Death, Taxes and More MegaPixels

[Mark L. Pederson]

Just launched my new blog - MegaPixels.io

I figured some of you might enjoy the first post - http://www.megapixels.io/2017/12/06/...nd-megapixels/

I'll try to post one solid, original post per week in addition to quick news bits I think are relevant and of course some detailed posts on new gear and workflows. And I'll color it up with some posts on the changing business dynamics of the industry.

If you like it - please share it to motivate me to keep posting.

I have not been posting on RU for a while now - as I've had my head down learning some new tricks for 2018. But I'll try to stop in here more often now and post and stuff. Big post on MONSTRO is coming up next.

[Alexander Thomson]

I like your point that the stills guys and girls get it. They understand the power of raw and resolution. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with a guy who wanted to shoot 2K WS on the Raven because they wanted to keep file size down yet still retain the raw workflow. That’s not how a RED works. Pixel binning and line skipping is not “RAW” — he was surprised to see that 2K ProRes and 4.5K WS actually have very similar data rates.

Just because you shoot in 4K doesn’t mean you need to “deal with 4K” at all. In fact, it’s the opposite. Oversampling by shooting 4K+ for 2K distribution does wonders for an image. There’s this thought that more K’s are the enemy of storytelling, and anyone who believes that blindly without even giving the camera and workflow a chance is behind the 8 ball in my opinion. More resolution does not equal sharpness. It does not equal ridiculous file sizes. It’s been 10 years and there are still people I respect and admire in this industry that I am explaining wavelet compression to for the first time.

Anyway, love the blog. Keep it going.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Anyway, love the blog. Keep it going.

Thank you sir. A MONSTER MONSTRO post coming very soon.

[Tom Greenberg]

Very nice first post, Mark. I certainly qualify as a "grumpy old man" on some levels...especially the "old" part. And I lived through (or maybe should say "survived") the "shoot on film, post in SD video" era. Yes, things have changed a lot...but I see the digital, 8K era we are in as liberating, not terrifying. I think there is a natural tendency for people to want to stop learning, or just deal with the familiar...but you have to fight that tendency. Like a shark, you have to always keep moving...seems like you agree. I look forward to reading more of your perspective on our ever-changing industry and tools.

[Hrvoje Simic]

It was about time...

[Elsie N]

Mark, as you are probably aware, I am being shunned on REDuser, but as a moderator you can maybe read this.

I'm posting a link on my facebook page even though many of my friends aren't interested in shooting. My thinking is that your reference to being unable to change may strike a chord with them and give them pause to think.

Really enjoyed the blog post and am looking forward to reading the Monstro post as I am (at least I assume I still am) in line for one. Also looking forward to your take on the H-1 as I see that being the future best tool in the Indie toolbox... maybe even as an array for lightfield shooting.

Thanks for sharing your eclectic experience in the visual medium.

Oh, and thanks too for the larger fonts. '-)

[Russ Fill]

Nice one Mark. Love the read. Good first keep them coming.

[Hugh Scully]

I’m an old guy. I get that sometimes you don’t want to wrestle with new tech and just want to get stuff done but you have to stay curious or your skill set and knowledge base will diminish quickly. I come from a software development background where preservationist behavior is not really an option. You wouldn’t want your doctor to be one, right?

Cool post. I’m looking forward to future ones. Nice meeting you last night at RED NYC. Godless is insanely beautiful, for sure.

[Daniel Stilling]

I agree. I feel like I'm a lost middle generation of filmmaker. I started with film, learnt to deal with it, expose it, have all my ducks in a row before rolling. But I was also part of the crowd coming up digital. I hated the interlaced "news" look. I shot a music video in an XL1 and when I got the master cut, i took the DVcam master tape, re ingested it, and ran it at 99% speed just to simulate the 24p look.
I feel like the "Film look" was the holy grail of image quality and all digital cameras back in the day were in a scale beneath it. But since then, I feel that digital cameras have progressed on a 45 degree angle upwards and have now surpassed the quality of film, but have a different look and feel, if that makes sense...

[Mark L. Pederson]

Pederson, you need some lessons on manners, diplomacy, and the art of meaningful communication. Possibly one of the most condescending things I have ever read. Preservationists? Soldiers of the status quo? Any other Stalinist sound bytes you'd care to throw out there?

Not sure how many more you could have offended by your dazed meandering. But highly offensive.

Death and taxes indeed, your stuff is just not that important, get a life.

The truth hurts, right?

For the record, I was going to write a detailed response to try to convince you that the intent was not to be condesending to anyone - but rather sligthly provocative and challenge the discussion of the very real dynamic of people trying to hold onto the status quo, resisting change and trying to deny the progession of technology in our industry.

But then I realised that I was being reprimanded (dare I suggest in a "condesending way") for my lack of manners and diplomacy by a guy who ends his post to me with .... "get a life".

Okay Tom, duly noted.

But, It would seem to me, that one who has such execellent manners and diplomacy skills would have just responded with something like "I found the post to be very condesending and offensive and I did not agree with any of it." - but I guess you picked up the "get a life" thing from whoever picked on you in the playground.

Now I'm gonna google "Stalinist sound bytes" now .... cause .... honestly I'm kinda fascinated ...