Totally Epic: the red-volution continues
RED is back with the Epic. Due to the ambitious nature of the camera, compounded by the Japanese tsunami, delays were had, but that’s only added to the anticipation. Daniel Graetz gives the Epic a 360 degree analysis.
Back in late 2009, the RED Digital Cinema Company unveiled plans for Epic, the successor to its revolutionary RED One Digital Cinema Camera. In the last few months a small number of handmade Epic bodies have been released to early adopters as well as feature film productions such as Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, and a rumoured 50+ units to James Cameron for a possible Avatar follow-up.
We were fortunate enough to receive one of the first units in Queensland and I can honestly say the wait has been more than worth it. RED has managed to reduce the camera size by more than 50 per cent, while delivering increased resolution and higher frame rates. Importantly, the startup time of the Epic has been reduced to nine seconds from a previous 50 seconds, from pushing the power button to being record-ready. In its smallest configuration, the Epic is about the size of a Hasselblad medium format body, and can be operated with one hand. In this configuration the camera records to compact SSD modules, and is powered by a small battery in the handgrip (or alternatively by an external RED brick). The camera can still be built up to a larger production unit by snapping on modules that are in the process of being released. These modules will include hot-swap large cell battery modules, input-output modules including a wide range of audio, video and timecode/sync options, and an interesting H.264 proxy module. Operators or assistants can also control most of the camera’s settings and functions wirelessly using the REDmote, which docks with the camera when not in use.
Cinema meets photography
Epic falls under RED’s new Digital Stills and Motion Capture (DSMC) initiative, which connects the worlds of digital cinema and photography. The operator can move between full motion video and stills mode with a simple slider located under their index finger on the side grip. Fashion photography icons such as Annie Liebovitz and Greg Williams are already embracing this new paradigm, running full motion video where they would normally shoot stills then selecting individual frames in post. The side handle includes flash sync ports for connecting to light triggering devices. RED will shortly release Canon and Nikon mounts for the Epic, allowing for electronic focusing by simply tapping on a face on the camera’s touch screen. These mounts should also create an interesting bridge between high-end digital cinema and the burgeoning DSLR video market with its wide range of affordable lens options. Leaders of the DSLR revolution such as Vincent Laforet and Phillip Bloom have already taken delivery of Epic systems and are effusive in their praise of the camera’s capabilities.
The Epic shoots up to 5K of resolution (6xHigh Definition) or the equivalent of 14megapixels at up to 120 frames per second (or up to 300fps at 2K). The small form factor of the body opens up new possibilities for lightweight 3D (stereoscopic) production, putting mirrored or even side-by-side rigs in places they could never previously go. The Hobbit, The Amazing Spiderman and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus are three of several major Hollywood 3D features currently shooting with dual-Epic rigs. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful will soon commence stereoscopic Epic principal photography.
One of the most exciting breakthroughs is the HDRx feature which extends the dynamic range of the camera to 19 stops – surpassing the range of 35mm film and letting cinematographers hold detail in bright highlights and dark shadows simultaneously. Epic carries the same MX sensor as the Red One, providing 13 stops of DR even before HDRx is employed. By comparison the Arri Alexa provides an impressive 13.5 stops of dynamic range but as yet doesn’t provide the option of the additional six stops of highlight protection that HDRx gives. Epic achieves this by simultaneously recording an ‘X-track’ biased towards the highlights of a scene. This X-track can then be blended back into the image in post, restoring highlights that would otherwise be blown out in the case of even 35mm film.
The impossible shot
HDRx is in its infancy, and could be one of the most significant imaging breakthroughs in recent years, but it does raise questions regarding post production. Since the early days of the RED One cameras there have almost been too many ways to approach post workflow, and in many cases we see RED footage passed straight through the post pipeline without the full potential of the digital negative being realised. Arguably the most revolutionary aspect of RED’s digital cinema system is the REDCODE codec. Not only does this allow for extremely high resolution imagery to be recorded at relatively small data rates, it also brings RAW power to the post workflow. In the same way that a photographer shoots RAW and gets the most out of their imagery in the computer after the day’s shoot, RED footage rarely reaches its full potential without accessing the RAW data after filming and performing ‘onelight’ colour corrections (to use 35mm film parlance). This is especially the case when shooting with HDRx – the benefits of which do not show up on the monitor while filming – but only once in the edit bay where a colourist or DIT can choose a blend point between the X-track and the ‘normal’ recorded image. Australian RED pioneer Mike Seymour recently demonstrated the ‘Impossible Shot’ with an Epic mounted on the bonnet of a car traveling from inside a tunnel, out to midday sun. By making two HDRx outputs in post (one for the shadows and one for the highlights) and then essentially cross-fading them as the car exits the tunnel, they were able to seamlessly resolve a shot that would have been impossible with a single camera.
When the first RED Ones arrived, many production companies (especially in short form production) employed data wranglers to back up digital footage, yet often at the expense of a clapper/loader/2nd AC. Our RED specialists often found themselves needing to perform the tasks of a 2nd AC rather than maximising the potential of the RAW footage. We’ve been making an effort in recent times to re-educate our clients and demonstrate the cost savings that can be found in post-production when a Digital Imaging Technician is able to spend time on set, creating looks with the DP, verifying data integrity, performing one-light grades and even creating offline and/or online quality transcodes of RED footage for use in Avid or Final Cut suites.
Essentially, the Epic only reaches its full potential with a holistic approach to filmmaking. The most successful adopters of RED maintain as much knowledge of the post pathway as they do of the camera’s capabilities on set. That said, the Epic is still evolving. We see new firmware updates released every few weeks that address issues and open up new and surprising capabilities in the camera system.
The last four years have seen a massive shift in the way we capture the moving image. With revolutionary cameras such as the Epic and Arri’s Alexa offering terrific options for capturing filmic imagery without prohibitive stock and processing costs. It’s also exciting to see the places a compact unit like RED’s Epic might appear in future productions. We’ve already found angles and mounting options we never thought would be possible – and we’ve only just begun.
Dan Graetz is Director of Graetzmedia, www.graetzmedia.com
Apparently, the only thing they forgot to do (again) was make it quiet. Reports I have read from the US, indicate that the fan makes even more noise than the previous model. If you are serious about sync dialogue, the Arri Alexa is far quieter than this one.
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Yeah ok ,lets see what happens
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One person wrote,
“On the subject of fan speed and noise . We have the very latest build and the Epic now has a “fan management system” in it which means the cams stay on auto and when rolling the fan speed is 5% lower than it was – but – it also means if the cam gets too hot , which happens all the time , the fans increase in speed . The good thing about this is that they are so loud that the actors and Director etc all stop and call cut . the idea behind this new system is that instead of the fans being at 100% when not rolling and then going to 25% when rolling the cams now just set themselves according the temp of the cameras at the time . What is really killing us is the “rolling resets” for an entire 250gig card .
I believe there is a complete new build/ camera due soon which will have much better “fan management systems” in place .
I had my first scene the other day where cam fan noise made for guide track , anything very close to actors and low level dial is an issue for the current Epic build .”
Then later the same person wrote,
“Yes absolutely the Epic is not a sound camera in it’s current form and should not be refered to as such . We debate these issues you raise on set all the time . Interestingly we have had a few other technicians visiting set for upcoming movies , we tell them all the pitfalls and problems and so far they have all gone with the Epic , the reason ? Visual fx , they love the 5k sensor and when everything else is weighed up that is the deal breaker .
Maybe the next generation Epic xx will be silent there is rumor of a much bigger heat sinc , we will see .
Basically when the camera is 2.5 feet or less from an actor the fans are a huge issue . I try and work with what we have and I have to say so far there is very little ADR for the Cam fans but that does not change the fact it is not a sound camera .”
How Boring.
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Firstly, I think it would be wise for anyone who does not know enough about an Epic, not to actually comment until they have had first-hand experience…otherwise you are just using hear-say of others and repeating something you have heard and that is never a good indication for passing comments.
We have used the Epic on a few occassions and it is noisy when it is in stand-by, but as soon as you hit record, the fans are killed to near silent (this can be set in the management system). Experience with the camera would tell you this.
Also, I think if it is good enough for the likes of Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and other Hollywood Gurus, then it should be more than adaquate for TV commercials, dramas, etc…
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I have to say we now have two EPICs and it is not – in anyway – a problem to shoot sound. We shoot in Studios and on location and the camera runs quiet when you hit record. It is that simple… and when you cut – ie you are NOT filming – it cools the internals with a fan. It really is not even slightly an issue. Not only that – you have manual override and you can adjust the various auto options… It would be like saying I test drove a new car and the music on the radio sucked – I wont buy the car… It is such an odd comment to be made on this professional site.
Anyway if you are worried and you are in Sydney – I would be happy to show you at our studios or at an ACS night – we are planning one coming up showing the X & M and the new Canon mount on the EPIC – all of which are much more interesting than fans !
IMHO
Mike
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It sounds like a fantastic camera which could be harnessed for some great results in a project if used creatively and with a firm understanding of what it can and can’t do. And it occurs to me that with the availability of cameras like this we should now be able to take full advantage of living in Australia, one of the most beautiful countries in the world and raise the level of production values in our films accordingly. Many Aussie films of the past have looked cheap but there’s no reason, in the age of cameras like this, that we cannot showcase great visuals. This technology should be a key to new creative freedom.
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EPIC IS THE BEST DIGITAL CINEMA CAMERA IN THE WORLD…PERIOD..
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Yeah, I have not had any hands on experience with the Epic, that is true. But I have had plenty of experience with its predecessor. As Neil says, the Epic “should be adequate for tv commercials, dramas, ect”, well, that’s not good enough, I mean it should be excellent, perhaps, um Epic for everyone. Is it unreasonable to want to hear a rehersal? Yet, I still can’t because the cooling fans mask everything (audio) on set. The camera is not even recording and it’s a hindrance. I was hoping for an improvement with the Epic, perhaps it could even hold a timecode jam after a power down, then at least it could potentially draw even with Alexa. Here’s for hoping!
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All this fuss about the fan? Surely to God it has an external mic jack? If the camera is a meter or so from the boom mic, how much fan noise can it possibly pick up? I know not everyone can afford a boom operator, but this is a camera for professionals, isn’t it? I don’t expect to pick one of these up from the local handy cam retailer. Any sound guy worth his salt would be able to get decent results, I’m sure. To my mind, the real bonus of great cameras like this is that it should free up budget money which can be spent on actors and writers. I’ve been on a lot of short films over the years where they’ve spent thousands on the technical side of things but used only actors who would work for free and often the script was written free of charge too. Unfortunately, the end results were often unwatchable because, no matter how good the technical side, if the dialog and performances suck, the film is not enjoyable to watch. Now we can get top results with great cameras like this, maybe more of the money can go to getting the best actors and writers.
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Epic looks like a lot of fun. An incredible achievement given the time scale.
“Shoots 5k resolution (6 x High Definition)” is over egging it a bit…. 4x is more representative?
Can’t really say it has 6x the pixels of HD either, as 2/3 inch HD camera has 6.3 mega pixels 🙂
Something like “it resolves 4x more detail than HD” is a bit more descriptive?
Cant wait to see 4k on the new laser projector.
Mike Brennan
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“one of the most beautiful countries in the world and raise the level of production values in our films accordingly. Many Aussie films of the past have looked cheap but there’s no reason, in the age of cameras like this, that we cannot showcase great visuals. This technology should be a key to new creative freedom.”
I thought that when I bought a f900 in 2002.. new creative freedom, democratisation ect, but the tech quality is still not the driving force for doc or narrative.
As has been said by others “the budget IS the look” and for the majority of projects the success is down to the script.
I’m not a fan of throwing cold water on new ideas or new technology, far from it, but I am one for reeling in anybody thinking of making a significant investment in electronic cameras on the basis that new technology will change the fundamental business laws of our industry.
Mike Brennan
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Well, I certainly don’t think a bad script would be okay. Ever! But I have been on shorts where a lot of money was spent on the technical side and none was spent on the script or the acting and it was the script and the acting which let it down. I’m suggesting better cameras making technical results easier to achieve might mean people can start spending more money on things like actors and script writers. You get what you pay for.
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