RED camera ( a message from the founder )

Jannard

Jannard

Red Leader
Thanks Jarred for helping to legitimize our effort by giving us a space on your board. We really appreciate it.

We are giving our best effort to deliver the RED camera as shown on the www.red.com website sometime late in 2006. BTW, we also recognize that the site is in a remedial stage and will up the quality of the site as our project progresses.

There are several reasons we want to do this project. There is a group of us that feels the camera we really want just isn't available commercially and we don't see it on the horizon. We are shooters, collectors and camera fanatics. We own and use Arri 35mm, S16mm, Aaton S16mm film gear as well as a Sony HDCAM and Panasonic Varicam. Additionally, we have a Sony FX-1, Z-1, Panasonic DVX100a, and several DV camcorders. We have several FCP stations and a Smoke HD system. So we feel some familiarity/expertise with the space.

We long for 35mm DOF in the digital world. We want flexibility and versatility. We want a small package that can act big. We want the ability to record UHD for the future and 1080P 60 fps for use right now. We want to know that we can record to just about any media. And use the lenses we have. Plus design some new ones we wish were being built but aren't. This is a tall order, but we are up for the opportunity to make a difference in this market.

We have the financial resources and project resources for this project that include a great design department, 3D modeling capability (for 15 years), liquid laser prototyping equipment, a full testing lab, optical and electronic engineers, 5 axis mills, molding machines, a titanium casting plant (where Romeos, Juliets, Pennys are made), electron beam gun vapor deposition equipment (same as Canon, Nikon, etc.) and a strong will.

We have a lot of ideas we believe would take the RED camera to new levels. Several industry consultants have come onboard to help with the program and we have been watching these boards and listening for some time to what shooters really want. I am convinced we are not alone in our desire for a new "dream camera".

Our only agenda is to build a great camera at a price that will bring a smile to all who shoot high end video and film. We are making this camera "future capable" as well as usable in the present.

Expect us to present a machined or liquid laser NON- working prototype at NAB 2006, assuming we can find some space. But we'll be standing in the parking lot if we have to.

I'll try to address concerns from the group as time goes on, but two things that won't be discussed in detail are the sensor (for competitive reasons) and pricing. We haven't locked down a price... it is way too early. We do have agressive goals to make customers happy. Our intentions are good.

I promise to keep my eye on this board and contribute when I can. I don't mind taking a poke from the skeptics as long as I get to poke back. All in good fun.

Thanks again for the forum.

Jim Jannard
www.red.com
4k@red.com
 
Welcome aboard Jim!
Looking forward to hearing more about you and the RED camera in the future.

(I see you capitalized NON working prototype this time...good move)
:thumbsup:


One thing I'd be interested in hearing more about would be the dynamic range you're hoping to get on the RED.
There is a lot being said about the resolution and pixel count, and the fact that you'll be using a 35mm sized sensor, but not much comment so far on lattitude. Resolution at 1080P isn't really bad, and DOF issues have workarounds, but I really think that lattitude is the one aspect of video that really limits us. I realize it's still very early in the game...but any thoughts?


PS.
By the way, I like the custom color on this forum.
Smooth move Jarred.
 
Yes Welcome Jim.. everyone here is very excited on the development of the RED system, great to have you onboard.
 
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I really hope you guys succeed. Not just for your sake, but for ours, and for the sake of the industry in general. When affordable 16mm took off, it really sparked the industry by allowing directors to get creative with low budget shorts and even allow for documentaries and low budget features to be made much more easily. It did a lot for film art and the industry.

The prospect of an affordable (even if only via rental) 4k 35mm camera could do more than that. Since everyone's shooting with digital intermediates anyhow, this would allow filmmakers from very serious hobbiests to industry pros working outside the studio system (and even within it) to experiment further and make better movies for less money. The industry is hurting from video games and HDTV already. This is the kind of thing it really needs to give it a jump start where procucers can't provide one: in the independent segment. (And surely beyond--I'm sure the Viper and Genesis would be huge now if they weren't so darned expensive to only be useable on the likes of Superman.)

Anyhow, if you can keep it cheap enough to rent (under 20 grand), this thing will be huge. If you can make it cheap enough to buy (under 10 grand), it will be revolutionary. Best of luck.

One thing: instead of a gain switch, one of those "ISO" adjustment thingies (like on a digital SLR) would be wonderful. The more this thing is like a film camera (without the obvious disadvantages inherent to one) the faster it will replace them. Light meters are in many ways preferable to monitoring via lcd screens anyhow.

Also, if digital 3D takes off (as I expect it will) digital cameras will probably receive a boost from that, since the first big 3D features will be digitally shot and projected. (Just ask James Cameron.)
 
Target dynamic range is 66db (or 12 bit). Remember, spec can change at any moment. Not trying to be cute here, just want to make sure that everyone understands that we have lots of work to do and many surprises to overcome. The goal is very agressive. But we are not going to Mars with this project.

Jim
 
Jannard said:
we are not going to Mars with this project.
Click to expand...

12bit sounds fantastic.

You know, I was a supporter of this project the day I heard about it, and even then I'm realizing I underestimated your intentions.
I thought you were shooting for the moon.

Definitely not going to hold your feet to the fire on any of these specs.
I think we all understand how early on in the process you are, and how far you have to go.

I appreciate your openess this early on in your development.
Best of luck to you.
 
This is so cool... thanks for your constant innovation Jarred. There is a never ending supply of intelligent and interesting stuff happening here.

Love the RED formatting for the special occasion. Sharp.

Welcome aboard Jim and thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks for the kind words. Im very excited about this camera, and I thought that it was very worthy of its own style :)
 
BTW if so what will be estimated cost of said system(forward looking statments will be accepted)
 
From looking at those specs, this is absolute insanity. I wish you the best of luck in the months that follow.

... I call beta testing!!!!
 
Well we do know it has the backing. Jim Jannard is the founder of Red, and also the founder of Oakley. The have a tremendous amount of capital obviously, and more importantly Oakley engineers, which have been working on optics since some of you weren't even born.

Concept is definately real, and the backing is real. Which is why I am obviously completely behind the camera, and Jim.

and no he didnt pay me to say that :)
 
SalaTar said:
BTW if so what will be estimated cost of said system(forward looking statments will be accepted)
Click to expand...

Jim mentioned elsewhere that they are not ready to release a price range yet because he doesn't want to give a number before they're ready and before they know they can stick to that range. I'm sure they have a number they're aiming for, but it's still to early in the process I assume to come up with a realistic price point that they can confidently stick to.
 
yes indeed.. im pretty sure they have a target, but its pretty much impossible to get any idea of a pricepoint till they at least make the prototype.

Remember, we are very early in the game here, I mean we still have 5 months before we get to see what it could even look like.
 
"forward looking statments " are a good way for CEO's to get what they think out , without actually saying anything viable..lol
 
SalaTar said:
"forward looking statments " are a good way for CEO's to get what they think out , without actually saying anything viable..lol
Click to expand...

yes in a perfect world people would let CEO's off the hook with these statements, but as you can see even here in the past, people hang onto them and whine about those comments over, and over, and over again.
 
nice! glad to see someone pushing the envelope yet again. welcome aboard and best of luck in building the new unit!
 
Not to kill anyone´s hopes, but we are speaking about a big machine here. It will be the greatest move in the camera and video world since, well, perhaps DV and will make lot of us think about selling the car, beg and ask for a mortgage to get it.

Maybe he intends to give us a not so beefed version, or just make it affordable and a great piece of renting equipment; but it doesn´t look like a competitor for the HVX or XL-H1 level. More like Varicam and Cinealta.

Anyway, the revolution will be as far as i imagine, seeing the big toys from today coming down to prices like HVX and shake all the big companies to LISTEN more to the people that matters... Us. In places like DVXuser, our second home.

IMHO what Jim has discovered is the ultimate way to move the industry. Ok, he´s following the HVX hype, but this is Panasonic´s camera and they are giving us most of what we want comparing it with the rest of this industry leaders. But that´s the problem, Pana, as beloved as it is, (thanks in part to the toys that they give and in other BIG part to JAN) it´s still one of those companies who has market to protect and shares to move up. RED doesn´t have to protect anything and they can enter as big as they want. And it looks like they want to do it as big as HELL.

Jannard said:
Our only agenda is to build a great camera at a price that will bring a smile to all who shoot high end video and film. We are making this camera "future capable" as well as usable in the present.
Click to expand...

Jim, bienvenido al ruedo. I hope we can take you out of it a hombros y por la puerta grande.
 
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