Operating Red One or Red Epic digital cameras is not as difficult as it is portrayed to be. At the same time, it is not a simple equipment to handle was the message drilled into the minds of those present as press conference on Tuesday to announce the launch of Red Digital Cinema in India.
Those who buy a Red digital camera in India will be offered the services of an attendant to assist the owner until he is comfortable operating the equipment on his own, said filmmaker Arjun Sablok, who is also a part of Red’s Indian operations.
“A couple of years ago, I went to Los Angeles to find what Red was all about, but ended up buying seven cameras. When I explained the makers that India churns out 11,100 movies a year more than any other country, it opened their eyes to set shop in India,” he said.
Ted Shilowitz of Red Digital Cinema clarified many myths about using the cameras. “That Red can’t be kept in tropical countries like India, Vietnam and Thailand is nothing but a popular rumour. The cameras perform exceptionally well in all weather conditions. There are settings for different weather conditions in the camera and it should be operated by someone who understands it,” he said. “On the other side, I’m hearing more stories about how Red works perfectly in hard weather conditions,” he added.
“Just because the conversion from film to digital medium is happening now, it doesn’t mean the Red is an amateur camera,” he explained.
According to him, the Red camera is a viable option for both bigger movies and small-time productions of independent filmmakers, as the post production work becomes easier and costs lesser. “The Amazing Spider-man is a recent example of a bigger production done using Red. At the same time, if you are shooting with a single Red camera, all you need to have is a PC or an i Mac to edit and make the final cut,” he said. Arjun recalled an incident when he was able to edit a commercial shot using Red camera while on a four-hour journey in a car.
Ted said cameramen could quickly master using the Red, if they had proper guidance. He also said most of the components of regular cameras, including the mount and tripod, could be used for Red.