Interestingly enough, my lighting and grips package for a Red One would be the same as a film shoot requiring 320 ASA stock. However, I do concede that with regard post-production, there is no doubt the Red One is the most exciting tapeless workflow acquisition camera around. It is going to revolutionize the speed in which we move through post.
MerriMe Web series, Red One camera, 50mm Zeiss Prime, T1.3. In the above shot we controlled the exposure with the following filters: polarizers to saturate skies, neutral-density (ND1.2) filters to control exposure down to T1.3, a neutral-density hard grad (ND Hard Grad 9) from the top to balance the sky to foreground exposure, plus a Tru-Cut IR-750 filter, which corrects the potential for color shifts when using neutral-density filters in front of digital sensors.
Day exterior set of 35mm Ecko Unlimited commercial. To capture high-quality day exterior images whether shooting digital or film requires the same amount of gear to control exposure.
In conclusion, I think film cameras are still the most effective format to capturing nuanced information. However, the Red One’s contribution to the advancement of digital cinematography should not be underestimated. The Red One is capable of extraordinary images, and it is a tool I would have no hesitation embracing, for the right project. The biggest difference between shooting film and shooting with the Red One is still the way the two media respond to capturing light. And no matter what the future holds for either, we should always remember film responds to light the same way our eyes do, however beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder for us filmmakers is always our audience.
Night interior set of Red One Camera, MerriMe web series. To capture high-quality night interior images whether shooting digital or film requires the same amount of gear to control exposure.
MerriMe web series, Red One camera, 85mm Zeiss Prime, T1.3. Notice this tungsten-motivated scene shot on Red's tungsten mode has digital noise in the shadows, because the camera's blue channel was not activated. Compare this image to the scene's reverse angle in the below image, where the blue channel is activated, because blue light was introduced into the tungsten-motivated scene.
MerriMe web series, Red One camera, 85mm Zeiss Prime, T1.3. Notice this tungsten-motivated scene shot on Red's tungsten mode does not have digital noise in the shadows, because the camera's blue channel was activated as we introduced a daylight backlight. Compare this image to the scene's reverse angle above, where the blue channel is not activated, therefore introducing digital noise in the shadows.
An 18 year film veteran, Daron Keet's critical eye and passionate sensibilities make him a well-sought-after cinematographer, who moves seamlessly between commercials and features. His many years of on-the-job training enable him to bring technical proficiency, clarity, and innovation to his easygoing, on-set approach. Quick to embrace new technologies, he has extensive experience on 35mm film, Viper film stream, Genesis, and CineAlta HD camera systems. When he’s not working, you can find him playing squash or trying not to lose money in the stock market. Daron lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
