3D Geek Alert: RED Has A Laser 3D Projector Coming - For Both Theater AND The Home!

Yes, those same crazy guys who have released the 5K Red Epics now have RED Laser Projectors on their roadmap! Now that means it is still might be quite some time from having them ship (Jannard says "sooner rather than later"), but still - judging by the comments that Jim Jannard posted on his RedUser forums - we will be in for a treat when they do hit the market.

I will go on to describe what I know about laser tech later on in the post, but to whet your appetities, here are the quotes:

Stephen Pizzo- Co-Founder of Element Technica and now partner of 3ality Technica: "After watching a demo of RED's laser projector I've been struggling to find a way to describe it. Comparing it to traditional professional systems is completely inadequate. I have never witnessed 3D that was as bright or brighter as the best 2D projections until now. It generated the best color, best dynamic range and best images I have ever seen in 3D or even 2D. When I learned we were watching at 1/4 of its total resolution I was speechless. It was so clean and so vibrant the only thing I can compare it to is Cibachrome. That's it, a giant moving Cibachrome!"

Mark L. Pederson- OffHollywood: "Aldey & I got treated to a sneak peak yesterday and we could not stop watching. You have to see it to believe it. I have NEVER seen better projection - from any projector - at any price point. I can't stop thinking about it. It was beyond stunning."

And Jannard went further to say: "We have a very narrow target.... shoot 5K, post to 4K, deliver with REDray and display with the new RED projector, 2D and 3D. Easy stuff to understand."

Moreover it is as I suspected - these projectors will be PASSIVE. So I am assuming the polarization is being done at the light source. Laser's are perfect for doing that. Laser TVs will use a similar approach to 3D. No heavy glasses any more at home and you can rest assured you will have a full HD experience at a minimum.

Further, when images are projected with conventional systems they also project the color black which actually does not turn out as such of course, more like a dark grey. With this new type of scanning laser system, the blacks ARE black because there is simply no color at all sent to the screen! And to the best of my knowledge there are no lenses in these systems whatsoever so no degradation of the image and amazing contrast.

And finally, a true solution to not projecting 3D bright enough. We can all assume that the pricepoint will be significantly lower than the competition I would wager - especially since we are talking about a home theater version too. Man I hope this all comes to fruition - AND SOON! More when I get it.

To check out all of our 3D Laser technology stories, click here.

Thanks for the heads up Mark!!

Schwartzman: (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) ...Is The Best Looking Footage I Have Ever Shot (Or Seen)

Yes, you read that title correctly. John Schwartzman (pictured), legendary cinematographer for such movies as THE ROCK, PEARL HARBOR, SEABISCUIT and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has completely fallen for the RED Epic Digital cameras on 3ality Digital rigs.

Here's what Jim Jannard of RED passed on to his forum readers about Schwartzman's verbatim comments: "This is the best looking footage I have ever shot... these are the best images I have ever seen!" was his comment. I asked him if this was just his enthusiasm spilling out or if this was actually the case (pretty big statement). He thought for a few moments and said "No, really... this is the best footage I have ever seen from any camera. Ever."

Jannard continues: "The consensus in the room (to a person) was that this looked like film. Like 65mm film. Better. Without any trace of film's blocky detail in shadows or grain. Jaw dropping."

Better than film. Digital has broken new ground here folks. In S3D no less.

Lucas Wilson of 3ality Digital comments later in that thread: Peter, John, and the entire Spiderman team was an amazing group of people. I was in NYC a few weeks ago visiting set, and saw one of the Producers sitting on a bench smiling. A smiling Producer on a major feature is sort of like an albino albatross - you don't see them often. I asked him what was going on and why he was so happy. He looked at me and said, "I just found out we are going to finish on time and *under* budget." Being under budget for a major 2D feature is rare. Being under budget for an S3D film of this epic (!) scope and working through so many challenges and new technology points is unheard of. We are proud to have been part of the effort and we learned an awful lot from working with seasoned professionals like Peter & John. On to the next feature. (which will be a *huge* one).

Congratulations seem to be in order for the RED and 3ality Digital teams for supporting the work done by Schwartzman on THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! Can't wait to see the results!!

Thanks for the heads up Mark!

James Cameron Buys FIFTY (50) RED Epics!!

Wow. Nice round number! Wish I had ONE of them :-) Jim Jannard has announced over on his REDUser boards that James Cameron has bought 50 RED Epic-M Cameras.

Sooooo... the obvious question is: Are they for AVATAR 2? We'll find out soon enough. It is interesting though because of the recent Cameron-Pace Group announcement of working closely with ARRI. Of course, there is no reason why they have to stop with only the European camera company though. The RED Epics have been getting rave reviews lately over in Peter Jackson's HOBBIT camp.

It was only a matter of time though. The RED Epics are taking the world by storm with their 5K and 3D friendly capabilities (THE HOBBIT, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, PROMETHEUS, CONTAGION to name a few) and their small form factor. This is exceptionally good news for the competitive camera landscape and shows you the power of what is (somewhat) available for independent filmmakers too.

Source: RedUser

Thanks for the heads up Mark!

More EPIC News! Red Epic Cameras To Be Used For Ridley Scott's ALIEN Prequels!

Wow. The RED EPIC digital camera has come a long way in the past couple of months! How is this for a lineup of blockbuster movies that will be utilizing the camera:

- THE HOBBIT - Peter Jackson
- SPIDER-MAN - Marc Webb

And now...
- ALIEN PREQUELS - Ridley Scott!

According to Jim Jannard, founder of RED, this is what cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (ON STRANGER TIDES, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, EAGLE EYE, CRIMSON TIDE) said recently: "In my opinion, the new Red Epic camera is about to revolutionize all spectrums of the film industry. I am going to use Epics in my new project directed by Ridley Scott. I am amazed with the quality of the image and the fact that you can shoot 5k at 120fps without compromising resolution, and most of all the size of the camera. Combined with the Element Technica Atom 3d rig, we will be able to shoot a 3d movie with the flexibility of a conventional cinema camera. I don't see anything that comes close to it at the moment. I can't even imagine the potential Epic will have on the big blockbuster industry as well as independent cinema."

That, my friends, is a resounding endorsement! We are seeing another mini revolution taking place here within the 3D industry - RED EPICS!! More when I get it... Thanks Mark!

CONFIRMED! As We Suspected SPIDER-MAN Is Being Shot In 3D With RED EPICS!

YES!! First Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT and now Marc Webb's SPIDER-MAN reboot! Jim Jannard (founder of RED) confirmed the rumor that we posted yesterday from SPIDER-MAN's cinematographer's John Schwartzman that the webslinger will be swinging in front of RED EPICs!!

Further 3ality Digital 3D rigs will be used on SPIDER-MAN as well!

Said Jim Jannard: "About all I can acknowledge is that Spider-man is being shot on EPICs in 3D. The rumors were correct." Later he commented on the breadth of Schwartzman's options for cameras (including the ARRI Alexa): "John tested EVERY camera before making his selection..."

Here is what Schwartzman had to say on the reduser boards afterwards: "Today was Epic, Monday December 6 marks the first day the Red Epic camera was used to shoot a major studio motion picture. I can say for certainty the camera does exist and boy is it ready for primetime, as a matter of fact it's a true game changer. We shot in 3D with 4 Epics mounted on 2 3ality TS-5 rigs today, we did 22 set ups, including running high speed and the images look stunning! I do believe the sensor is iso 800 minus 1 stop for the mirror in daylight and iso 640 in tungsten light but that is really for every dp to determine for themselves, Brook Willard and I figured 640 tungsten but that's just a number. For the first time in digital cinematography, small size doesn't come with a resolution penalty, as a matter of fact there isn't a higher resolution camera available other than IMAX, and this one weighs 5lbs with an ultra prime on it, suddenly 3D isn't a 100lb beast! We had the cameras on dollies and a libra head today and we flew the 3D rig like it was an Arri 435. You guys told me you could do it in September and here we are today, Congratulations.

I am lighting by eye except that I've had to re-train myself to work at lower light levels because the camera is so sensitive. The images we made today were stunning, rich beautiful color and the resolution of a vistavision camera all in a package the size of a Hasselblad 501. We are shooting 2.40 at 5K, there wasn't a hiccup from the cameras all day, the data was flawless, and there was a lot of it. I can tell you without these cameras it would be impossible to move a 3D rig in the ways that THIS story demands, if Jim and the crew hadn't made these cameras available to us I don't think we could have shot this movie the way our director envisioned it in 3D. Guys you've trusted me to take these out on their maiden voyage and I can tell you that after today I won't let you down. I will have the members of my team, most of whom are familiar to the REDUSER site post about things about sub-menu's and stuff my camera assistants won't let me touch. I would like to thank Nate, Brook, Michael, and Deanan as well as my regular camera crew for an unbelievable first day, and Brook thanks for the Tiff's they look amazing!

Mazel Tov RED!

How's THAT for a ringing endorsement guys? We are truly at a crossroads here folks. These EPIC cameras are within the reach of many cinematographers out there financially and from the mouth of a lion: "a true game changer".

Now that we will have Hobbits and Peter Parker gracing S3D screens courtesy of RED - what's next? :-)

Special congratulations to 3ality Digital for their 3D rig selection for SPIDER-MAN! Couldn't be in better hands.

Image via Sanjin Jukic
3ality Digital is a sponsor of MarketSaw

Is SPIDER-MAN Going To Be Shot With The New RED EPICs?? And The RED ONE Intercuts Well With Anamorphic Film!!

Very interesting news from the RedUser forums (a user group for the RED camera system) - John Schwartzman (THE GREEN HORNET, PEARL HARBOUR, ARMAGEDDON) commented on how well the RED ONE cameras intercut with film! Then dropped a hint about SPIDER-MAN? Read on!

Schwartzman on the RED ONE MX Camera: "I recently concluded my first shoot using the RED ONE MX camera, or rather a pair of them because I was doing reshoots for a film in 3D that I originally shot on film in 2D using anamorphic lenses. I consider anamorphic film the "gold standard" for cinema. The film was "The Green Hornet" which is currently in the process of being converted to 3D, at the time of the reshoots the option for shooting film and converting the new scenes was not an option due to the time constraints of conversion, the vendors are working 24 hours a day just to do the work they were contracted for and adding to their plate was not an option. The dilemma for me was how was a going to find a digital camera that had enough resolution to intercut with anamorphic film, I tested every system, The Arri Alexa, 12 bit F35, RED ONE MX and anamorphic film at the same time, based on this test I chose the RED ONE MX because it had incredible resolution, both the Alexa and the F35 didn't hold up well in 2:40. 2 weeks ago I finished timing the DI with Stefan Sonnenfeld at Co3, in addition to 2 new scenes, there were 4 scenes in which the RED ONE data was intercut with existing Anamorphic film, I was amazed at how transparent the match was, Stefan did a great job and actually we added grain to the MX data to match the film. I would venture to guess that the only way anyone will be able to tell the difference between the film and the MX data is not in the image quality but in field of view differences between shooting flat vs scope. As a die hard film user I must say I have been blown away by the image quality of the MX, it doesn't have the same dynamic range in the highlights as film but I believe with EPIC and HDRx™ it will."

Schwartzman used 3ality Digital S3D rigs for THE GREEN HORNET.

Schwartzman on the new 5K RED EPIC: "I have been part of a very select group of DP's that have actually shot with the EPIC and I can tell that the 3lb 5K camera is a game changer, end of story, game over, pick your cliche'. I will tell you this I have shot more tests on the EPIC than probably any other DP other than my mate Andrew Lesnie who is doing the "Hobbit", we skype daily about how this camera blows our mutual minds, when you see these image projected at 4K it's like looking a vistavision."

Jim Jannard - founder of RED had this to say about John's statements: "We got in this business to create a worthy film alternative/replacement camera. The fact that John has cut seamlessly between the two is pretty good evidence that we are on the right track."

And for SPIDER-MAN fans, Schwartzman is Director of Photography for the Sony reboot and have this little nugget to say toward the end of his comments: "Thanks for taking me under your wing, I think we are on the cutting edge of doing something amazing together and I think you've got a great eye and even a better bedside manner, the next 6 months are going to be fun!"

Six months as in SPIDER-MAN production? With RED EPICS in stereoscopic 3D formation (ala Peter Jackson)? Oh man, I hope so! We shall soon find out. In the meantime, I dream about the day I can get my hands on one of these cutting edge cameras from RED. Near term it seems like the Canon T2i or even the Panasonic GH2 are more feasible for me.

More when I get it! Thanks for the heads up Mark!

THE HOBBIT Will Be Shot With At Least 30 New RED EPICs At 5K Resolution!!

YES!! I am ecstatic! Peter Jackson has elected to shoot THE HOBBIT movies with RED EPIC cameras, at least 30 of them (via RedUser)! If you are unaware of the EPIC technology, no worries - it isn't even released yet, but it is from the same company that produces the industry leading RED ONE digital cameras. Jackson used Jim Jannard's RED cameras to shoot his short film CROSSING THE LINE so he is obviously very excited about the new cameras coming out.

Why should Jackson be excited? The RED ONE cameras shoot digitally at 4K resolution, while the new RED EPICS will capture 5K resolution at 120 frames+ / second!! Yes you read that correctly. The EPIC will have the highest dynamic range ever for a digital camera too.

Further, as THE HOBBIT(s) will be shot in native stereoscopic 3D, Jackson must be reveling in the smaller size and weight of the EPICS.

Jackson said: "I have always liked the look of Red footage. I'm not a scientist or mathematician, but the image Red produces has a much more filmic feel than most of the other digital formats. I find the picture quality appealing and attractive, and with the Epic, Jim and his team have gone even further. It is a fantastic tool, the Epic not only has cutting edge technology, incredible resolution and visual quality, but it is also a very practical tool for film makers. Many competing digital systems require the cameras to be tethered to large cumbersome VTR machines. The Epic gives us back the ability to be totally cable free, even when working in stereo."

Are you amped or what? I am. The man is using the PERFECT technology for these productions!!

If you love movies during the December holidays as much as I do then you should be darn excited for the next little while. Why? How about this line up... 2010 - TRON: LEGACY, 2011 - TINTIN, 2012 - THE HOBBIT PT1, 2013 - THE HOBBIT PT2, 2014 - AVATAR 2, 2015 - AVATAR 3!! Looks like we are set for the holidays aren't we?

Thanks to Mark for the heads up!

RED Day: February 13 In LA - EPIC and Scarlet Cameras To Be Unveiled!

Jim here. You wanted more RED cameras? You got 'em.

Jim Jannard's RED company will be launching Red Day to unveil the new EPIC and Scarlet cameras to the world! It is to take place on February 13 in Los Angeles. New accessories will also be on hand. I will have more details up asap.

They will also be showing off content shot from the new Mysterium-X sensor in the RED ONE 4K camera (already available) and screened with the new Sony 4K projector - all native resolution.

The EPIC (5K to 28K) and Scarlet (3K to 6K @ 120fps - 150fps burst) have been delayed somewhat (they were expected in 2009) but are HIGHLY anticipated. Why? Low resolution to dollar cost. They also use a modular system that is supposedly flexible enough to allow multiple configurations for different shooting environments - INCLUDING Stereoscopic 3D. :-) They inherit the affordability that is practically a mission statement for the RED company. Nothing like affordable, yet well made cameras to kick start the S3D revolution.

I have been waiting for this for some time now! RED is really pushing the whole digital cinematography industry forward - look at that top end resolution of 28K! It will be a while until theater projectors can handle so much information, but we will see it someday. The more important thing to me is the 3D configuration that will now be available.

I am impressed with the list of movies that have been made with RED cameras since I started watching them! They now count: THE LOVELY BONES, DISTRICT 9, GAMER, THE INFORMANT!, THE BOOK OF ELI, KNOWING, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, JUMPER, CHE, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, ANTI-CHRIST, ANGELS & DEMONS and TV shows such as ER and SOUTHLAND.

Their tech is proven and affordable. Makes me want to jump in too. Hmmmm... Is it time to unleash my projects under development?

Red To Release the Scarlet "Pocket Professional" Camera!

WHOA! I am still reeling from Red being able to use their Red One cameras in 3D configuration, but now comes word from their corporate forums that they are coming out with a "Pocket Professional" camera code named Scarlet!

Red's CEO, Jim Jannard posted on their forums this nugget:

The name is... - Reduser.net via kwout

What does this mean? Well if it is as industry redefining as their Red One Camera (4K resolution at 60 frames per second @ less than $18k), then perhaps more common folk can walk around with a Red camera on their person grabbing unheard of portable HD everywhere! I can't imagine right now what kind of resolution it will have, but I have got some feelings developing... Hope they are accurate! (Ok I can - 2K resolution, but its a guess!)

You have gotta love how Red has captured the imaginations of many people and it seems as though they are just beginning! It reminds me of the earlier iterations of Apple's iPod and how they eventually just took everything over. Red may very have the video capture equivalent of the iPod here in our midst.

Can't wait to see the final product of the various RED projects going on right now from Steven Soderburgh.

Link: www.red.com

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