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Stephen Gentle
05-29-2007, 03:27 AM
I got a weird email today... Maybe it's just a bit of spam advertising, but a few things struck me as being a bit weird - like the part about them helping testing going back a few years... It just sounds a bit like a scam.


Dear Stephen,
My name is James Mathers, President and Cofounder of the international educational cooperative known as the Digital Cinema Society. In case you are not familiar with our efforts, I would like to tell you a little about the Society with an open invitation to join us. I thought the group may be of particular interest to you, since we have been very active in the rollout of the RED camera. I was involved in early testing going back a couple of years, and will be getting one of the first cameras out of the gate, (#30), with which I will begin a series of test shoots open for participation to all our members.
Created to address the information needs of producers, directors, cinematographers, postproduction specialists, and exhibitors, this nonprofit organization is open for membership to all entertainment industry professionals. The Society’s purpose is not to advocate for digital, but to objectively examine all media, solutions, services, and technologies without favoring any one brand, service, or format over another.
Membership now numbers over 2,500 industry professionals who are taking advantage of our benefits like the eNewsletter, professional discounts, and access to our members site with streaming educational content and news of the latest developments in the field of Digital Cinema.
We regularly schedule educational events which we tape and stream from our website. Our library of streaming “Knowledge On Demand” now includes presentations of new equipment like the RED One, Phantom 2K & 4K, Dalsa Origin & Evolution, Panavision's Genesis, Arri D-20, Sony F23 & XDcam HD, Panasonic HDX900 & HDX3000, Silicon Optics SI2, all the small format HD camera systems, and panel discussions on subjects such as HD Desktop Editing, Look Management, The Role of the Digital Imaging Technician, Underwater Cinematography, 4K for Production, Post, & Projection, Sound Recording for Digital Image Capture, Digital Storage Solutions for Production & Post, Metadata, What's New From NAB 05, 06, & 07, as well as excerpts from our documentary, Digital Cinema Solutions.
Please take a few minutes to check us out, visit the sign up page, and be added to our roster. I would appreciate your joining the group, so please be my guest to a complimentary membership, or if you would like to support what we are about, use the regular sign up link to pay the $30.00 dues/initiation fee; either way, we will be happy to activate your membership.

DCS sign up - comp
[Link removed by me]

or to pay and support the work of the Society:

Digital Cinema Society - Sign Up
http://www.digitalcinemasociety.org/join/join.php

With Sincere Thanks,
James Mathers
Digital Cinema Society
Mathers@DigitalCinemaSociety.org
818-762-2214


-Stephen

David Mullen ASC
05-29-2007, 07:33 AM
Jim Mathers and the Digital Cinema Society are real. I've been too busy to attend any of their events so I can't say much about them, but I've been a member since the beginning. I don't know why Jim said "going back a couple of years" regarding the RED though. Jim's been shooting HD (and film before that) for awhile now.

Stephen Webb
05-29-2007, 09:53 AM
I'm a member of the DCS and have to say it's well worth the price (well, actually it was free, but it'll be worth it when I do get round to paying!) Some of the streaming content they've got is really interesting & very useful and I'd like to attend one of their events (which given the geographical considerations isn't likely anytime soon!)

For UK based folks, James Matehrs has a lengthy article about Red published in the current issue of High Definition Magazine.

Priyesh P.
05-29-2007, 11:01 AM
I´ve got the same and wondered where they did get my contact details from.

Stephen Gentle
05-29-2007, 11:04 PM
DCS and James Mathers seem real enough, but it was weird (sorry, I forgot to mention) that it was coming from an AOL email address...

EDIT: OcularLimpidity was right - it's James...

casey warren
05-30-2007, 12:54 AM
DCS and Jim Mathers seem real enough, but it was weird (sorry, I forgot to mention) that it was coming from an AOL email address...

Yeah it is kind of weird. I got the same address as well. I thought everything seemed legit untill the whole AOL e-mail address thing. I think people who are truly legit need to change their e-mails because I automatically assume they are fakes if they come from AOL.

I've got many like these in the past....like winning a 500,000 scholarship from the Bill Gates Foundation....convienently located at billgatesinternationalscholoarship@aol.com

casey warren
05-30-2007, 12:57 AM
Jim Mathers and the Digital Cinema Society are real.

Good news, im glad.

dalemccready
05-30-2007, 08:44 PM
I think a lot of us here at Reduser got it.

Jeremy Hughes
05-31-2007, 06:24 AM
Jim Mathers... Not James Masters?

Mark L. Pederson
05-31-2007, 02:01 PM
legit or not - SPAM is SPAM ... and Redusers are good targets for many ....

Gavin Greenwalt
06-06-2007, 10:54 PM
Hehe the DCS guys do get around. I met one of them at the San Francisco Autodesk Systems demonstration this last fall. Anywhere digital images are moving you'll probably find a DCS member handing out cards and raising awareness about their group.