RED One Camera 2 Years Old Today! 10 things to know from a Veteran User

[dino g]

Why today you ask...

Well the first "production" cameras were delivered on 08/31/07, and since 2008 was a leap year, then as of today 8/30/09 it has been exactly 730 days since the first lucky souls took delivery of their cameras. so a typical year is 365, so two typical years is 730 days...so that is my wacky logic, so happy birthday.

Now I was not personally part of the first delivery, but several on the Red Team know i tried real hard to jump the line, if only by a week. I showed up down there anyway hoping that someone would cancel (which actually happened), but i was denied and kindly told to come back in 168 hours.

The following long post ( warning for those of you who do not have the time or patience to read long posts) will describe some of my observations from the almost front lines.

10 things to know.

1. Never ever carry a RED drive (ram or raid) in your hand from camera to download area. I know you are all studs with perfect balance and you have all been 1st AC's for 20 years and you have never dropped a film mag, but a professional set is a dangerous place with lots of cables and boxes on the ground and people aimlessly walking around not looking where they are going, so there is at least a chance that you will trip and fall and drop the content that everyone has worked so hard to create. don't let it ever have a chance of happening, put it in a pocket or a FANNY PACK :thumbsup:or a shoulder holster or back pack and safely walk it to your stations for downloading and replication. and insist that the ACs that are on the job do the same.

2. if you are going to be an owner/operator/rental house...buy all the gear that you will need in duplicate. cables, batteries, drives, cards, arms, monitors....if you need it on set, have it in your kit. now i know most of you can not afford master primes and occonner 2575 heads, but that is not what i am saying. i am suggesting that if you own a red monitor cable, have two. a red pro lcd, also buy a standard lcd. on and on and on. come equipped even if you cant charge for it, at least you have it and the job can get done.

3. buy a sensor cleaning kit complete with a magnified loupe to see the olpf. you MUST check your sensor and OLPF before every shoot, and if you are in a harsh environment, check it at least again after lunch. this is not a optional thing to do. yet i am constantly being told, hey we have done 10 red jobs and no one cleaned the sensor before, are you sure you have to do that. that is when i put their eye in the loupe and show them the dirt. how to do, put your camera on the head, lock it down. put the camera at a 45 degree angle with the port facing the ground. get out the loupe and look in the port, if you see dust...get out your trusty aspirator and with a few puffs get rid of the dust, or use one of those spinning thinger-ma-bobs. either way push that dirt out, then check it again, if you have real problems, then get your swaps and cleaner and clean away. this is important to do.

4. make 4 back ups, two for the client and two for yourself. if you are not doing this, then stay home, you should not be trusted with this camera, go buy a tape based camera and have at it. no real explanation, if you do not understand this or want to debate it, then perhaps you should not be reading this and you should be at best buy getting a tape based camera.

5. buy 20 hot/cold gel packs from your local drug store or grocery store. also buy a small cooler. when you arrive on set ask for some ice from crafty and fill your small cooler with ice and then place your packs inside. in about an hour or two, your camera will be needing them to stay cool. this is not optional, unless you live in a cold place, this will be something you need to do. my general rule of thumb, if i am hot, then my camera is hot, cool it down before it gets too hot, do not wait until it freezes up (i know bad choice of words, but that is what happens when it over heats) or you loose data from a stuck post.

6. do not place your camera in check baggage. bring everything you need to minimally shoot with you. film tools sells a bag for 45 dollars that holds a fully configured red with a red 18-50 sized lens attached, less matte box. i also place my sensor scope bag in their along with my pro monitor, cables, batteries, a stubby, a hoodman, a drive and all the associated cables. if you do not believe me search for tsa in the search function and read the stories of those not inclined to carry-on.

7. learn how to use your camera. know how to get to every item on the menu from the back of the camera, because you may not have the opportunity to see the monitor as the DP may have it facing another way and or have a hoodman on it. this is essential and yet again, i hear horra (thick new england accent), stories about people that insist on setting cameras up wrong...like change the project frame rate to 29.97 if the dp wants to go "high speed" from a 23.98 project....learn it, know it, live it.

8. be respectful of everyone on set from the PA's to the Director, one never knows where the next job is coming from and the PA may be one page away from writing a million dollar script in which they are attached to dp and direct.

9. know how to use redrushes, redalert, redcine, fcp, avid, color, ae, finder, terminal, photoshop, excel and quicktime. knowing how to use these tools is just as important as knowing the menu's. without knowledge of these software tools, you might as well have a boat anchor on your fluid head because if you cant manipulate the footage on set then the camera will be as useful as an anchor to everyone on the job as the footage is useless without these tools.

10. be open to criticism of your personal camera, the camera system, digital in general. have speaking points for all the supposed weaknesses of this camera, be an evangelist for the format, learn it, live it, love it. we collectively have made believers out of a world of doubters, do not let them bring you down with all that talk about film, film is great, but, but , but.

i plan on appending this, so check back for updates...happy birthday RED ONE...

dino georgopoulos
owner/operator
RED ONE Camera
Serial # 0031

[Florian Stadler]

#1 ????? fanny pack?

Don't think so.

[Imran Farouk]

Really good stuff...for a new RED One owner...I guess i still got a lot to purchase!

[Sanjin Jukic]

Thanks Dino!

Great!!!

[Shawn Nelson]

a most excellent post Dino! I remember the Red day two years ago, one of my 'great days' in life, seriously.

[sander kamp]

I am sure you do a good job on the set but I think depending on the job this might all be a bit too much. I think you are scaring people away from using the camera like this while it really doesn't have to be that complicated.

1. If you are afraid to even carry a RED drive in your hands then how do you move the camera around? And if you really want to be safe you should use CF cards anyway.

2. Duplicate gear: It depends on the job. The LCD and EVF cables are interchangeable so if anything goes wrong you can still shoot which might be okay for shorter/smaller jobs.

3. The reason dust doesn't show up in the footage is because the filter is farther away from the sensor then on a DLSR, which means any dust particle is so out of focus that it is not visible. This is an absolute brilliant move by the RED team because dust particles on footage are a nightmare to deal with. To say that you MUST clean the filter before every shoot is just not true.

4. I would say two backups is a minimum, with three you are safe. Saying that you should stay home if you don't do four is ridiculous.

5. I have been shooting in Thailand with my camera since one and a half year and only on one shoot we used gel packs. And I am not sure if it was even necessary. Use a fan to cool down the crew and the camera makes much more sense. The camera gives a warning when it gets too hot so you have time to cut, turn off the camera and let it cool down. Twenty gel packs??

6,7,8 Agree

9. It is good to know some post tools. But FCP, Avid, Color, etc, are not necessary on the set. You can use them but you don't need them.

10. It's a camera. Not a religion.

[MikeHedge]

ace list Dino.

Mike

[Hrvoje Simic]

Excellent post. Thank you for sharing your observations, Dino.

[albert rudnicki]

Four backups? two placed in separate place is more then enough.
Usually a third one is made on your red drive anyhow (if you shoot on one).

[Harry Clark]

Dino,
Good topics on your list, and kudos for making such a list for the newbies.
However, Sander's reply is spot-on in my opinion. Good tweaks to your list. I always carry a drive with my hands, for goodness sake. If you trip over a cable the drive could get slammed whether it it in you hand or in a fanny pack.
I DO agree with you, however about duplicates and backups (item #2) I have doubles or triples of all cables, remote switches, Microforces, etc. EVERYONE should call their Red Rep and get a rear knob replacement kit. Sooner or later, you will reach around and that knob will not be there. The one thing I wish was that Red had provided for an alternate means of menu control (the USB input with a computer or USB knob)
Cheers,
Harry

[Noah Kadner]

I'd suggest to anyone before debating too hard with Dino on the merits of his suggestions that they check out his credits list first. He's worked with basically every major director/DP in Hollywood and almost every day. He's about as experienced as anyone outside of RED HQ with the camera.

Noah

[Shane Kelly]

I have to agree with Sander on this one.
#1 is crazy, especially suggesting a pocket or fanny pack.( do people still use those?) If you really want to be safe, then put the drive in a small portabrace or anvil case, the same way we would do for film mags.
#2. never a bad idea to have extra cables.As far as duplicates of monitors, etc. go, unless you are shooting in a remote part of the world everything else should be available from another local owner-operator or rental house.
#3 only clean your sensor if it is dirty. Do have the tools to do it with, though. It's spelled loupe.
#4. 2 backups minimum, 3 very safe, 4 overkill.
#5. I've never used gelpacks. I've shot in Barbados and Tobago ( where the screws rusted in about a week) and I live and shoot in Texas where we've just had 60 days in a row over 100 degrees. Shade the camera for sure. I also have a usb fan for mine but have never used it. It wouldn't hurt to have a few gelpacks on hand, though, if your camera does start giving you issues.
#6. Agree, don't put your camera in checked baggage, but I also wouldn't carry it in a $45 bag (maybe a misprint) with a lens attached.
#7. Couldn't agree more.
#8. Agree
#9. You're not a traveling post house. Learn the basics such as redalert or redcine in order to show the DP a look. I don't want my footage manipulated on set, especially by someone with no colorist training and especially not when there's a crew standing around waiting. Learn how to backup and check footage and if necessary transcode it to another format.
#10. It's a camera. If you can't learn to deal with criticism, you're in the wrong business.

I agree with the basis of what Dino is saying, but I didn't come here to be scolded.
Regards,
Shane.

[Marc Berger]

-Cleaning the cam from dust. Specially the grids on the body where the fan sucks the air, and around the PL mount before changing lens.
-Cleaning the screws with a little bit of WD-40 (First spray it on a towel and then clean the screws with it!!!Never spray it directly on the cam). This avoids to get them rusty.
-Always connect the cables (LCD, EVF, batteries, drive...) with care. Often not a defect item is responsable for a lot of troubles on set, just a loose plug.
There are much more then 10. points, whats yours?

Marc

[dave_garcia]

#26 - Try not to take up smoking on set. It's a bad habit and hard to quit.
#27 - Remember the camera is going to village before you point it at the makeup girl's ass. ;)

[Steve Sherrick]

1. To a certain extent, I can see where Dino is going with this. Some folks move around a set rather quickly, and sometimes don't have the most awareness of things around or below them. That could potentially lead to some problems. If you can't carry it in some kind of protective case, then at least move around the set very carefully, and keep both hands on it at all times.

2. Do this within reason. Yes, duplicating cables is important. Having at least one other way to monitor is also important. If the LCD goes down, you have to at least have an EVF available, if not another LCD. Overall, very good advice.

3. I'm with Sander on this one. I have always understood that small dust particles would be out of focus. However, I would probably say that on a feature or anything that's going to the big screen, I would not want to take a chance. I'd opt for checking it and cleaning as necessary. But, make sure you know what you are doing and don't cause damage to the OLPF. Use tools that have been universally accepted to do this job.

4. When budget allows, yes 4 backups would be nice. But here is my general rule. Client must provide at least 2, and I bring a 3rd for protection. If on a feature, there will be sets of drives that are in rotation. Depending on the insurance/bonding requirements there may also be an LTO backup and RAIDs involved. Will I have to stay at home if there aren't four backups - hasn't been the case yet. No one has told me to stay at home. But I do take data management seriously, and I always consult with clients about types of drives I would prefer to have. If they show up with El Cheapo drive I warn them that their data might be at risk. Also, I think it's smart business that if you are making your own backups as a safety precaution that if some thing goes wrong with client's backups (that has nothing to do with you) then you should feel okay to charge them for providing your backup.

5. I have had this camera in 100+ temps and still not had a heat warning yet. I don't dispute what Dino is saying here, I just haven't experienced it yet (knocking on wood). Perhaps some cameras are more susceptible to it. I suppose if you know it's going to be hot, it's better to be prepared rather than scrambling to find a solution, so since there are several reports of cameras having heat issues I guess this one has validity. Hopefully, I never have to use this method.

6. I have a TSA approved Think Tank carry on case that allows me to store all of the camera essentials, things I would never check-in. I don't trust airlines at all. The battery thing is a dilemma, but I'm more inclined to carry on what I can and if I can't I'd setup a battery rental in whatever city I'm going to.

7. Knowing the camera throughly is important. Not sure how I feel about the New England accent comment:001_tongue:

8. 100% agreed.

9. Agreed. Clipfinder is a good one too. One of the easiest ways to quickly view footage, make notes, render dailies, and spit out custom Red camera logs with thumbnails.

10. When the DP shows up and says they'd rather be shooting on a Panasonic 3700, but the producers won out, be prepared for an interesting day. When they tell you you've made a bad investment buying a RED because their friend who owns a rental company can't seem to rent them out, have patience and don't rip their head off. Smile, and say that you are there to assist them in the best way you can to make their experience with the RED as positive as possible. You might just make a believer of them after all. I try not to play fan boy. I'm simply there to provide a service and help everyone get through the job without issue.

Dino has worked on more RED jobs than a lot of people, so his advice carries a lot of weight. I've added my perspective based on how things have gone with my camera (and some rental cameras), and my clients. Every job potentially has different requirements. One thing I would highly recommend is communicating thoroughly with producers, PMs, whoever your contact is on the project and making sure that these requirements are discussed, properly documented in a contract/rental agreement and that you know exactly what you are getting into. This is a business, and it will be treated as such when things go wrong and you don't have answers to problems with the camera or accessories, etc. Being a problem solver is a key requirement in many crew positions on a set. No one wants to hear about problems, only solutions.

[donatello b]

read post #11 again ...
Dino is working all the time ... some may think 4 backups are over kill BUT i bet you a producer prefers knowing there are 4 vs. 2 ...4 vs. 3 .. 3 vs. 2 backups ..
these are 10 reasons on top of alot of other things why Dino is always working !!
thanks for sharing your info Dino ...

[Martin Weiss]

I'm always curious to learn new tips and tricks. In that spirit I would like to ask how you use Excel on set?

[Steve Sherrick]

read post #11 again ...
Dino is working all the time ... some may think 4 backups are over kill BUT i bet you a producer prefers knowing there are 4 vs. 2 ...4 vs. 3 .. 3 vs. 2 backups ..
these are 10 reasons on top of alot of other things why Dino is always working !!
thanks for sharing your info Dino ...

I don't disagree with him that having more backups is the better way to go, but I do disagree with him when he says stay at home if you don't have 4 backups. When practical and when budget allows, I will always have myself covered with multiple backups, sometimes even more than 4. But in other situations, 3 has worked for many projects. If someone comes out and says that 5 backups is the minimum you should have, does that make Dino wrong? No, it just means that someone has concluded that based on their experience they are not comfortable having any less than 5 backups of the data. In Dino's case he doesn't feel comfortable doing any jobs with less than 4 backups. In my case, I assess each job, determine what the requirements are, what the budget is, and then I implement a workflow. The producers know exactly what they are getting for backups, and I make sure they understand the importance of never keeping their backups in the same place or having them travel together.

[dino g]

Fanny pack was just a joke boys...but glad you had a good enough sense of humor to understand that. i stand by all my observations, because, well, they are MY observations and MY advice based on MY experience, so therefore they are valid for ME. I am just sharing my experience and you can read and learn or read and disagree. either way i just want to acknowledge the anniversary and provide some insight. I have spent over 400 days on set with this camera, mostly with crews of 50+ with A list hollywood talent and lots of pressure to perform. the issues of which i write about are mostly valid in that context. some of the rules do not apply for small one man band shoots, so please do not get bent out of shape if you disagree. i think the community appreciates when you disagree and spell out where and why and provide your own solutions, so thank you for your post sander.

i have also observed that some cameras are more sensitive to heat than others, so if you are lucky enough to have a camera that does not overheat, be happy and safe your 80 bucks.

[Steve Sherrick]

It's all good Dino. I know what you are saying. Especially on features or network TV where the requirements change quite a bit over say a small commercial shoot. I was just trying to point out the importance of assessing each situation and implementing the right workflows for that job.

For example, there are some jobs I have felt comfortable going to set with a Macbook Pro, and other jobs where I'd want at least a Mac Pro Kona 3 system and the MBP, as well as a bunch of other goodies.

Thank you for sharing your tips and techniques. Like I said, they carry a lot of weight based on your experience.

[Mark Phelan]

Dino's post is a good list of points to consider and is also one man's opinion based upon years of knowledge and his experiences. Having worked with many top shooters in my field for 30 years, I've seen various ways of providing protection for the job and equipment. Each had their merits, some were simple lunacy, but worked for the shooter because it was his system he developed over many years. I always appreciate thoughts from folks like Dino, Steve and others who have learned through their own trials by fire, what is a "best methods" practice.

Now for a "funny" story. About 15 years ago, we were on a shoot in Colorado, back in the days before digital. We were running around the state shooting a tractor-trailer rig for my client. Had just finished a shot near Cripple Creek and were driving to the next location. About 30 miles out, I noticed the assistant becoming frantic, never a good sign. As I turned in my seat I heard the photographer say "where do you think you left it?" and knew we had some sort of an issue. The assistant had left the shot bag on the side of the road. Literally, on the side of the road. It held the entire shoot, about three days worth of exposed film. We immediately whipped the van around and I must say, that ride back to the spot where we had been shooting was very quiet. Yes, we found the bag, no harm done, well, except for the assistant. He never worked with us again. Ever. You can't duplicate film on site like we now do with digital files, so my perspective is be safe, but be realistic too.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or as we say in Scouting, "Be Prepared".

[Harry Clark]

Again, I'll say that Dino's basic points are valid, but some of us have different opinions regarding the details. Sander's tweaks to the list are valid in my opinion.
Many of us work in short form environments, such as commercials, where the requirements, set etiquette, and methods are slightly different. The pressure is a bit less than on an "A"-list feature, but sometimes only by a small factor...
Many experienced ACs could crack open Doug Hart's excellent AC book or the Professional Cameraman's Handbook by Quaid, find a random page, and likely find a method or procedure that they do differently. The important part is that there is a method and a logic to all practices and procedures, and that the operation of the image making device, the facilitation of professional images, and the safe handling of the assets are at all times done in a professional and consistent manner.
Anyway, these are always valid discussions and there is always something to be learned by listening to others' experiences.
Cheers,
Harry

[Greg M]

Excellent advice Dino, I agree and have insisted that my staff do all the same for nearly two years now (except the fannypack- we use hard cases) and we have never been left in a situation that we couldnt overcome and have never lost footage. Regarding the icepacks, we have them on every shoot and have only needed to pull them out once in two years....but it was that one time that saved the shoot. For less than $20, isnt it worth it to have them in your kit?

[Jerrod Cordell]

Thanks for the advice Dino. I'll definitely take all of it into consideration for when I eventually use Scarlet on shoots.

I honestly don't think you're exaggerating on the backups. I know a guy for his movie has 28 TB of backup. Now THAT'S a little overkill.

And I never had heating problems when I've used the RED, but I've rented a T1i and it overheated like crazy so I had to keep stopping to turn the camera off to let it cool down because we didn't have any cooling packs. Of course I'm sure a $17,000 camera is better at cooling down than a $800 camera, but it is still a bitch when a camera overheats.

[Daniel Dávila]

Thank you for the advice, it's good to see professional people sharing their experience. If there's going to be 3 or 4 or 5 back-up copies, well, every situation (production/budget) is different. I´ll be a 1 year Red user very soon and, from a small and distant location/market (I´m in Santiago, Chile) I can tell that unskilled operators had done a lot of damage to the name (and renting) of the camera. AND unprepared post houses had also done a lot of damage too. Sadly, outsiders don´t see it was a operator fault, they blame the camera itself, so that´s a bad thing for us.
So, every advice and education to the less experienced people is a very important thing to me.

Happy Birthday, Red One!

[masoud.org]

Thanks Dino, I would love to read more hints if you have more to share? This is very useful, including the replies. Thanks for keeping it civil guys.

[Liam Hall]

This is an excellent post by Dino and should be made a sticky. The only point I'd make (from my experience) is never, ever, ever board a plane with the lens attached; did I say never?

[Kenn Michael]

Dino is a ROCKSTAR!

Also, for some who may feel that his tone is 'harsh' or 'scolding' - totally not the case. You have to meet him and have worked with him in person to understand. Couldn't be a nicer guy. Really.

I've known and worked with him a bunch of times over the last 2 years and it's unbelievable how much he works - like literally he doesn't stop.

Great list Dino, and thanks for sharing!

[Steve Sherrick]

Forgot to add in my original response - Happy Birthday Red One!

[dino g]

thanks guys, no i do not have the lens attached it is in two wet suit material type tight lens bags within the camera cchamber....i'll take some pictures of my little run and gun bag...it holds 4 batteries (one on the camera cradle, and three on the outside, it holds all the cables and the monitor also in 3 bags and the israel arms (big and small). and of course the drive goes in the cradle for travel....so at any moment i could pull it out and shoot within three minutes...

ok more later, i have to go shoot some pick ups for my feature about the stanley cup...all the trophies, less the cup, are in town for la kings hockeyfest...

cheers and thanks again for the nice words and keep shooting and happy anniverary...which no one is mentioning...

[Steve Sherrick]

Dino, on the backups you are making for yourself, how long are you keeping the material? Do you have them stored indefinitely, when you get confirmation from post that all has been copied onto editing drives and the backups stored safely, or do you have a specific amount of days that you keep it?

Thanks again for sharing!

[dino g]

i keep one forever, so yes i have every shot my camera has ever made, and one i get rid of a couple of days after the shoot. there is also a complete backup on the drives which i keep on until the next shoot. (more about that and my theory of on set drive nomenclature, which i am sure will be a fun topic to fight with everyone about.)

[Tony Lorentzen]

Thanks for sharing this with us, Dino. As you said - these are your observations. The same rules can't be applied to all jobs in all parts of the world.

[Steve Sherrick]

i keep one forever, so yes i have every shot my camera has ever made, and one i get rid of a couple of days after the shoot. there is also a complete backup on the drives which i keep on until the next shoot. (more about that and my theory of on set drive nomenclature, which i am sure will be a fun topic to fight with everyone about.)

Okay good, so I'm not the only one keeping at least one backup from every job. Sometimes I think I'm insane doing it, but it has already saved one project so I keep on doing it.

I do the same with the drives.

I look forward to hearing about your on set nomenclature. It's always interesting to see how people work. I'm a lover, not a fighter. We may agree to disagree on some topic, but I have always strived to respect other's opinions or techniques because more often than not there's more to be gained by listening than by attacking. Hopefully you haven't felt attacked in this thread. I think it was a great post and I expect a lot of good information to come from it.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Why today you ask...

Well the first "production" cameras were delivered on 08/31/07, and since 2008 was a leap year, then as of today 8/30/09 it has been exactly 730 days since the first lucky souls took delivery of their cameras. so a typical year is 365, so two typical years is 730 days...so that is my wacky logic, so happy birthday.

LOL!! Nice wacky logic.
Wow ... two years. Went by in the blink of an eye.

Cheers to Jim and and whole Team - simply amazing what you have done, so exciting what you are doing, and just mind-numbing to comprehend what you will do soon ...

Bravo!

[Peter Strietmann]

Topic #1 related.

Red drives fit perfecly in these cases, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/257876-REG/Pelican_PC1040CR_1040_Micro_Case_Clear.html.

Best, Peter

[Tony Lorentzen]

Here's what I've done with my drives. Perfect solution (for me, anyway).

[Jannard]

Dino... care to share how many projects have been done with ol' 31?

Jim

[Jarred Land]

LOL!! Nice wacky logic.
Wow ... two years. Went by in the blink of an eye.

Cheers to Jim and and whole Team - simply amazing what you have done, so exciting what you are doing, and just mind-numbing to comprehend what you will do soon ...

Bravo!

heh heh heh i remember that case :)

[Brandon Fraley]

Some of Dino's advice does sound a little extreme...

...Then again, David Fincher never called me to work for him.

...brb, gotta buy me a fanny pack. :D

[dino g]

In response to our fearless leader....

this is cronological

Client/Job
Jan 9/11 Art Piece
Apple iphone test
snoop dogg Promos for E! entertainment
sebastian hair products
Stray Boys - Short Film
hammer toyota
Chris daughtry
GE
tangueray
juanes
midway games - NBA featuring Dwight Howard
water babies - Wild Planet-
hp
Sky Tracer - wild planet
dubai-zain
feature-christian
Pepsi - test
kina grannis Music Video
wienersnitzel
pokeman
wild planet
sunsilk haircare products
steward hendler - closet
bryan adams new album
africa-zain
palmolive
narnia action figures/ hannah Montana
stewart hendler
flf spray racer
tyler goeckner short film
TechmediaPlanet
MythBusters
red digital cinema - NAB interviews
HUD
Ed Gutentag
Jordan - student film
Wrigley gum - Chris Brown
Nevada Tourist Council
switchfoot - narnia
mind of mencia
tyler goeckner short film
711
rock the vote - christine aguilaria
Tree of Life
Gavin rossdale
PSA _ pool Savety
Guitar Hero (Activision))
Allstate
olay aquacurrent
ingrid michaelson
Alkaline Trio
Tree of Life
Tree of Life
mattel
colgate
ruby Tuesday
comedy central - Bob Saget
psa - katrina
mattel
nike
Kings of Leon
Levi's
MTV Promos
hbo comedy opens
comedy central
rocketron
varsity fan club
the fray
brianiac pilot
juliana hough
febreeze
pbr
guitar hero
oregon files
paris hilton
saving abel
doc walker
kings of leon
chip foose, magnaflow exhaust
aspen dental
lexus
red jumpsuit apparatus yon/tony music video
long beach chamber of commerce
fleggaard
long beach helicopter
payless shoes
pussy cat dolls
mc donalds
Reno 911 (comedy Central)
Confessions of A Shopaholic (Green screen pick-ups)
Motts Apple Sauce
at&t
kelly clarkson
sag
zee - test
killers
dtv
coors
eye boogie 711 (alex)
foose (kenn)
joe kelly
cvs
ludacris (chris robinson) pick up
pbr
dannon yogurt
espn
joe kelly
espn
cvs
errol morris tests
busta rhymes
webmd
fabric softener
grisly bear
albertsons
american idol
MTV (Report and observe)
buckcherry nascar tnt
American Idol
american idol
american idol
vernon
american idol
tnt pickup - nascar
billy talent
subway
fox family
american idol
busch gardens
lewin stock
WEC/ Versus - cage fighting
altoids
american idol
Bud Lime
Apple Iphone 3gs - test
Apple Iphone 3gs - projection
comcast
Tree of Life
regions bank
quiznos (brook)
band hero
zambi
orbitz
adidas
nbc - trauma promo
t-mobile
Son of mourning
comedy central - secret girlfriend
music video - jordin sparks
hallmark
route 66
comedy central - jeff dunham
t-mobile

[Jarred Land]

Well Dino just shut alot of people up with that 3 page credit scroll.. :)

Nobody will ever admit to dropping a hard drive because they probably wouldn't be hired again. But i've done it.... and lost footage along the way. Shit happens.

I bet most people that have read this post the next time they carry a hard drive somewhere they probably wont be sporting a fanny pack.. but they probably will be a little bit more careful.. and that alone makes the post worth it :)

[dino g]

not 100% on all the names...it is late...dir and dp may be switched.

these go with the client list posted earlier, i took it from a spreadsheet, but not in exact order, but close...

spreadsheets do not translate well to reduser i have found.

Jan Pfeiffer
Dave Dubois
Anthony Manler/ Kietel Diterickson
Mark Allen
August ANDREWS
Simon Baltasar
Martin Weisz
Emmanuel Lubezki "Chivo"
Joe Arnao
Damian Acevedo
Chris Blyth
Jerry Dugan
Dave Dubois
Jerry Dugan
Z DIR, YON Thomas
christian Moran - DIR
Sam Bayer
Damian acevedo
simon thirlaway, Decter bros
Jerry Dugan
Jerry Dugan
crash DP
Stewart Hendler
Gillies Duning
Z DIR, YON Thomas
crash DP
Jerry Dugan
Stewart Hendler
Jerry Dugan
Tyler G - Dir, Porto DP
Dino DP
Bengt Jonnson
Dino Cam Op, Ted Dir
Alex DP
Ed gutentag Dir
Kevin "Porto" -dp, jordan downey - dir
Jerry Dugan
Marty Copan
crash DP
Tyler Goeckner-zoeller - Dir, Porto DP
Sophia Mueller
Terrence Malick\Lubezki
Sophie - Gavin Rossdale - CRASH
Angel Decca, Sophia
simon thirlaway
Angel
crash DP, Tran - Dir
josh forbes dir/ damian acevedo dp
Josh forbes Dir/ Hiro DP
Malick Dir/ Lubezki DP
Malick Dir/ Lubezki DP
reed smoot
richard henkel
richard henkel
Crash
erik zimmerman
matt cantrell
david fincher/emmanual lubezki
crash- dp, sophie Mueller - dir
Roman Jakobi, Luc Schurgers
adam hauck/ nathan wilson
kevin beck ac/yon refer
crash
eye boogie
damian Acevedo
josh forbes / shawn kim dp
richard henkel/jason lakeshore
sean kim, wayne isham
william wexler
scott duncan
simon thirlaway
joe murray tom milo
damian acevedo, patrick newel, evan stone
joe pro
brad rushing
crash, sophie Meuller
Mario Signore, Phil Boston
joe murray
Jordan Valenti, Jeffrey DeChaus
yon thomas , tony petrosian
pat notaro
shawn kim, Peter Harton
pat notaro
shawn kim
joe pro
Paul Cummings, Tony Fiandaca; Igor Jadue-Lillo-DP
Joe Arcidiacono
Dino Dp
MALIK
Emanuel Lubezki
Pierre Rouger, wayne isham
sag
yon thomas
Emanuel Lubezki
Emanuel Lubezki, Phil Joanou
Tom Camarda, Joe Kelly
doug chamberlain
crash/ chris robinson
scott duncan
David Morrison, Matt Welch
espn
tom camarda
Patrick Daughters, shawn kim
doug chamberlain
bob chappel, errol morris
chris robinson/jeff ferarro
Judy Starkman, bob chappel
crash DP
Patrick Daughters, shawn kim
marcos Durian, Bret Koehler
Paul Brown shawn kim
Joe Arcidiacono
scott duncan
Shane Drake, shawn kim
Paul Brown,jeron
Shawn Drake, jordan valenti
david dubois
Paul Brown, jerron
Dino DP
ross richardson, Wayne Isham
Chuck Bennett, Igor Jadue-Lillo
Dave Dubois
Shawn Drake, jordan valenti
crash DP
Dino DP
scott duncan
Christopher Pearson, Shane Drake
Christopher Pearson. Shane Drake
Jim Matlosz- DP/ Brad Taylor - DIR
david fincher/emmanual lubezki
fincher/cronenweth
jo willems/ aaron ruehl
chivo/malick
wayne isham/simon Thrilaway
trio - chuck bennett
lisa/simon Thirlaway
pierre Rouger/rudy Schwab
star Whitesides - dp, Jaime Mortellaro
Jeff cronenweth, patrick murphy
peter salasnick
sean kim, roman coppola (dino OP)
nathan wilson
crash
crash/chris robinson
Gillies Duning
crash, Moshe Brakha
crash DP
Shawn Kim, Roman Coppola - Dir, dino-OP

[Brandon Fraley]

yep, that sounds about right :)

[dino g]

btw, to answer someone's question, i use spreadsheets to calculate transcode times so i can give the upm the amount of time i need to finish a job. i also keep track of all my jobs, plus where all the footage is in my library, also listings and cross references of all the crew i work with, locations, stage and stage staff, tsa agents, airline employees, baggage handlers in different cities, fixers in dangerous places and other fun stuff, it is a bit more handy to me than pen and paper.

[Milan Nikolic]

Simply, thanks Dino!

[dino g]

quickly...

i use two drives per camera per day.

i label the drive a001 & a002, on day one; a003 & a004 on day two, a005 & a006 on day three and so on; same thing with b, c, d cameras.

why dont you reformat after every download and have the drive numbers go up like a film shoot?

because this is not film, it is digital and why would you ever want to erase footage on the day of production.

moreover, a set is a very hectic place and my job on set is to keep exposure correct per setup, make sure the camera is set up with the proper settings per shot, download and replicate footage, transcode, QC & QA (see this article for some insight on the difference) (http://www.builderau.com.au/strategy/projectmanagement/soa/Quality-control-vs-quality-assurance/0,339028292,339191784,00.htm), packaging, labeling and in some cases shipping.

these jobs cannot all happen simultaneously, specifically, if you download a drive and then wipe it during the day, how are you going to double check it to see if everything is there at the end of the job? you can't if you wipe it because it is gone and you can only hope that between setups and switching from 2k to 3k and changing from handheld to studio mode and helping to put the zoom up with the proper microforce cable and helping the ac troubleshoot the preston that your brain was focused enough to do the error checking either via checksum or eyeball or other methods.

simple way to make sure all your content is there at the end of the night, keep only two drives going. at the end of the night if the numbers match, you are in business. then i take the transcodes and m.movs and load them into fcp and make sure they match perfectly. then i do a <apple><shift><4> and get a screen grab of each drive to verify and prove that everything was copied as shot.

you can't do that if you wiped the drive. moreover, this footage can only be edited electronically and all electronic edit systems have sort functions in their file management systems, sort by timecode and you have your shoot order if you are concerned about the appended nomenclature.

it's a brave new world, the drive and clip number system works well, teach scripty how it works and let your editor have a clue too and everyone will be happy, at least have scripty keep track of drive and clip on each new setup.

if you dont like how i do it...then do something else. it has worked perfectly for all the jobs listed.

ok, crictics start your engines..

[Tony Lorentzen]

Your system sounds a lot like the system I used on the feature I worked on as DIT, 2nd AC and Video Assist in June and July (my first full feature).

We only shot on the drives - two per day which were swapped during lunch. We had a total of four RED Drives and the first thing I did was label them before we started shooting. Every time I swapped drives I would let both the scripter and sound guy know and they would increment a number in their systems for consistency with editing later on (this is basically translates to the drive number system in the RED). The scripter/continuity-girl would note what number the disk was so we could track back any potential problems later on. Every day at lunch I would back up the first drive to my Caldigit VR (Raid 1) and then mark it with RED tape and label it with a unique number referring to the overall drive change and shooting day. At wrap I would back up the second drive to my CalDigit VR and label that in the same manner. The sound guy would pass me his CF cards, which I would back up along with the footage. When I got back to the hotel I would back up the files from the Caldigit VR to a RAID 5, on drives in my Mac Pro, an external SATA and G-Tech drive for transportation purposes (we were shooting out of the country most of the film and had to send footage home every 3-4 days). The Caldigit VR will hold a few days of footage for additional safety if you want to wear both a belt and suspenders). Also - every night I would go through every shot on the drives, check the slate and make sure that that everything matched up. When I was absolutely sure that everything was copied into each of the destinations then I would label the drives as "backed up" and they would go into rotation.

Making dailies wasn't part of my job description, but I did it on a few occasions when the exec. producer was with us on location and wanted to see how everything was coming along.

I made absolutely sure that anyone who touched my gear on the production knew that it was to be handled with extreme care and not to be placed unattended at any point. I was also in charge of the camera truck in terms of unloading and packing the stuff, so I made an effort to label all the shelves so each case had it's own place. It takes 5 minutes to do, but it will save you so much time in the long run - especially when you send a runner to pick up something for you in the truck.

The deal I made with the DP and AC was that I was the only person to mount, unmount and format ANY drives on the camera. Before formatting any drive in camera I would quickly do a playback to see what was actually on the drive - just to be sure I wasn't deleting something we just recorded (call me paranoid).

My suggestion for anyone going into this kind of job is simply to know your sh*t and "take charge". Be ready to stand your ground and defend your position. Most of what you do is somewhat "invisible" and people will try to make you bend your rules to accommodate their own needs - so you need to tell them that you need to do things your way to make sure you do your work properly. Someone might be pissed off a little, but it will give you a great deal of respect on set.

[Felix K.]

Just imagine for a second what some people would pay to have a trained and working professional like Dino tell them in a lecture what he just wrote for free! Thanks Dino!

[Shane Kelly]

One of the issues that raises it's head here is that we essentially have a new position on the crew and the duties and expectations of that crew member are not written in stone. Is S/He a DIT, a loader or a data wrangler? Are they part of the camera department or more akin to a video playback operator?
Should there be a hierarchy in the red data world? Should only people as experienced as Dino be allowed to call themselves DITs? Sometimes I only need someone to transfer and double check the footage, not create looks on set - what should this technician be called?
Maybe this discussion can go some way to establishing what the expectations of a red DIT are.
More questions than answers,I know.

Shane.

[Roger Crouse]

I've enjoyed this post this morning. Impressive list there dino. Certainly makes me pay attention to your advice. Thanks for sharing it here.

[Tony Lorentzen]

Very valid questions, Shane. But as said before - every job is different as is the composition of the camera department. Sometimes you need to be able to do a bit of everything and at other times you need to be able to do just one specific thing. While it is true that the term "DIT" more or less had it's birth along with the birth of RED, the term to me should be used about someone who knows how to look at and analyze potential problems in the image. A RED Tech is obviously someone who knows everything there is to know about the RED and associated software applications. Usually you'll see that a RED Tech and DIT covers some of the same areas, which is why they will usually call themselves accordingly. Most of the people in this kind of work will be able to a bit of everything. On a few occasions I've heard people referring to themselves as "data wranglers". It would be nice with some sort of "stamp of approval" but as it is with this industry - your resume comes first and if people like what you do then they will recommend you and the phone will start ringing. Looks like Dino has done an excellent job in the past and we should all listen carefully to what he has to say - and adapt what he's learned to our own situation.

[Steve Sherrick]

quickly...

i use two drives per camera per day.

i label the drive a001 & a002, on day one; a003 & a004 on day two, a005 & a006 on day three and so on; same thing with b, c, d cameras.

why dont you reformat after every download and have the drive numbers go up like a film shoot?

because this is not film, it is digital and why would you ever want to erase footage on the day of production.

moreover, a set is a very hectic place and my job on set is to keep exposure correct per setup, make sure the camera is set up with the proper settings per shot, download and replicate footage, transcode, QC & QA (see this article for some insight on the difference) (http://www.builderau.com.au/strategy/projectmanagement/soa/Quality-control-vs-quality-assurance/0,339028292,339191784,00.htm), packaging, labeling and in some cases shipping.

these jobs cannot all happen simultaneously, specifically, if you download a drive and then wipe it during the day, how are you going to double check it to see if everything is there at the end of the job? you can't if you wipe it because it is gone and you can only hope that between setups and switching from 2k to 3k and changing from handheld to studio mode and helping to put the zoom up with the proper microforce cable and helping the ac troubleshoot the preston that your brain was focused enough to do the error checking either via checksum or eyeball or other methods.

simple way to make sure all your content is there at the end of the night, keep only two drives going. at the end of the night if the numbers match, you are in business. then i take the transcodes and m.movs and load them into fcp and make sure they match perfectly. then i do a <apple><shift><4> and get a screen grab of each drive to verify and prove that everything was copied as shot.

you can't do that if you wiped the drive. moreover, this footage can only be edited electronically and all electronic edit systems have sort functions in their file management systems, sort by timecode and you have your shoot order if you are concerned about the appended nomenclature.

it's a brave new world, the drive and clip number system works well, teach scripty how it works and let your editor have a clue too and everyone will be happy, at least have scripty keep track of drive and clip on each new setup.

if you dont like how i do it...then do something else. it has worked perfectly for all the jobs listed.

ok, crictics start your engines..
I completely agree with this approach. I always have two drives in rotation, and at the end of the day I can always go back to them and check if something doesn't seem right on the backups. the way I break up the shooting day, I never have to format a drive. Labeling the drives is very smart and keeps everyone on the same page.

And I also agree about the drive and clip numbering system. You do have to explain it sometimes if the scripty has never worked with RED before, but once you do they usually get it and don't complain. It's all about establishing consistency and making sure there is no confusion from any of the departments. I always provide notes for editorial as well, anything that might help them when they receive the footage. Communication can prevent most problems.

One other thing I'd like to add is to make sure you have good power. For me, a UPS is a must on your cart. And make sure you have the most battery backup you can afford so if production loses power, you don't get yourself screwed during a transfer. Ideally, it would be great if you have battery backup that lasts more than a few minutes because you might not be right at your cart when power goes down, and might need some time to get there. You'd be amazed how many brownouts can occur during the day. If you are not on battery backup, you can be putting your data at risk.

[Steve Sherrick]

While it is true that the term "DIT" more or less had it's birth along with the birth of RED, the term to me should be used about someone who knows how to look at and analyze potential problems in the image.
Actually, the term DIT has been around a while, even before RED. In the early days of HD, the role of DIT came along to paint the image that would get baked in. Using waveform monitors, vectorscopes, and paintboxes these technicians have a lot to do with the final image that is laid to tape or to files. With RED, that DIT role is a bit different in the sense that your decisions can be erased later in post. So, even if you do a bit of painting with metadata, it can all go away with the reset button.

[Steve Freebairn]

Great posts guys! If you think about the RED reels while you read through Dino's list, you'll hopefully remember how much of that material ended up in the RED reel.

There is all kinds of great advice in Dino and Steve Sherrick's posts. For people who don't have their own system, or that are looking for improvements to their systems, you just got some really good suggestions.

[dino g]

red reel 1 (plaster city christmas party reel 2007)= 60% dino jobs
red reel 2 (nab reel 2008) = 50% dino jobs
red reel 3 (ibc 2008) - 30% dino jobs
red reel 4 (nab 2009) - 20% dino jobs
red reel 5 (ibc 2009) - being completed now, i bet it will be more like 10% or less of my stuff.

which is great for red as now they dont have to rely on just my stuff for outstanding images...great job community for stepping it up and spreading it around.

[dino g]

regarding battery backup,

i bring 4 battery backups to set,

two for the computers (1500 VA) and two for the cameras (450 VA)...each computer and camera should have it's own backup.

and...bring your own power cables and try to always use house power as it will make the electrical department happy as they will not have to wait for you to wrap..also makes producers happy too as they pay less overtime.

[Shane Kelly]

re batteries:
It's also important to name/number your batteries as one of them may be damaged and causing problems with your camera. That way the issue can be traced more easily.

[Harry Clark]

Yes, I second that on the power cables ("single extensions")
The electrics are usually surprised and happy that they don't have to wait for my department to complete their wrap.
Since we seem to always be the last ones there besides production... ;)
Cheers,
Harry

[dino g]

totally agree on batteries and for that matter all your gear

[Meryem Ersoz]

Just a thank you note to dino - you shared a ton of info when you first received your RED. I remember it and appreciate it - it is very thoughtful of you to come back and post the results of your experience, having accomplished such a body of substantive work in an incredibly short time.

Many of the early posters have disappeared into their work - it is a treat to catch up on your story and experiences...

[BigLu]

Dino has some of the most experience with this camera, its workflow and everything involved with it.
He has traveled the country and im sure the world working with his RED set up.
His experience is highly valuable and extremely hard to come by.

When I have a question most cannot answer or need the answer to a lastest change, or new workflow, or need a workaround on a bug.
Dino knows.

I for one thank you Dino.
very useful 10 list and helps me doublecheck what im doing and dealing with.

Thanks.

[dino g]

thank luis, you have also been a big help to me.

dino

[James Press]

A-w-e-s-o-m-e post. Should be a sticky. Thank you Dino, Steve and everyone.

Happy anniversary RED! I have our first anniversary in a few days, and still as excited as I was 2 years ago when we put on our deposit:emote_happyhappy:

[dino g]

and so the third year starts for red31 in the morning with an all american rejects music video shoot for the 8th and 9th.

thank you again red team for changing my life for the better, yeah i have been with my camera more than my 27 month old son, but just think, when epic comes out, i will be able to look him in the eye and say daddy has spent more time with you than this epic camera!....

seriously, it has been a bit of a roller coaster, but for the most part this camera has satisfied tens of thousands of people and saved millions and millions of dollars and also done less damage to our environment by not having to make and process all that film and video tape...go green shoot red.

happy birthday red serial numbers#26-50.

dino

[Shawn Nelson]

Hey Dino!
How did you get #31 on Sep 8? Just checked mine, and #27 doesnt turn 2 until Sep 12, and I remember hammering Red to ship mine the moment it was available.

You must have had some extra grease on them tracks :-D Ah, but you deserve it!

[dino g]

the second red day was 9/7/07...about 8 of us got cameras...

billy, james mathers, manny, some one from phoenix and i think someone from texas...it was two years ago...i do not remember exactly...it was good fun though.

[Antonio Forjaz]

5. I have been shooting in Thailand with my camera since one and a half year and only on one shoot we used gel packs. And I am not sure if it was even necessary. Use a fan to cool down the crew and the camera makes much more sense. The camera gives a warning when it gets too hot so you have time to cut, turn off the camera and let it cool down. Twenty gel packs??


I totally agree, I just shot 6 days in the hot sun in Mozambique, and the camera had no heating up problems.

[Jay A. Kelley]

Dino I agree with 2 backups at minimum or more. The "Stay home and don't read this" section feels a little harsh.

It reminds me of people who sometimes say "If you don't have enough money, then don't shoot". While there is a little truth in this statement, I feel a little flexibility can go a long way.

A RED owner shooting for themselves can certainly get away with two backups. Larger sets and budgets require more.

You have to use common sense. The more important the footage, the more backups are nessesary.

Perhaps you only work on large gigs.. With this in mind, I can understand the statement, but not everyone does...

One thing is for sure.. Somone following your advice can't go wrong.. (Except for the fanny pack of course)

Just my 2 cents

jay

[CJ Roy]

In terms of backing up, I think you should do as many as production wants, within reason, and two as a minimum.

The question I have, is if copy #3 of said footage is on your personal drives, what kind of legality/insurance policy are you therefor liable for? I understand the reasoning for making a 3rd, personal backup. Productions lose drives or mistake them for other drives and wipe them without checking all the time.

Hard drives aren't the greatest things for long term storage, and should be taken out of the box and run every so often. If you're storing these at your personal home, what kind of temperature/security precautions are you taking? Can you imagine if someone stole 6 months worth of drives and released the raw footage? I'd hate to be the cause of that shit storm. An actor flubbing his lines... a pop star looking their worst, you name it... it would be passed around the net pretty quickly.

Or if production did lose their 2 copies, and called 8 months later for yours and the disk fails due to improper storage. What then?

I'm sure Dino's got some sort of solution for this. I'd love to learn what it is!

[Brian Ferguson]

Great tips Dino! Never thought about tripping with a drive, that would suck!
I did learn a lesson on a busy shoot once, always carry CF cards in a case that hold 4 or so like this one http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=0940
CF cards are pretty small and once on a set with 2 RED's to feed, I stuck a card in my pocket to free up my hands to change menus. Later I couldn't find the card because it worked its way into my wallet and disappeared. I was freaking out that I lost 8GB of "B" camera footage. After checking my pockets about 8 times it finally fell out of my billfold. From then on I always used a case so it wouldn't get misplaced even if the case had only one card in it.