged along the way during the week:

Cameras

Film v. Genesis Comp: "Independent Genesis vs Film Comparison"
Post

After Effects Basic Training: "In this Free Video Training Series, you'll learn everything you need to know to start using After Effects today. This is not an overview of the software, this is a real training series that covers advanced techniques for Motion Tracking, Color Keying and even 3D Title Design."

Silverado's Apple and RED Blog: AJA IO HD Unboxing and Setup

My friend Torrrey Loomis shot me a link to his unboxing pics of his new AJA IO HD - I'm looking forward to testing one of these myself.

-mike

Sonnet - FireWire 800 ExpressCard/34: Faster FireWire Connections

Possibly useful in a Red field config?

RED

Somebody asked how to edit 4K on this thread here:

What is the recommended editing system for doing 4K on the red one? - Reduser.net

...and I went off on them, stating that 95% of folks don't need to worry about 4K, ever, here:

Reduser.net - View Single Post - What is the recommended editing system for doing 4K on the red one?

These two posts are status updates from Red:

Current Software/Firmware Build - Reduser.net

Some new info... - Reduser.net

....I don't recall if I blogged about it previously that Red announced another holdup on production, this time to fix a board and dramatically improve the PL mount (there have been some issues with cameras 1-100). I'd like to get my camera sooner rather than later, but I'd MUCH rather it work better, so the delay is for the best in the end.

Other

The Dark Country - A camera department diary

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock - suspense, camera angles, style, editing, basics: "How to turn your boring movie into a Hitchcock thriller... "

YouTube - BumpTop 3D Desktop Prototype - www.bumptop.com

very slick functionality that extends the desktop metaphor to a real, you know - top of a desk. Piles, either tidy or messy, sorting, flicking, etc.

Is pressure pen based, but you could get a lot of this benefit with a multi-button mouse with a scroll wheel.

New Guinness advert: Giant domino village - Telegraph not HD, just way way cool

Blu-Ray Laser Phaser! - The World's Biggest Show & Tell - offbeat, tech, diy - if ya gots that much spare time on ya hands....

Labels: blogwad

film music | mobygratis.com

From the site:

hi,
i'll keep this brief.
this portion of moby.com, 'film music', is for independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short.
to use the site you log in(or on?) and are then given a password.
you can then listen to the available music and download whatever you want to use in your film or video or short.
the music is free as long as it's being used in a non-commercial or non-profit film, video, or short.
if you want to use it in a commercial film or short then you can apply for an easy license, with any money that's generated being given to the humane society.
i hope that you find what you're looking for,
moby

90,000 HD DVD players sold in one weekend - Engadget HD

Nice update on the current format war.

Just the price point on these, even as a loss leader, gets them press, which promotes the format futher.

Crevah.

Other interesting tidbits according to the article:
-only 40% of PS3 owners realize there is a Blu-ray player in the unit
-weekly sales numbers link
-90K is about as many HD DVD players as sold in the first year....they just did that in a weekend.

pictured here - Rodney Charters, DoP for the series 24, hefts some of Panavision's new gear

Panavision usually releases products at the large conferences like NAB, but apparently, on October 11, they couldn't wait any longer.

Held in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Panavision released a number of new and upgraded products for their film and Genesis camera lines, including a sweet little accessory to the Genesis, the SSR-1 solid state recorder.

Introduced at Panafest, the SSR-1 hooks up to the Genesis, and can record in 4:4:4 or 4:2:2. It works on its own or with the sony F-23 as well, and integrates into workflows based on the SRW-1 HDCAM SR recorder. It records 21 minutes in 23.98 fps 4:4:4 SP mode and 43 minutes in 23.98 fps 4:2:2 LP mode. It consumes little power by only using its full power requirements when recording.

New prime and zoom lenses were announced at the event:
- the new G Series Primes, in 35, 40, 50, 60, 75, and 100mm

-two new zooms:

- the wide-angle AWZ2:
40-80mm T2.8
focuses down to 3 1/4 feet

- the telephoto ATZ:
70-200 T3.5.
focuses down too 5 1/2 feet.

Also announced was the new PCZ compact zoom lens:
19mm to 90mm
-extremely light weight
-high image quality.

Panavision announced Panalux, a unified branding of Panavision's acquisition of AFM and Panavision-owned LEE Lighting. This new brand is currently being used on the set of Batman- Dark Knight, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Along with the Genesis Panavision now has available for rental at some locations the Sony F-23 and Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 cameras.

On the film side, the XL2 film camera has components that give it a variable frame rate of 3- 50 fps and help it work better than its predecessors in cold weather. It also has a new "video assist" feature that enables it to be much better in low light. It can quickly convert from studio, to handheld, and steadicam modes. As an accessory, Panavision recently developed a mounting bracket for on-board batteries, which is a production of a response to a client request.

Mike Flynn of B-Side Films posted a great article on the event. Check it out for in-depth converage.

You can check out a couple of vid streams from the event here, and the official product documents here.

Panavision has a page up of the highlights up at their website.

Labels: cameras, high end, lenses, Panavision

This is my continuing coverage, analysis, and footage from my Red One shoot in Spain.

On Saturday, we got up and were ready to shoot. After last night's rearranged shoot (Mont Juic instead of Font Magica), we were itching to get what we wanted - some really gorgeous shots.

You can see the photo gallery of production stills here.

Today I want to do something a little bit different from what I've been doing - I had been posting source 4K TIFF files, completely flat and raw and unmodified. The benefits of such are well explained by Stu Maschwitz here, but not everybody is up to speed on that.

I've fielded a few complaints about the look of the Red One footage in Comments on prior posts, my favorite being that it simply looked like higher res HDV. Bwahahahaaaaaaaa.....let me show you how not true that is.

First up, let us take a look at an image from the same sequence I posted the other week:

B001_C002_071013_00306_flat


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

For those of you just joining this game, these images are best viewed with your monitor set to Adobe 1998 - that's gamma 2.2, white point of 6500 Kelvin. If you're on a Mac, and you haven't done it yet, now is an excellent time to use the Advanced calibration options in System Prefs/Displays/Color/Calibrate/Expert Mode (on).

This is the ungraded, flat, optimized for transfer to DI version of this frame. And yes, it looks utterly flat and uninspiring. And yes, there appears to be a dead pixel at 2833 over, 167 down. Drat. I could paint it out, but that would feel like cheating.

For those interested, it was shot with a 16mm Ultra Prime lens, f2.8, with ND0.9 and 1.2, ISO 320, I processed it at 5600 Kelvin, 0 Tint, and I think 0 Exposure since Jendra nailed the exposure so well (perhaps because I convinced her of the rockingness of the false color exposure tool? :D )

EDIT - DO NOTE - this was shot with not one but TWO ND filters - a 0.9 and a 1.2 - so OF COURSE it looks flat!

But take that same 4K TIFF file and apply some aggressive Curves and Hue/Sat in Photoshop, and voila:

B001_C002_071013_00306_graded


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

For those of you who felt the original images were flat and uninspiring, there you go - that's more like it.

EDIT - to answer those asking, Photoshop changes were as follows - I applied this curve:


....then pushed the master saturation +47. That's it.

Some are complaining (even one guy on the CML, but not indicative of the overall tone there -EDIT - I misrepresented this before, is why I'm rephrasing now) that you should be able to just shoot and get good results straight out of the camera, that all this post software nonsense is gobblygook, and that finished images should fall out of the camera like manna from heaven (after you stand around and tweak on it on set).

For starters, I heartily disagree - the more specific a look you create in camera, the less likely you'll be able to change it later...with a traditional electronic camera. The Red One is really most analagous to a digital film camera - you have a LOT of room to push it around in post, so notes from the DoP in the field are important if not essential to get your dailies the way you want them...if you shoot it like a film camera, not tweezing all the knobs on set.

This is an essential distinction between the Red One and a lot of other electronic cameras, especially the workhorses of the HD world, the Varicam and the F900. While you CAN shoot with those cameras in default modes, if you REALLY want to get the best results from Varicam/F900, you need to have (or be) a DIT - a Digital Imaging Tech. A DIT can get deep into the menus and tweak all the color parameters to get the optimal results off the sensor head, through the DSPs and color adjustments, then recorded in a compressed (and usually shrunken, excuse me, prefiltered) format to tape. INSTEAD...Red One records all of the image that hits the sensor, unaltered (colorwise) but in a compressed format, and any adjustments you make to white point, gamma, saturation,tint, etc. are all recorded as metadata. It is akin to the difference between making a Curves adjustment in Photoshop, and using an Curves Adjustment Layer in Photoshop - the former you're married to your choices and will further degrade the image to make changes, in the latter you can change your mind without damaging consequences.

SO...all that said, some folks are still cranky about wanting to be able to shoot with the Red One and get pretty images immediately, such as out of the HD-SDI to tape for some workflows (like live production).

This is where all that metadata gets juicy. It just so happens that all of the controls that you have in Red Alert (and will have in Redcine when that ships) are exactly the controls, that work exactly the same way, in the same units, on the Red One camera itself. You've got controls for Kelvin (your white point temperature), Tint, Exposure, Saturation, Contrast, Brightness, then gain channels for Red/Green/Blue. (You've also got a curves editor, but I don't think that'll be available on camera). So what I did was do a quick tweak of the controls in Red Alert, which adjusts the image in the same way it would had I dug into the menus and made all those changes in camera - so it is entirely possible to shoot on the camera and get something immediately like this:

B001_C002_071013_00306_RedAlert Grade.jpg


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

This was quick - I spent about a minute doodling with the controls, mostly Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation. You could spend your time (and everyone else's) and their money on set messing with this...or just do it later if you don't have to have it Just So on set. This is by no means a match to what I did in Photoshop with more robust tools, this was just to show that you CAN get a poppy image straight out of the camera (and better than this I might add, I just hacked at it for a minute or so).

BUT...the REALLY juicy bit is this - if I HAD hacked around for a few more minutes in the Redcine software (when it ships), I'd be able to save that look, put it on a CF card and load it back INTO the camera (or all the other cameras running on set) for all the footage they'd shoot until I changed settings again, either by twiddling knobs on camera or mouse click 'n draggin' in Redcine to load a new or modified look.

This was not my most successful in camera simulation, so keep reading...

Next up is a shot of the top of the church. The original from camera, which we could consider a digital OCN (original camera negative), is not terribly inspiring.
B001_C004_071013_02474_flat


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

This was shot with an Ultra Prime as well at T4, I don't have notes on which one it was nor whether any ND filters were used. Eyeballing it I'd say there were, probably the same 0.9 and 1.2 if I had to guess.

...but put that that into Photoshop:

B001_C004_071013_02474_graded


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

....and you can push it FAR, as you can see here. Would I want to push it that far? Not very often, but you CAN, and that is the important thing. Did I mention I haven't sharpened any of these? At ALL? Sharpening is just adding contrast to edges. Feel free to do so in Photoshop or metric equivalent.

I got this look by applying this Curve:



...and then going into Hue/Saturation and pushing the master saturation 34 units, then applying this custom push in the cyans (note the widened/tweaked range):



For those who want snappy right out of the camera, here's that option as well. All image adjustments (except for the watermark, obviously) were done strictly within Red Alert by manipulating the controls in the exact same way you could/would on camera. So you could be rolling this kind of color if you wanted to out the HD-SDI (just not at this resolution, of course!):

B001_C004_071013_02474_Red Alert Graded


Clicking the above will open a 2K resolution JPEG at 100% quality. For the uncompressed 4K resolution, 16 bit 48 MB TIFF file, right click and Save As here.

The big picture is this: Even though these source images look flat and uninspiring, in a way that is GOOD - that means you have a LOT of room to push them around in post to get them where you want to go. This means you are less concerned than you otherwise might be about clipped highlights or muddy shadows, and that if you want to add a lot of saturation, you CAN, without having the image come apart like wet Kleenex in your grading app in a sea of mosquito noise and blocking artifacts. Open that source 4K image up in Photoshop and start going nuts with it. Then open up an image from your camera and try to push it as far. See what I mean? Yep. Red One rocks. Or more specifically, Graeme's Redcode RAW codec rocks, since it holds up so well to this kind of knob flailing abuse.

Actually, that's a good place to stop for today, I need to head out.

Thanks again to all the folks who worked on this stuff with me, we dubbed ourselves Equipo Rojo España - "Team Red Spain":

Directors of Photography:
- Jendra Jarnagin
- Pol Turrents, who was also Mr. Connection to hook us up with all of our Spain resources, a VERY special thanks to him

Technical director: Mike Curtis, HD for Indies (me)

Production Manager: Oriol Bramona of Utopic

Red Camera Equipment: Steve Tammi of Otter Creek Productions

Camera Equipment: Service Vision

Production:Independent Film Academy, Utopic, and Service Vision

1st AC: Gabi Garcia

Data management & 2nd AC: Ivan Garriga

Red Postproduction: Utopic

We all learned a ton, and are continuing to learn as I dig through all of this. It is striking how much you can learn about shooting in post production of this camera..and how much (more than usual) you can alter the results of the shoot in post.

This is a good thing.

More to follow, keep checking back,

-mike

As always, I'm available for consulting on your projects, especially Red related projects

Labels: Red, Red Alert, Sitges, Spain

Mac Rumors: Apple Updates MacBooks to Santa Rosa, GMA X3100; 2.6GHz MacBook Pro

MacBooks updated with faster front side buses (800MHz), GMA X3100 upgraded video, minor processor speed bumps, and up to 250GB hard drives.

MacBook Pros can now be up to 2.6GHz ($250 more), and drives up to 250GB.

Read on for details.

Wal-Mart Holiday

This Friday 8am, not all stores, probably only a handful of sacrificial lambs per store.

But that is the same HD DVD player I have at about 1/4 of the price.

If they can sell'em in volume for even twice that price, this might be an HD Christmas for a lot of folks.

Thanks to reader Jonathan for sending this in.

Workin' on more Spain 4K footage and analysis...

-mike