instead of dealing with existing markets that are pretty much covered, consider NEW markets and NEW ways to get the job done. as far as i am concerned, originating on film is about as much as i would like to do with film as possible. which is to say, once shot, developed, and transferred, i would be completely content ot never have to mess with the film again. which leads to making a digital master that is of optium quality, which can be edited on the computer and output to whatever tape format one so desires, or if the film is successful and warrants release, print those digital intermediats back to film.
people seem to think that one needs a heavy duty system to deal with digital intermediate files that are 1k, hd, 2k, 4k, etc. in size/res/quality, but that is NOT the case. instead, one simply batch converts those sequencial files to lower res images, or bath convert directly into a video format of sorts(softwre tools exist for both). it is THIS file that is used for the edit, NOT the high res digital intermediates. if you initial release is going out to video, then your highest res working/edited file need only be that size, such changes like color correction, compositing, etc., need not be applied to the DI quality files. HOWEVER, if and when you lower res release has found it's place in the world and people like it and it is on the road to fruition, wherein it needs to now be master to a higher quality format, or a film print needs to be made, all one simply must do at that point is go back to your digital intermediate files, and batch convert to the applicable format, be it hd or sd, and replace the lower res file(s) that is currently in your timeline, with all of the edits in place ... you are simply swapping the lower res for the higher res, and all those edits are applied accoridngly. if you need to apply those edits to the DI itself, then so be it ... if your systme is not capable of realtime playback of HD, then obviously it will not be capable of realtime playback of DI, but who cares ... you do not need realtime to get the job done on the high res DI, you merely need to confirm the edits/mods/color corrections have taken place and all is well.
people working in the special effects industry are working on computers that are not capable of playing back in realtime DI files, much less HD(that is slowly changing now with decklink in the game). if it takes 1-6 second RAM playbacks of DI or lessor HD resolution movies, then so be it ... you'll eventually apply the edits and complete the master. and at ANY time you cna reduce the movie res that your computer is capable of playing back in realtime, and view the edits in that regard. so where there is a will there is a way. fast 15k scsi drives and a nice controller card is certainly helpful, but in the case of a indie filmmaker, not required to complete the editing.
where people need realtime, or close to realtime for high res DI files is when people are rushed to get the job done ... but for the indie filmmaker, more likely then not it is just a question of getting the job done, no matter how long it takes.
i am currently participating in a beta test program for a sequence batch convertor/processor with realtime RAM and harddrive playback options for the mac(they have the product released already on sgi and PCs). what is cool about this particular application, is that i can take my digital camera, and let is digitize 400' of film over a 24-48 hour period, unattended, and then i merely need to select the folder that contains the sequencial images, and from that point i can apply a plethra of changes to the charactoristics of those files, be it their size, format, etc. all the way to color correction/filter changes at the batch processing level, instead of frame by frame, one at a time manually. if i have a 2k movie that is a series of sequencial images, i can first start out by taking and batch converting those images to something my system is capable of playing back in realtime while opened in my fcp timeline, or playing as a mov, etc. in doing so, i can assign timecode to these files, which is to say i can either have the names of the actual files changed to represent any number of numbering methods(frame number, hour:minute:second, and so on), or leave the original names and have the software create an associate dB that represents the files as frames, etc. now then, once i have the lower res loaded in the timeline, i can proceed to make my edits, so lets assume i have removed a number of frames from various parts of the timeline, i can take and have the same done to the DI file(s) using the batch processing tools and fcp's timecode options(i have yet to do this in practice by the way). so without ever having to open the high res files, i am able to keep them current to my low res editing. again, this is just an easier way to manage the workflow then as i mentioned erlier doing it the manual way.
in any event, what this does is it makes filming and edting to a final product, which will be a dvd in all reality, much easier and all within my control. i do not need to mess with film ever again throughout the editing process until such a time tha it needs to be printed to film for release prints, at which time the actual digital intermediate files are used to print the release print, and not the original film, and no one is the wiser. the costs to print film from digital intermediate files are coming down in cost daily ... heck, on ebay last week there ws a NICE film printer selling for $15k ... just as good as the new arri printer, but certianly not as fast ... but capable none the less.
so for me, my route is to originate on film, and once digitized, place that film in its container and place it on the shelf and look at it every so often as i pass it by to sit down and work on my computer ot edit my film
i will most likely never deal with having release prints made from my original film, becuase i will not have a need to, and i will not be spending any more money doing it the digital way ... in fact, i will be spending lss money, less time, and having less hassle all across the board.
and my short post, future new years resolution has been compromised. arg.
eric
