APPLE - no love for it's "RED" headed step child!

[Finner]

So NAB 2007 Apple announces at their Sunday kick off how they are the go to option for a RED workflow. Throughout the show apple continues to push how on board and friendly they will be offering huge support for red projects. Lets now look a today almost a year later, I have seen nothing new out of apple since NAB 2007 in way of red support. Instead what I see is red owners begging red to help them with their 64hr render issues and running into post hours that are 5-10 times longer then any other film/HD option. A small outside company write a few command lines to allow PC use and render and work times with PC systems turn out to be 3 times or more faster then the apple option that has a huge staff and full cooperation with red. Then red squashes that option, why? It's not like apple is doing a whole lot to improve the red workflow so why not open the doors for PC options?

I have been an apple supporter for a long time now but all this is making start to question that decision. Apple should be way further along then they are right now as far as FCP/RED workflow goes. Maybe red made a mistake and should have teamed with AVID because apple really does not seem to care.

Jim has shown that he listens to our concerns when as a collective us redusers let him know we are dissatisfied with something. I believe if we all show red how concerned we are with this problem it may spur red on to look at getting apple to step it up or at least open up doors wider to avid or some other company that will start to address some of the red owners needs.

Speak loud and back this up guys. Even if you are a camera guy that just passes the footage on to the post house/clients they will need good post options or they will not choose you and your red camera.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Slow down!

You are jumping to INCORRECT assumptions.

Take a deep breath.

It's gonna be just fine.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I have some similar questions / concerns too. In the ordeal with the Cineform conversion tool, some exclusive agreements were mentioned. So I understand there has been something in place between Apple and RED, but who knows what that is. Jim said that we will eventually have a final version of the R3D REDCODE format that will be documented with hooks and there has been other mention of an SDK. Eventual multi-platform support is on the horizon -- I'm going to reserve judgement on the issue of other platforms until NAB. I can make do with the current situation and my MacBook Pro as R3D workstation until then <ouch>.

My primary questions now are that of current Apple workflow... RED has released their R3D components for QT and FCP. OK. But we haven't seen anything from Apple in the public eye... No expansion of support for higher resolutions within FCS2. No outwardly visible effort to address QT gamma issues (this is a long-standing problem though), new QT 7.4.x releases break the RED workflow, Apple is apparently not supplying test hardware for RED... Rob said he will do tests on the new 8800GT video card this week as he should get his new Mac Pro that he bought then.

So is there any real substance to the RED <-> Apple relationship or was it just a "we'll rub yours if you rub ours" arrangement so they could kick ass at NAB '07?

[Jeff Kilgroe]

It's gonna be just fine.

I hope the Offhollywood spy network is working overtime and you're right! :)

Seriously though, RED has said the Apple workflow is coming first and I have no reason to doubt that. I'm just confused as to what Apple is actually doing to help them along? QT 7.4 <cough>

[rod bradley]

Mark, I agree with the take a deep breath -- and keeping it all in perspective and appreciating the miraculously fast development of the Red, both camera and post.

But do you have some insight you can share into when it's going to be just fine for people who don't have unlimited resources to throw in post, etc. And when do you think it might become just fine for those who can't afford Scratch? I know you've been in the Red mix for longer than most and have a lot of experience and insight into the whole process. I have had several potential Red shoots that are wavering because of what are perceived and/or perhaps actual workflow issues. I'm not versed and hear a lot of conflicting reports.

Any insights from you most helpful. Thanks.

[Finner]

Hi Mark

I'm slow, I'm calm. It's just when my clients have to do 4 days of work just to get red footage in place to edit I start to get concerned. I completely know it will be just fine. It's just starting to look like it will be better with some other player then apple.

[Mark L. Pederson]

I hope the Offhollywood spy network is working overtime and you're right! :)

Seriously though, RED has said the Apple workflow is coming first and I have no reason to doubt that. I'm just confused as to what Apple is actually doing to help them along? QT 7.4 <cough>

We are in this DEEP. We are testing lots of stuff for several companies outside of Red. Apple is just one.

I can tell you this - I have ZERO concerns about efficient workflows on PC or MAC for RED.

I have HUGE issues with Quicktime. But Quicktime is not the solution for everything.

[Michael Schrengohst]

This is why we have not shot any projects with RED yet. The post
is just too much. We usually do longer form docs and industrials.
My clients and I have experimented with RED footage and determined
it was not cost effective from a time standpoint yet.

[C.H.Haskell]

I feel this apple storm is simply rumors. I think the RED team and apple took on a little more then they could bite into and are playing catch up...jim has been pretty upfront about that. So having said that...cheers! (raising goblet)..to playing catch up!

[Mark L. Pederson]

Hi Mark

I'm slow, I'm calm. It's just when my clients have to do 4 days of work just to get red footage in place to edit I start to get concerned. I completely know it will be just fine. It's just starting to look like it will be better with some other player then apple.

Finner -

This is bleeding edge stuff. You need to use THE BEST TOOLS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME to do what your clients need.

I can tell you this - a single platform post environment is almost NEVER the right answer. Red or no Red.