I created this summary of the BIG EPIC ready thread for all the speedreaders out there:
EPIC… READY.
EPIC was officially declared ready for production today. We have prototypes that pass all the requirements we set out the past few months. That means we will finish the Tattoo program and put Tattoos on special jobs and begin ordering all the parts and pieces (over 18,000) to begin production. It will take a bit of time to set up the line and gather all we need, but the end is in sight.
Just to be clear, not every feature is currently enabled, but the most important ones are and the build seems very stable as a foundation. We expect 95% of the features to be ready by the time production EPICs are released.
This is a pretty big day.
Jim
I have said this before... if this was easy, the other guys would have already done it.
EPIC is a nuclear generator in a matchbox. It is the single most difficult project I have ever seen, worked on or imagined. Think about it just for a minute... what else does 5K at 120fps, variable RAW (REDCODE) and records to an SSD with ramping, HDR (with magic motion), a full 1080P or 2K direct output via HDSDI, wireless control, modular, FLUT, non-destructive LUTs, and a hundred other features in the body the size of a Hasselblad? What else does any of this? It is no wonder we are late. It is a miracle we actually did it. Truly a miracle.
Jim
All this week Jarred, Deanan and I were testing EPIC until 4am EVERY night at the RED Studios. And we weren't alone. We had our ace, crack, number one firmware god with us updating and fixing issues we were finding during our testing. It really was unreal. It is something I will never forget. It was all about getting it done and getting it right. Every piece of us was invested in the process. I had to wonder how many of our competitors were up? How many cared as much as we did... how many really were as dedicated to ushering in the future as we were.
We love what we are doing... truly.
Jim
JARRED
Quote:
Originally Posted by KETCH ROSSI
Hehe, wish I knew this, I would have made EXTRA EXPRESSO LOADED Tirami Su' for you guys, haha
But really.. THANK YOU guys, we are really waiting for this!!
mmm.. we could of used that. Sleep was such a nuisance for us this last week.
I gotta admit though.. it was so exciting we didn't even get tired. If it wasnt for a daily morning meetings we needed to be awake for everyday, we likely would of blew way past 4am every night until we fell over.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Haase
Congrats! When will we have a feature list that the production models will ship with?
Right now... the ones we have do 5K at 120fps (2.40:1) and 96 fps at full frame or 2:1. It does REDCODE 3:1 to 25:1 on the RED SSD... and syncs at 23.98, 24, 47.96 and 48 fps. Timecode works. Audio does not (yet). REDCINE-X has EPIC support (internal build).
It is ready for productions... and there will be announcements pretty soon about some big ones that will be shot on EPIC.
Jim
BTW... OffHollywood is scheduled to get the 1st shipping EPIC. I am quite sure they will let you know when they receive it and what their reaction is...
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Nelson
The first Tattoo, or are they NOT getting a Tattoo and will be in the first batch I'm in, the Stage 2s?
Tattoo (+13) will not be for sale. These will go on selected projects while production EPICs are being staged to be built. We need to watch over the Tattoo +13's carefully.
OffHollywood, and everyone else, will get the same Stage 2 production EPICs.
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Beck
This is the BIGGEST news of the year!
Question, when will you receive a technical Oscar for your cameras? I say it has now become long over due.
Congrats Jim and RED team.
I think we talk too much to get an Oscar... :-) Doesn't matter. If our customers are happy, that's good enough for us.
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Nelson
Makes total sense! I'm so glad to hear Tattoo is ready to go!!! Very much looking forward to hearing the feedback received as Tattoo gets used on production.
So since Offhollywood is #5/6 and I'm #27, maybe I can expect mine on the same night he gets his? :-)
Shawn... you definitely are one of the 1st. :-)
Jim
JARRED
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lauri Kettunen
Congratulations, it's wonderful when challenging goals are set and one eventually also gets there! Creates definitely a feeling of miraculous life.
There were 2 great things that I saw happen this week.
The first you just read about.
The second was witnessing just how strong our team has become over the last 3 years. We have always been able to move mountains, but now we are moving them in days instead of months. This week we had a pretty long list of incredibly difficult items on the todo list.. and each and every one of them were scratched out by the end of the day today.
Many of you have heard Jim say that we have learned just enough to be dangerous.. those words have never been so true.
Look out.
JIM
I expect that this will be a highly read post. Given that... I'd like to go on record that there are many faithful and dedicated people at RED that have worked tirelessly on this project and everyone needs to know how much effort they have put forth. If we ever earn respect in the industry for this work, many are responsible. There are many whose names people will never be heard. Many who have joined the fight because the challenge was worthy. My hat is off to the RED Army... every one.
Jim
There is still a lot of work ahead for us... but the industry is officially on notice. :-)
Jim
We have been up so many days in a row until 4am that it is hard to go to sleep at a reasonable hour now... and too excited.
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Lüdin
Now get some sleep.
Tim.
i can guarantee you that if you could be sitting in front of what we are right now, sleep would be the last thing on your mind :)
BIG JOHN SAGUD
I've never been so proud to be associated with any company, business or individuals as I have been to be a part of the RED team. What Jim, Jarred, Deanan, and the engineers have accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. This is a milestone, one that the industry will remember for decades to come. What EPIC represents is something that none of us can fully realize at this moment, but we all know that we are a part of history. This moment is all the richer because it is one shared with an amazing community, one that has had much to do with the final outcome. The effort continues and will never ebb because we are as passionate about the product, each and every employee at RED, as we can possibly be. Today, Jim addessed the team at RED, from the accountants to the warehouse employees to the customer service reps to the IT team to the engineers, each and every contributor along this incredible journey, and the message was one of congratulations for a job well done. We have only begun, and the impact of Jim's vision and the revolution that EPIC represents will change, forever, the way that movies are made. This is a great day.
__________________
Big Jon
Straight Shooter
RED Digital Cinema
jon@red.com
JARRED
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Wild
Not sure if Jim or anyone from RED can chime in on this...
Is there going to be a lag on getting any of the other things necessary to have EPIC up and running from the date it ships?
Just curious. Thanks.
Kevin
Everything that is required to to use the EPIC will be shipping with the camera. Some of the modules and other accessories will follow behind.
JARRED
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arben
Dear Jim,
Is the Arri Alexa one of the reasons for Epic being so late on production. Improving the features so that it can overcome Alexa's performance.
What was to overcome?
[I]Even the first Epic prototypes did everything the Alexa does now.. The Alexa is basically an 1080p HD-SDI camera head... Prores recording? An Epic with a HD-SDI nano recorder is still 1/3rd the weight and 1/3rd the size...
The supposed latitude advantage? someone confirmed that is from the use of a ultracon filter over the sensor ( which also is a reason the Alexa looks so soft ) and thats before you even turn HDRx on.
People can put the Alexa and the Red One in the same sentence, but the Epic is truly in a whole different league.
Love Arri, and the Alexa is a great camera, but i promise you the Alexa didn't slow us down one bit :) The only difference is they ended up shipping a non-complete beta camera and we didn't.
