BLACKJACK- RED ONE® and the DOUBLE DOWN

[David Battistella]

Hi All,

Been checking out the announcements the past few days I have a couple of observations.

1. You have 12 months to generate dollars with your RED to get into the next round.

2. The next round requires a "double down" anyway you look at it.

What do I mean by this.

OPTION 1.
If you go the Scarlet® route to replace your RED ONE® one then you are most likely looking at 12K minus 12% PLUS about (i am guessing) another 5K to make the brain you buy have a body to manage. I am guess in that everything you need to make a Scarlet® ACTUALLY record images will require a minimum investment of:

Power supply (no cost released)
HD-SDI and audio OP (cost not released)

This means possibly about another 17.5K to stay in the game with your initial investment in RED ONE® and be competitive by having the ability to record 5K.

So you keep your RED ONE® 4K and buy a Scarlett (5K)

OR

You DOUBLE DOWN and drop 17.5K on the EPIC® brain. You might need to drop about another 5-7K to properly accessorize the EPIC® "brain" so that you have a camera that records images (like your RED ONE® does now), but you might need these things besides the "brain".

Power supply (no cost released)
HD-SDI and audio OP (cost not released)
Something that records REDCODE® 225 (cost not released)
A new battery system (cost not released)
Custom Lenses (cost not released)

Here you would forfeit your RED ONE's® and its 4K ability for a camera that records 6K. You can also consider your self not just a professional, but a "master" professional if you go this route. :)

OR

Keep you RED one and convince the client that 6K is overkill. :) ( I couldn't resist this one, it's really just a little joke).


All joking aside, I really think that indy RED ONE® owners should just concentrate on generating dollars, sock away some cash and when the time comes make the move to EPIC® in order to compete with the Rental houses who wil most certainly trade in their RED ONEs®.

The Rental Houses (who represent the RED ONE® customers who own anywhere from 10 to 50 cameras each) might have much more leverage when upgrading, they are the real soldiers in the revolution.

The little guys need to put the nose to the grindstone, when you invested in the program you may not have expected to make the same investment 18 months later, but that is the reality of staying competitive in the marketplace.

I do not doubt that RED® will support the RED ONE®, but the question is whether the MARKET will want your RED ONE® when there are 6K EPIC® options in every rental house around the world.

Just sharing what I have been mulling over the past few days.


David

[Sean]

Hm. A question then:

The market currently sees the co-existence of Sony EX-3's and Red One's. Are "clients" (a very broad term) still paying for projects shooting on EX-3? Because if they are, I wonder why some clients won't pay for projects shooting on Red One once Epic arrives. I guess if you're always competing for the Super Bowl ads, then you need the Epic with a Monstro to compete. But if you're competing for the Super Bowl ads, you probably don't care about an upgrade like this every 18 months--it's pennies on the dollar for incredible improvements in a camera.

If you're an independent shooter, making indie drama, then I think you can theatrically release a drama on Red One (I saw "Che") and it could easily outperform an Epic shot feature at the box office. Because it will be much more about talent than resolution.

I'm still really looking forward to the sensor upgrade program. Although, I don't know that I even want more resolution--I just want a lighter-weight camera. That's what I wanted to begin with--which sound like it might be Scarlet. My "clients" won't care about 4K versus 5K. But my clients are not Super Bowl clients.

[David Battistella]

I'm still really looking forward to the sensor upgrade program.

I think the pricing of this will tell us how long RED ONE bodies will be really active camera's. It's hard to say. It is a bit duplicitous. Give us back the old body for a 17.5K Epic upgrade. OR We will upgrade your old camera for XX$. If the pricing to upgrade your RED ONE is 10K I am pretty certain you won't see many sensor upgrades.

This announcement is about choice, but will the choice cull the herd? Separate the RED ONE users into SCARLET or EPIC's? Professionals and Master professional's? These are the questions that come up.

I like that you could keep the RED ONE, by a 5K SCARLET and use your RED ONE for Speed shots. After accessorizing the SCARLETT, you could always rent an EPIC Brain.



Although, I don't know that I even want more resolution--I just want a lighter-weight camera.

I hear you on this. 4K data management and storage has presented its own challenges, but 6K, 9K, is going to present even more post processing issue. Anything you shoot 9K is still (for the time being) going to need to be CONVERTED to another format.

And just how light will a 4 pound body be after you add a power supply, etc.? modular components actually might add weight, because each has it's own complete case, instead of the one case IE: RED ONE.

David