The first day of 2007 seems like an auspicious time to start a blog about independent digital cinema production moving beyond HD. By the time 2008 rolls around, Red’s 4K RED ONE camera and Silicon Imaging’s 2K SI-2K camera will have been shipping for most of a year, and it’s likely dozens of low-budget independent features will have been made on cameras that surpass the quality of any digital cinema camera used to shoot any major feature thus far.
That’s incredible, when you think about it. Every major feature that has been shot digitally, has been shot at 1080p or below. 2K and 4K are going to go from being impractical even for high-budget Hollywood films, to being practical for low-budget independent films, with no intervening step. And not only do these new cameras have higher resolutions, they have dynamic range that can match or exceed that of expensive digital cinema cameras, and they offer high-quality compressed data workflows to make 2K and 4K manageable on the desktop.
Usually technologies trickle their way into industries from the top down, and by the time the little guy can benefit, the big guy has already got something better. That’s not happening this time, and the implications for indie filmmakers, and for the future of digital cinema, are fascinating.
This blog is going to devote a lot of time to that subject. What else is in store?
Well, this blog is going to be pretty Red-heavy, because we have Red #404 reserved. We’re doing a lot of research to get ready for its arrival.
In the coming weeks, expect to see:
- Workflow information — how to manage footage, what software to use, etc.
- Information about computers, storage options, etc. (Lots on storage.)
- Information about lenses, accessories, etc. to use with Red.
- Industry commentary.
- Wild speculation about the future.
There will, of course, be even more interesting stuff after we get our Red. It should be a fun ride.
