Forget RED. Shoot Film

[Davideo]

I've worked in the broadcast television industry for 24 years and shoot a little film every now and then (35mm for TV commercials).

I read constantly about the increasing use of the RED cameras for features and TV shows and one thing keeps popping up: difficult workflow.

They should just make things easier by just shooting film whether it's 35, 16, or even 8. It looks better...and in some ways cheaper.

RED has its place. So does Film. Luckily people still have a choice of which tool works best for them.

Continue to buy film stock. Shoot film. Keep Kodak alive.

[Nigel]

What about Fuji??

I haven't shot Kodak in three years. And, loving it.

Good Luck

[Davideo]

You're right- forgot about them. Love their Velvia stock. Have plenty of Fuji F-250D in my freezer ready for shooting. Said "Kodak" in general sense--- meaning film companies.

[Mitch Perkins]

I've worked in the broadcast television industry for 24 years and shoot a little film every now and then (35mm for TV commercials).

I read constantly about the increasing use of the RED cameras for features and TV shows and one thing keeps popping up: difficult workflow.

Also, shows like "Dexter" simply look like crap.....except for the high-speed shots [heh] -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/technical

Mitch

[Roster]

Not that I know much, but I get into Manhattan quite a bit and often stumble across production crews working on something. And more often than not, they're using a film camera.

I also recently took my Canon 1014XLS and 1014E into Du-all Camera for service, and they still have plenty of film equipment in their storefront. One of the employees said it's a mixed bag, but that the film equipment side of their business is still very active.

[Davideo]

more often than not, they're using a film camera.

This means all the articles in the trades are mostly hype and touting new digital technologies like RED...and this overexposed coverage does not in fact reflect the realities of what's happening out in the field. In other words, film is alive and well.

[Roster]

Here is an excerpt from Kodak's 2008 10K (Annual Report)

The market for motion picture films, however, has remained relatively stable, with any significant impact from digital substitution still expected to evolve sometime into the future. The future impact of digital substitution on the motion picture film market is difficult to predict due to a number of factors, including the pace of digital technology adoption in major world markets, the underlying economic strength or weakness in these markets, the timing of digital infrastructure installation, and the ability to finance the installation of digital systems. However, during 2008, the Company noted a decline in the rate of digital adoption primarily due to instability in the financial markets.

The 2007 report said basically the same thing, minus the bit about financial markets.... so motion picture film sales by Kodak have not grown nor decreased significantly for 2006, 2007 and 2008.

[Mitch Perkins]

Not that I know much, but I get into Manhattan quite a bit and often stumble across production crews working on something. And more often than not, they're using a film camera.

When visually IDing film cameras on the street, don't be fooled by this tricky dick -



Looks like a film mag on the back....but it's not ~:?)

[Ektagraphic]

I will always shoot film as long as it is here--and yes, keep it Kodak! Kodak is awesome.

[Roster]

Mitch, who makes that camera? (make, model).

I will take your ID caution under advisement.

[Mitch Perkins]

Mitch, who makes that camera? (make, model).

http://www.simvideo.com/productsP11.html

"With Sim Video’s modifications, cinematographers will truly appreciate the functionality of a SIModified Viper."

I will take your ID caution under advisement.

~:?)

Mitch

[MovieStuff]

The 2007 report said basically the same thing, minus the bit about financial markets.... so motion picture film sales by Kodak have not grown nor decreased significantly for 2006, 2007 and 2008.

And we all know how truthful annual reports are in troubled corporations not wanting to spook stock holders. ;)

Roger

[Will2]

Also, shows like "Dexter" simply look like crap.....except for the high-speed shots [heh] -

For the opposite, check out "Burn Notice" shot entirely on Super 16. Looks good, but you can definitely see grain even on sunny Miami outdoor shoots and of course its very noticeable in low light shots.

I don't mind grain at all, but just amazed that a modern American production would be ok with it.

[MovieStuff]

When visually IDing film cameras on the street, don't be fooled by this tricky dick -



Looks like a film mag on the back....but it's not ~:?)

Funny thing, when miniDV cams became really good and shooting industrials on BetaSP cameras became more troublesome than they were worth, I had this notion of making fiberglass shells that looked like big, 3CCD Ikegami BetaSP cameras that you could slip your 3CCD miniDV camera inside of to please the paranoid clients that wanted to see "the real deal" on location.

While I never followed through on the concept (including internal compartments for batteries, tape storage, etc) I did modify an Ikegami 3CCD camera head that I had so that it had a Y/C output which I fed to the input of a small miniDV camera that was on a bracket on the back of the 3CCD camera where the battery normally attached. I would use the 3CCD to shoot while it recorded on miniDV tape (no SP record back on the camera). If I was in a situation where I needed to travel light, I would detach the miniDV camera and use it to shoot with instead and then reattach the miniDV to the Ikegami to continue shooting. When I got back to post, I had both the Ikegami and the miniDV camera footage all on the same miniDV tape. It was a pretty sweet rig and easy to work with.

Roger

[Mitch Perkins]

Also, shows like "Dexter" simply look like crap.....except for the high-speed shots [heh] -

For the opposite, check out "Burn Notice" shot entirely on Super 16. Looks good, but you can definitely see grain even on sunny Miami outdoor shoots and of course its very noticeable in low light shots.

I don't mind grain at all, but just amazed that a modern American production would be ok with it.

"Cold Case" uses the beautiful grain of film to great effect, and not just in the flashbacks.......too bad it isn't a better show...okay it's not that bad....

"Without A Trace" can also look quite grainy, again very beautiful. Also not the greatest show.....~:?)

I haven't seen "Burn Notice".....

Mitch