Here's how I see it. Disclaimer: I'm absolutely not Steve Chase. Yay Steve, you're super-duper-awesome!

1) You make a great spec, whether it's a spot or a personal project, whatever.
2) You never expect to fool people about it and pretend it's a real spot. Or that you'll get work from that brand.
3) You DO have an opportunity to use this spec to gain work from other (smaller, usually) brands or representation. Which looks to be what's happening, here.
4) You then begin the process of working up to bigger and better things, maybe someday if you're super-lucky and work your ass off, you get to replace Steve Chase when he retires from his 30 year career. Or maybe you go in a totally different direction.

But the point is, if you're not showcasing what you are capable of doing then you're just gonna stay on the sidelines forever. And the way people have come up in the past is not the way you might come up. That's OK. The world IS changing faster than your underpants (thanks Arun).

All that positivity aside, I also agree with the poster who mentioned budget. 4.5 days of main shooting with a crew of 20? A Tesla 3 series? Then additional pickup shots? All those locations? That's $$$$$. Kudos if you have it and know how to use it, I guess. And it sure is pretty.

Is that Arthur as the older dad? I think it is! He rocks!

It kind of rocks, but I have not figured out how to get clients to happily pay for this stuff yet. And clearly, the industry as a whole has not either.

Their website and B&H claim $690. Not $590. And not yet available. Still. Sigh. Also, I really wonder where the photometrics are for these? Very strange not to know how bright the things are.

Well, sometimes we do still get commercial clients on the lower-end who think they want RED (likely because some other production company sold them on "we shoot in 8K!" as a differentiator. Keep in mind our markets are pretty saturated, though. But... all the "good" jobs we get? Clients would be happy with whatever we choose. And I agree there's so many good options today under $10K. Still, sometimes a RED is the best tool for a job, but I can't justify keeping up with their constant turnaround and upgrades, it's kind of bullshit.

Lately I've been feeling #6, #7, and #8. I've been thinking about this from both sides of the hiring table (is there a table?) after an unnamed-to-protect-him DP recently contacted us asking for work. On first glance he seemed OK, but he kept showing a streak of anger and bitterness as we talked. I get it. It's hard for everyone. Up to last week, I'd probably overlook some red flags, because everybody's been new to LA and the place IS strange and disorienting until you sort of figure it out. And everyone's had bad stuff happen to them, there's plenty of bad employers and human refuse pretending to be producers, for instance. But there comes a time when you realize it's not your job to save people and no matter how badly that person's been treated in the past by other productions, their attitude is not something you can allow them to inflict upon others. That's why we now have a "no assholes" policy. Luckily for me my partner can be tough, so she's our "bad cop" in these situations.