nofilmschool » redepic

How to Shoot Slow-Motion Aerial Footage on the Sony F55 with Andrew Wonder

Guest Author — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:05:11 +0000

Great aerial footage seems simple enough to capture in theory, but there is often a team of people or years of experience backing up the terrific shots. In the post below, we have Andrew Wonder to take us through his process of capturing aerial footage of a female rugby team on the Sony F55.

This is a guest post by Director/Cinematographer Andrew Wonder.

If you were at NAB, then you already know that 2013 was the year of the drone. You could barely walk around the convention floor without the risk of getting a haircut by someone’s spin on the aerial rig. Though they look like toys, it’s easy to forget that operating a drone is an art that should be carried out by professionals. Like a Steadicam, you can’t just pick one up and expect cinematic results. Understanding how to balance and control these crafts is the difference between that perfect shot and ending up in the river. (more…)

Aaton, Maker of the Penelope Delta Camera, is in Financial Trouble, Plus a RED DRAGON Update

Joe Marine — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:05:10 +0000

We’ve mentioned the Aaton Penelope Delta a few times, not only because it is a seriously impressive piece of machinery, but also because it comes from a long line of well-designed cameras from the French-based company. While certain manufacturers are going small and/or modular, a few — namely Aaton and Arri — are still making cameras that are well-balanced and can be thrown on your shoulder right from the factory. Unfortunately, the company has faced a few setbacks with their still unreleased camera, and now it looks like those issues have put them in serious financial trouble. We’ve also got an update about the RED DRAGON sensors, and why we’ve yet to see any footage (even though the hardware is done). (more…)

Extended Behind the Scenes & the Sound Design of the Sony F65-Shot Sci-Fi Film 'Oblivion'

Joe Marine — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:27:43 +0000

Oblivion, the new film starring Tom Cruise and shot on the Sony F65 by Claudio Miranda (with some RED EPIC for one of their practical effects), has only just launched into theaters, but we’ve got a tremendous amount of behind the scenes material already available online. The director, Joseph Kosinski, who was also at the helm for Tron: Legacy, wanted to use as many practical effects as possible for the film, and it certainly shows in many of the clips and videos available online. Check out the extensive BTS as well as an in-depth look at the sound design for the film courtesy of Michael Coleman and SoundWorks Collection. (more…)

RED EPIC DRAGON & SCARLET DRAGON Specs, Upgrade Pricing, Warranty Information, and Price Drops

Joe Marine — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:29:38 +0000

As we await the first footage from the DRAGON sensor (we’ve already been given some still images, but nothing was shown at NAB 2013), upgrades are already happening. Some of the first cameras to be upgraded, EPIC-Ms, were given the royal treatment right on the NAB floor where RED set up a clean room to give attendees a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of what goes into camera upgrades. It was definitely one of the more spectacular displays of just how far the company has come since their first appearance at NAB 2006. We know RED is upgrading sensors for current EPIC and SCARLET owners, but what exactly will this cost, and might it actually be more cost-effective to sell your camera and buy DRAGON brand new? Click through for specs and a complete analysis on all prices. (more…)

RED Dragon is Finally Here: Upgrade Schedule Announced, SCARLET Will Get Dragon Upgrade

Robert Hardy — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:50:42 +0000

RED is on a roll. With a stream of new products just announced, it seemed that they had done their damage for the day. However, now we’ve also got confirmation that not only is the Dragon finally ready, but that the Scarlet will be able to be outfitted with the new sensor. This is huge news for both EPIC and SCARLET owners alike. Read below for the scoop on the new update program. (more…)

Watch Ian & Cooper's Cinemagraph-Inspired RED EPIC Monochrome-Shot Music Video 'Back To Me'

Mar Belle — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:30:29 +0000

A few days ago we pondered what the effect of mobile video sharing app Vine enabling website embedding may have on filmmakers, but with mobile app Echograph seeing itself recently acquired by the filmmakers’ video site of choice Vimeo, perhaps we should be looking at the cinemagraph landscape as one of the new creative arenas filmmakers will choose to explore. Ian and Cooper’s Back to Me music video for Joel Compass may well be the bellwether which kicks off that creative flood: (more…)

The Most Amazing & Beautiful Aerial 4K RED EPIC Footage You've Ever Seen?

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 01:00:15 +0000

Seriously. It’s not often I’m brought to near-tears by any kind of aerial footage, 4K RED EPIC-shot or not (featuring striking landscapes of the San Francisco Bay area, or otherwise). I’m sure the swelling musical score didn’t help. We’ve featured a number of visually stimulating aerial footage videos before, some of urban areas fitfully asleep, others less ominous and more serene, and some for free from Neumann Films. Heck, one such clip followed battling ninjas. Each and every one is memorable in its own right. But thanks to Teton Gravity Research’s use of the GSS C520 5-axis gyroscopic stabilization system, Vimeo Staff pics is now featuring possibly the smoothest, most amazingly stable aerial footage you’ve ever seen — and perhaps even the most beautiful, too. Watch below. (more…)

RED Solves EPIC and SCARLET Fan Noise Issues, Also Introducing New Fans at NAB

Joe Marine — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:08:44 +0000

The RED EPIC and SCARLET cameras are impressive feats of engineering when you consider what’s been squeezed into such a tiny package, but the downside to the small size is that internal heat can become an issue. When the camera is in danger of overheating, the fans ramp up to a much higher speed, which some have referred to as sounding like a “hair dryer” or “vacuum cleaner.” It doesn’t take an audio engineer to understand that this could be a problem on set, and it’s quite easy for a take to be ruined by the fans. Well, all of these issues are about to be history as it looks like RED has solved the problem. (more…)

Want a Free RED EPIC & Zeiss Lenses? Enter HDVideoPro's 7th Annual Still and Motion Competition

V Renée — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:59:49 +0000

Who wants to get their hands on the RED EPIC-X Pro Collection? Well, if you’re like me and your couch-change is a little shy of $48,260, then you may want to consider submitting your short films and/or stills to HDVideoPro’s 7th Annual Emerging Pro Still & Motion Competition. Presented by RED, Zeiss, and Adobe, HDVideoPro and Digital Photo Pro are teaming up this year to award the photographers and filmmakers who submit their best work. Here’s an example of what you can find in the competition’s motion gallery: (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 3: Overexposure

Guest Author — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:16:44 +0000

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

Welcome to Part 03 of Some Like It RAW, where I am comparing the Arri Alexa, Blackmagic Cinema Camera, and the RED EPIC. My goal for these tests is to explore how each of these cameras handle real world shooting environments. Part 01 explored how these cameras handle IR pollution. In Part 02, I tested underexposure. And here in Part 03, I’m exploring the world of overexposure and diffusion filtration. Continue on to watch the 10 minute video, read my summary, and get the downloadable RAW frames from each camera. (more…)

SALT III: a Comprehensive and Thorough High-Speed Professional Lens Shootout

Joe Marine — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 21:11:58 +0000

There are now more options than ever for good professionally built lenses, and many of them are exceptionally fast. None of them are perfect at their widest aperture (well, a few come as close as possible), but there are times when you just need that extra stop or two of light, even if you might normally be shooting more closed down. SALT, the Southland Alternative Lens Test, is conducted by a group of professionals who test a wide range of lenses against each other in difficult situations, trying to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each set of lenses. The most recent test, WFO, is specifically designed to push lenses like Master Primes, Zeiss Super Speeds, and Canon Cine lenses at their widest aperture to see how well they perform. Check out the test below. (more…)

'Red Bull Perspective - A Skateboard Film,' Shot in Gorgeous Anamorphic on RED EPIC & Phantom Flex

Joe Marine — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:22:50 +0000

Skateboard videos became more popular as digital cameras got smaller and cheaper, and it was practically free to go shoot your friends for a few hours or tape over anything you didn’t like. High-end skate videos are in their own world entirely, and you don’t have to be a fan of skateboarding to appreciate the beauty and talent exhibited by the skaters and the filmmakers. In Red Bull Perspective — A Skateboard Video, DP Marc Ritzema shows off some gorgeous anamorphic photography with the RED EPIC and time-stopping slow motion with the Phantom Flex, and Director Nicholas Schrunk crafts a story that takes you into the lives of some of today’s premiere skaters. Check out the film below. (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 2: Low Light

Guest Author — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:37:37 +0000

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

Welcome to Part 02 of Some Like It RAW, where I am comparing the Arri Alexa, Blackmagic Cinema Camera, and the RED EPIC. My goal for these tests is to explore how each of these cameras handles real world shooting environments. Part 01 explored how these cameras handle IR pollution. In Part 02, I test the limits of low light levels, or underexposure. Continue on to watch the 11 minute video, read my summary, and get the downloadable RAW frames from each camera. (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 1: IR Pollution

Guest Author — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:59:37 +0000

If you’ve been using a newer large sensor digital cinema camera, you may have noticed that your image takes on more reddish tones when using increased neutral density filtration. This is related to the way many of these ND filters block visible light, but let in more infrared light which can pollute the image. We’ve seen a few examples showing what IR pollution can do, and today, we have a video comparing RAW cameras, specifically the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Arri Alexa, and RED EPIC, and how each of them handles black cloth when using IR cut filters of different strengths along with increased ND filtration.

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters. (more…)

RED EPIC-Shot 'City In The World' Paints a Darkly Beautiful New York City in HDR

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:18:31 +0000

I’m as captivated by striking portrayals of urban nightscapes as anyone, ranging back to the existing-light-only Nocturne, to the aerial ghost-eye-views of FIREFLY. There’s just something breathtaking about seeing the biggest centers of life and activity during the desolate, slumbering hours. Filmmaker Colby Moore has added another quieting noct-urban document to the list. City In The World lays some high dynamic range RED EPIC sights on the city that never quite gets to sleep. Check out some of New York City’s dark side below, plus some details from Colby about his non-HDRx workflow. (more…)

David Fincher and Justin Timberlake Team Up for 'Suit & Tie' Music Video Shot on RED EPIC Monochrome

Joe Marine — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 01:06:14 +0000

I mentioned we might be seeing a comeback for real black and white, and it looks like we’ve got one of our first examples on a big scale. We knew David Fincher was working with RED’s new black and white camera the EPIC Monochrome, but it wasn’t clear exactly what that production was. His new Netflix series House of Cards was shot on regular RED EPICs, but now it’s been confirmed on REDUser that Justin Timberlake’s new music video for Suit & Tie featuring Jay-Z was shot with the Monochrome. Click through to check it out. (more…)

Will 6K with RED Dragon Mean Unmanageable File Sizes? Plus, New RED Rocket Card in Development

Joe Marine — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:36:12 +0000

While companies like Sony and Canon are just starting to offer their first affordable 4K cameras, RED is forging ahead to even higher resolutions. 5K is so 2012. Thanks to RED we’re about to get 6K. But it’s not all about resolution, we’re also getting other improvements with their new Dragon sensor, including better sensitivity and more dynamic range (Dragon will likely surpass the best 35mm film stocks with the latter). With all of these advancements comes a potential data headache for any working professional — what are we going to do with all of this data? RED and Sony both work in compressed RAW formats, but 4K compressed RAW is still a lot of data, and 5K pushes that even further. How will we deal with 6K RAW? According to CEO Jim Jannard, that’s where the power of RED’s wavelet codec comes into play. (more…)

RED Dragon Indeed: First 6K 2000 ISO Images from New Sensor Unveiled

Joe Marine — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:07:08 +0000

Jannard and Co. have been quiet for a while now except for the occasional firmware update. When the guys at RED aren’t talking with users on their forum into the wee hours of the morning, there is a sure bet that something is brewing. We got our first image of the spectacular dynamic range of the sensor (which looks to be well over 14 stops), and now Jarred Land has posted some of the first still images taken from 6K (6000 x 3000 pixels) 86fps footage. (more…)

RED SCARLET Named PDN's Video Camera of the Year, What Will Happen in 2013?

Joe Marine — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:50:39 +0000

While PDN (Photo District News) is an excellent source of photography related information, they have only just begun dabbling in high-end digital cinema. They just recently finished off their list of ‘Photo Gear of the Year,’ and on that list happens to be the RED SCARLET — which was actually introduced in November 2011 but didn’t start finding its way into the hands of users until December 2011 and well into 2012. It’s an interesting choice, for sure, but I’m sure part of it has to do with cost (it’s still half the price of EPIC), and the other part is that you can pull great still images from the video. (more…)

RED Dragon Unleashes Its First Image, and SCARLET Camera Gets an Upgrade Path

Joe Marine — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 06:52:29 +0000

It may be 2013 in many places around the world already, but it probably feels like a whole bunch of holidays wrapped into one over at RED. The company has been somewhat quiet about their Dragon sensor over the last few months, but thanks to the CEO Jim Jannard we’ve been getting details here and there throughout 2012 about the sensor. It’s claimed that it will be able to achieve over 15 stops of dynamic range, and they are trying to back up that claim with a dynamic range chart showing what appears to be that, and possibly more. (more…)