Re: RED Announcement - Screw you Scarlet Wanters

[Chris Borjis] "I once heard someone say: "Sony pretends RED doesn't exist""

Several years ago, when RED was first announced, the fans came running into COW forums telling us to "throw your outdated F-900s and Varicams into the ocean because RED is coming and your cameras are junk". The RED does surface several "years" later. It was pretty sad when first released. While waiting, we made millions of dollars in HD production with a product that worked, as advertised, from 2002/2003 onward. Now, in late 2009, we are still making decent money with these same cameras. Yes, technology has moved on but there is a huge base of HDCAM and DVCPRO100 machinery out there. We send out HDCAM masters every week. All of the RED stuff that is produced, still goes to HDCAM. As many problems as tape has, it's still the safest storage medium of all. You can put it on a shelf. You can hand it to someone and you can make a copy and FedEx it a friend or collegue. Anyway, if one wants uncompressed files, simply plug in a $5k CF card recorder and go to work. We may not have 4K but who needs 4K? And who can work in 4K?

When it comes right down to it, most HD is knocked down to SD for distribution anyway, on a DVD. How sad.

When I first heard of the RED undertaking, I wrote to the RED camp and suggested an entirely modular approach so that upgrades and improvements could be made to portions of the camera without disabling all of it. We learned this with cameras that had modular tape decks on them: S-VHS, MII, EdBeta, BetaSP, DV and DVCAM. With a modular system, you could exchange the sensor portion or have the choice between 4 channel sound and 8 or 12 channel sound. You could also have a choice of recording format. We have P-2, SxS, SDHC, external HDD and how many more? How about if you could slide a record module on and hit the record button? Sweet! But, the rep from RED informed me that "they" have it under control and "thanks but no thanks". Maybe they should have listened then. I had 25 years in the business but I obviously have my head in the wrong place.

The STUPIDEST thing about the RED ONE is that big plate they have on the operator side (note that I said "Operator Side") that says RED and has their serial number on it. This would have been a terrific place for a switch panel or, heaven forbid, a touch screen or snap-in LCD panel. But no, they put their control panel on the back. On the back where the battery goes. Didn't they EVER look at an actual broadcast production camera? Obviously not. Did they ever ask us? Not that I ever heard. They were so wrapped up in their sensor that they forgot to design in some proper function. The tiny cable connectors are a joke. We still laugh at those, guys.

On the positive side, the image they get is pretty darned good. Is it amazing? I don't see where District 9 looked any better than Star Wars Episode II. I see TV commercials that were shot in HD before that are now shot with RED and I'm just not blown away like I was supposed to be. Am I open minded? You bet. I was hoping that this would somehow revolutionize the industry and we could all produce amazing images at a low price. Well, the stuff is very good for the money but it's not the tidal wave of technology that the original fans extolled. Is it better than my F-900? I admit that it looks very impressive but after it's processed, downrezed and ends up on TV or in the movies, it all looks the same. We still shoot some very pretty pictures on HDCAM. Glad I didn't pitch it into the ocean as instructed.

As for the Scarlet, RED took too long and now that Canon and Nikon have it figured out, the investment in dollars won't be worth it. Can RED compete and better yet, can they recoup their investment and turn a profit? After all, they financed the R&D of the RED ONE with 4500 $1000 deposits ($ 4.5 million of your dollars) and they're not going to ever be able to pull that one off again.

The fanboys have to remember one thing: for you, it's an exciting thing to see come to market and then be able to make some great images and maybe even turn it into a profitable business or make a great looking indie film but the RED corporation has to R&D a product that is still current when it hits the market and then, it has to turn a large profit. It's not a game to them and now they are buried in competition. We have two Sony EX-1s that make a boatload of money and anyone can operate them. Add a lens package and you're in business.

The EPIC is the camera they should have developed in the first place and that whole Scarlet thing is never going to happen IMHO. It's all about money to them. It has to be. It's a BUSINESS. They underestimated the development process and how many of their vendors have closed up shop because they were not turning enough money to stay in business? It's a dog eat dog world out there and the tables are getting leveled. Their own technology may mean their demise.

Ever wonder why Canon Video and Canon DSLR don't get married? They are in fierce competition with each other.

I'm tired. Hitting the sack! Oops, I thought this was Twitter.



Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It's a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

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