Rule | Boston Camera Helps Clients Get Hands On
There’s a new must-use camera in town – the RED ONE super high-resolution digital cinema camera. And Rule | Boston Camera Rental is the first rental house in New England to offer it. “Extraordinary... The REDvolution marks the tipping point of the democratization of filmmaking,” says Independence Day producer Dean Devlin. Steven Soderbergh, the director of sex, lies and videotape, says, “shooting with RED is like hearing the Beatles for the first time.”
So what are the facts behind the buzz? “There are three key features that make RED ONE the digital camera for traditional filmmakers,” explains Rule’s chief engineer Zbigniew Twarog. “First, it uses the same lenses, filters and accessories as film cameras. Second, its Super 35-sized CMOS sensor is capable of recording at 4k resolution. Third, it creates an unprocessed RAW file that represents the exact values captured through the lens. It’s pure data that gives you total control in post production.”
Patrick Ruth, a freelance camera operator who has shot with RED says, “with the incredible image it’s able to capture, I’m surprised it’s not being used more locally.” Rule general manager Brian Malcolm thinks that’s because people tend to shy away from the complications of new technology “So with RED, as with all our offerings, we’ve done a lot of research and testing to make sure shoots and workflows go smoothly,” says Malcolm.
Twarog adds, “it’s difficult for professionals who are busy out in the field working on projects to keep up with all the new products. That’s okay, that’s our job. Turning leading-edge technologies into reliable, practical tools is what we do all the time, and RED ONE is no different. We are very good at this, as proven by our long-term client relationships.”
RED Goes Commercial
“I’ve been working with both Rule and Boston Camera Rental for 20 years,” says Element Productions director Paul Canney. “Then the two companies merged, which like RED, brought together the best of film and video. I saw it as an ideal support environment to try this camera I’d heard so much about.” Canney tested RED as a secondary camera on a television commercial shoot.
“The shoot was at an actual graduation in which we placed our actors,” explains Canney. “Because it was a live event there were no set takes, so we just kept the camera rolling. This was a perfect application for RED because we could economically shoot tons of footage. And because of the optical lenses, incredible resolution and the flexibility of the RAW files, we knew that in the end the footage would match up with what we shot on with the film camera.”
“As always, everyone at Rule made me feel special, though I hear that’s how they treat everyone. Before the shoot they spent a lot of time with my crew going over the camera and doing test shots. For the real shoot, Rule’s Dave Kudrowitz was there as a camera assistant to provide solutions on the spot; but the camera operated flawlessly all day in the hot sun. Afterwards, Rule sat us down at an editing station and walked us through workflows. Every step of the way everything was so casual and accommodating.”
“I feel my use of new technology differentiates me,” says Canney. “Whenever Rule steps it up, so do I. I’ve shot a lot of different stuff with them. Rule puts me in a comfort zone with the support I get in the field and the research they put into making each piece of equipment work as a system. They give me confidence that I’m going to like the result.”
RED Goes Indie
“With independent films cost is always a factor,” says cameraman Patrick Ruth. “RED suited our budget and gave us more for our money. The rental price was comparable to HDCAM, but RED took us a step up to 35 millimeter lenses, a richer depth of field and the higher resolution of RAW. I was shooting an architectural exterior but wasn’t exactly sure how the footage would be used in the final edit. Because of the high resolution and RAW output file, I knew I’d be able to crop in, adjust color and do graphic manipulation in post production without losing picture quality. And it’s digital so I was able to try all the experiment shots I wanted, something you can’t really afford to do with film stock on a project like this.”
“For this shoot I was working solo, and had never shot with RED ONE before. Rule built out the set up to suit my needs. Dave Kudrowitz answered all my questions and made sure I understood how to navigate the UI. I went on my shoot confident I was going to get what I needed, and I did.”
“I’ve been working with Rule for eight years,” says Ruth. “Now that they’ve merged with Boston Camera, they have all the best cameras, equipment, engineering and people. As far as I’m concerned they’re the only game in town.”
An Open Invitation
“Yes, RED ONE is a beta technology with constant updates to its capabilities, software and workflows, and we’re on top of all of it,” says Rule president John Rule. “What’s more, Red Digital Cinema will be releasing more cameras in the near future which we’ll be watching very closely. We are determined to make sure Rule clients are able to take full advantage of these amazing new tools.”
Watch www.rule.com for upcoming RED ONE events and workshops.
