If you've not seen the footage, then how can you judge the benefit? Check it out in a web stream anyway here:
http://www.mammothhd.com/MHD_RED5A.html
This footage was shown all over the floor at NAB this year... I got a ton of complements on it.. I did the grading and the edit. It was fast using the ProRes HQ import workflow. Grading it was a snap (didn't take longer than video, actually took less time because it's so responsive and predictable). It's not hard, nor is it particularly time consuming as long as you know how. (there's the gotcha, you have to learn to color correct if you've not done it in the past and relied on the substandard color processing done in video cameras). Don't know of any series TV that doesn't go thru grading, video or film actually.. they all do already, so don't see where this will be a slower workflow actually... if they aren't being graded, they are very low end..
It's huge Emma... it's like 35.. finishing in 4k is doable in Scratch, and this can be printed to film... (so can 2k for that matter) there's no ex series nada that will compare to the look. Not even close. This stuff fools everyone. It looks like 35mm. not 16, not nice video attempting to look like film... it looks like 35mm. Ever wondered why your stuff doesn't look like a Hollywood feature? With RED it will.
This camera will be so obliquitous within a couple of years, (there's to be 5000+ RED ONE cameras in the field by the end of this summer alone) that whether or not you like the idea of grading footage, if you're a post house, you'd better get ready to do it. there's going to be a HUGE number of shoots in RED. There already are. Just try to rent one in LA.. they are all booked... there's a reason too... it's the look you simply cannot get from video, and it costs piles of money less than shooting film. It's a crop you simply can't get away with shooting HD. It's better than HD, it's bigger than HD, it color corrects finer than HD etc... it's better. If you don't believe me, rent one and try it... it's going to blow your mind when you can fix over exposure... even fix over exposure with secondaries and not touch the rest of the exposure. Try that with video... it simply can't be done when the processing was done in camera.
My images mean something to me, and if I can get the look of 35 for the cost of a run of the mill HD camera, I'm done. If it takes longer to ingest, so be it. It's not that slow now (with the log and transfer plugin just released by RED), and faster macs will make it faster, updated software will too, but for now? it's fast enough for just about anybody who is shooting single camera and is editing the show, delivering in HD or SD... Kona 3 does a LUT for editorial before you send to Color for the real deal... or even use the CC 3way, but Color rocks...
Jerry
Apple Certified Trainer
Author: "Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro 4" Click
here
Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D
