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Lights, Action, Camera

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Winter2010

Lights,Action,Camera
PanavisionsGenesisandtheindependentlymadeREDONE aretwoofthehottestdigitalcamerasaround.Weasked directorsabouttheprosandconsofeach.
BYDANIELFRANKEL

THEINDUSTRY/ TECHNOLOGY
Articlesoncreativeissuesandnewtechnologyinfeatures, televisionandnewmedia.

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"IdontthinkIwillevergoback,saysRoland Emmerich,whosawhiscelluloidworldcometoan endwith2012,whichheshotprimarilywith PanavisionsGenesishighdefinitioncamera. WhatIloveaboutREDisyougivethemahurdle andtheyrespond,saysDavidFincher,whois shootinghisnextfeature,theFacebookbiopicThe SocialNetwork,withaREDONE,alowcost cameramadebyastartupcompanyfundedbya billionairesunglassesmogul. Indeed,withabout20percentofstudiofeatures nowbeingshotwithdigitalcamerasthenumber ismuchhigherforTVandcommercialproduction theGenesisandtheREDONEhaveemerged fromamorassofearlyproductofferingstobecome leadersofthisstilldevelopingmarket.

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Panavision'sGenesisandthe independentlymadeREDONE.

Thatsnottosaythattherearentplentyofotherdigitalcompetitorsvyingforthe highendTVandfilmproductionusersnearlyadecadeafterGeorgeLucaskicked offthedigitalcamerarevolutionbyusingaPanavisionmodifiedSonyHDWF900 cameratoshoothissecondStarWarsprequel. Forexample,MichaelMannusedSonysCineAltaF23andHDCF950camerason PublicEnemies.AndtheThomsonViperremainsapopularchoice,too.Itwas used,alongwithSonysF23,onMattReeves2008scififilmCloverfield.Among entriesfromcompaniesnewertothemarket,theresSiliconImagingssmallSI2K, whichwasusedonDannyBoylesSlumdogMillionaire,winneroflastyearsOscar forbestcinematography. AndVisionResearchshighspeedPhantomHD,whichisespeciallyadeptatslow motionshooting,iscarvinganicheincommercialproduction.Asimple,mundane thinglikepouringwaterintoaglasstakesonanextraordinarybeautywhenyou slowitdownto1,000framesasecond,saysMoeShore,aproductmanagerfor thePhantomline.Todothatwithfilmwouldrequireanenormouscameraand cost. Still,amongdirectorsandcinematographersthesedays,themostexcitementand polarizingdiscussionprobablysurroundsthetapedrivenGenesisandthehard drivebasedREDONE. Bothcamerashavetheirprosandcons,notesDeanDevlin,directorandproducer ofthecableseriesLeverage.TheadvantageoftheGenesisisthatitsarocksolid camera,madebyacompanywithanenormoushistoryandahugesupportbase. PlusitsverygoodinlowlightusingallthePanavisionlenses.Thedownsideisthat yourerecordingontape.TheREDhasthesameadvantageasfarasexcellent lenses,butthedownsideisthatitsfromacompanythatsjustafewyearsold,and therearestilllotsofbugs. Intermsoftheirmostbasictechnology,theREDandtheGenesisaresimilarinthat theybothemployasinglechargecoupleddevice(CCD)imagingchipthatisthe samewidthasa35mmfilmframe.Unlikedigitalcamerasfromcompaniesrooted inbroadcasttelevisionthatusethreeCCDimagingsystemsthatare2/3inchwide, thesinglechipGenesisandREDONEarecompatiblewithmoststandard sphericalfilmlenses. ThatsoneofthebestthingsabouttheREDONEIcanuseallthebestlenses thathavebeenusedinfilmforever,saysDevlin,whoseproductioncompany, ElectricEntertainment,hasplanneditsentireproductionslateinfilmandTVusing theREDcamera. ButwhiletheGenesisandtheREDsharekeysimilaritiesintheirabilitytofitnicely intoaworldstillshapedby35mmfilm,thelineageandbusinessmodelsofthetwo camerascouldnotbemorediametricallyopposed.Ontheonehand,Panavisionis a56yearold,SouthernCaliforniabasedcameramanufacturerwithdeeprootsin filmandTVproduction.AccordingtoAndyRomanoff,thecompanysexecutivevice presidentoftechnicalmarketingandstrategy,Panavisionhasitsfeetplantedon bothsidesofthewater,withdigitalandtraditionalcameras.TheGenesishasso farbeenusedtoproduceabout140featurefilms,includingTimBurtonsupcoming AliceinWonderlandandRubenFleischersZombieland. InfusedwithkeycomponentsdevelopedbySony,includinga12.4megapixel, RGBfilteredCCDoneofthemoreadvancedchipsevermadeforreproducing filmlikeresolutionandcoloraswellasatapebasedHDCAMSRdigitalstorage system,theGenesisisamongthepremiumdigitalcamerasonthecinemagrade market. InkeepingwiththebusinessmodelestablisheddecadesagobyPanavisionand Arri,theGenesisisntsolditsrented,atarateof$3,500adayto$45,000aweek, dependingonthenumberofcamerasandlenses.Itsloftypricehasconfineditto theupperechelonofthefilmandTVmarket.Notalotoflowbudgetindependent projectsusetheGenesis,butitsPanavisionpedigreehasconveyedadegreeof

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trusttoveteranfilmmakerscuriousabouttakingthedigitalplunge. AdamShankmanhadheardmanyofthe cautionarystoriesaboutdigitalcameras beforehewasstronglyencouragedby thefilmsstarAdamSandlertoshoot BedtimeStoriestwoyearsagowitha Genesis.Sandlerisabigbelieverthatthe letthecamerajustrollethosofdigital shootingenhancescomedicfilmmaking. Adamlovesit.Helikestoadjuststuff withinthetake.ButIwasvery,veryleery, admitsShankman.Iwasveryworried aboutthedepthoffield,andforthefirst twoweeks,Ireallyhadmyeyeonit becauseIwasconcernedafterIsaw testingofthedaytimeexteriors. Shankman,whohasdirectedcolor saturatedmovieslikeHairsprayandThe WeddingPlanner,wasstillverymucha truebelieverintraditionalcelluloid,so havingthePanavisionbrandonthe cameramadetheswitchtodigitalabit lessnerverackingforhim. Everythingendedupbeingjustfine,he reports.IthelpswhenyouhaveaDP whoreallyunderstandsthecamera,but frankly,[theGenesis]waseasytowork with...andkindoffun.Youcandocolor enhancementonthespot. AddsEmmerich,whousedtheGenesis forthefirsttimeon2012:Imalways nervousaboutelectronicsanyway,butwe hadsomanyeffectsshotsandsomuch bluescreenthatweabsolutelywantedto useadigitalcamera.Compositingisso muchbetterindigitaltheresmuchmore informationtoworkwith. Inmakingthetransitiontodigital, Emmerichfoundatrustedhandin cinematographerDeanSemler,whohad alreadyusedtheGenesisonMel GibsonsApocalypto.Deanhasproven againandagainthathecanmakedigital lookclosetofilm,andthatswhatcounts, Emmerichnotes.Mostpeoplewould neverknow2012wasshotindigital. WhiletheGenesisisfindingsupporters amongestablishedfilmmakerswhoputa lotoffaithintheircamerapeopleto handletechnicalnuance,theRED camerahasapproachedthemarketfrom theoppositesideofthespectrum, captivatinghandsonearlyadopters. BasedinNorthernCaliforniaandfounded byOakleymogulJimJannardin1999, theREDDigitalCinemaCamera Companyhaspriceditsfastevolving4K producttosellat$17,500.Accordingto thecamerarentalshop,AbelCineTech, theREDONEendsuprunningabout $35,000$40,000,includinglenses, accessoriesandinsurance.Overthe courseofasingle2040dayshoot,thats cheaperthanfilmanddigitalcameras frommoreestablishedmanufacturersthat canrunupto$4,000adaytorent. PowerTools AppsforFilmmakers

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THEBIGPICTURE:(toptobottom) DeanDevlin,AdamShankman,David Fincher,andRolandEmmerich. (Photo:VirginiaSherwood/NBCUniversal)

UnlikethetapedrivenGenesis,theREDemploysaharddiskstoragesystemand hasproliferatedintheindependentfilmranksbothathomeandabroad.Butthe REDsrevolutionarysellthroughbusinessmodelhasirkedrentalbased competitors,withoneofficialforarivalmanufacturersaying,Theideathatbuying acamerasetsyoufreeissomewherebetweennaveanddisingenuous.Ownit, andyoustoreitandyouinsureitandyouwatchitgoobsolete. Nonetheless,theREDONEisnowstartingtoinfiltratethehighendofthemarket aswell,withfilmmakersandTVproducers,includingFincher,StevenSoderbergh andJohnWellslaudingtheREDforitsresponsivenessandengineeringsavvy. Fincherisaprimeexample.Iveshotwithmostofthecamerasthatareoutthere, Finchersays.Wevealsolookedcloselyat[acameramadeby]Dalsaanda coupleofothercompaniesthatareoutofthebusinessnow. Heshot2007sZodiacwithaThomsonViper,thenusedaSonyCineAltaF23for lastyearsTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton,andreportshavingabetter experiencewiththeRED. Afilmmakerwhodeliversplentyoffeedbacktohiscamerasupplier,Finchergrew frustratedbyThomson.Igotveryinvolvedwiththem,butwewouldgeneratelist afterlistofthingstheyneededtothinkaboutgoingforward,andallwewouldgetis lipservice,henotes.Nothingeverhappened,andthatsarealproblemwithan emergingtechnology. HethencheckedouttheGenesis.ItookonelookattheGenesisandthought, Whyisthereataperecorderstucktothetopofthecamera?Wereworkingwith digitalmedianowwewantharddrives. ButFincheriseffusiveinhispraiseforRED,notingthatwhenhiscrewneededto reducethesizeandweightoftheONEforasceneinTheSocialNetwork,withina threedayspanthecompanydeliverednotone,buttwolighter,smallerversions madeoutofcarbonfiber. Meanwhile,DevlinhasmadetheREDONEacentralcomponentofLeverage,a

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showthatincorporatesmyriaddigitaleffectssequencesonaleanbudget.Forme, thoseveryeasytochangeharddrivesareabigdeal,Devlinsays.Theystorean enormousamountofmaterial,andwecanjusttakethemandimmediatelyputthem intooursystemandgetrighttowork.Thattranscendseverythingskippingthe transferofdailiesisagamechanger.

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