This camera is slated to release early October.

Plot
The first thing you will need is your story. A plot is a sequence of events that will form the all important “why?” a certain events happened. For instance: Someone planted a bomb on a bus and it was diffused by bomb squad. This story has no plot.

To add plot we will need to ask “why was this bomb planted on the bus?” If the answer is “ransom,” it works, but this is pretty boring. Let’s add revenge and say that he is getting back at a cop. Now we are talking, but why is he getting revenge at a cop? For foiling his first attempt at ransom money. Now we have the plot for the movie Speed. Now you just fill in what happened.

So how do you get your plot? Often times you can start with a simple sentence that includes the end result and then work your way backward by answering the question “why?” That way only you know the ending and the audience is trying to figure out what will happen.

Point of View
There are many ways to tell a story. Think about anytime you’ve heard both sides of an argument, each person has their own point of view of how things happened. Even the person listening would give a separate account of the incident.

So how would you tell a particular story? Would you narrate the scene or tell it from one character’s point of view? Should the audience know what the other characters are doing? As the writer, you need to decide what to show the audience at any given moment to move the story forward.

In Forrest Gump, the story is narrated by the main character and for the most part we only see his point of view throughout the entire movie. This is an unusual case and more often it might become boring to follow one single character for 90 minutes straight, so to make the story more interesting you will probably want to add different character’s point of view.

For this you need the following:

An Apple FCP 6 system with the entire Final Cut Studio installed.
The system needs to be an Intel Mac - MacPro or iMac, or MacBook Pro
The latest version of Red software - Redrushes, RedAlert, RedCine (all of which can be found on www.Red.com)
All correctly installed. A free software called Clipfinder.

You start by making Quicktimes of the Red files using RedRushes or Clipfinder itself.
You can make Quicktimes of any resolution even 720p and set the resolution to Quarter.
These settings can give you even real-time exports out of a new MacPro.

These Quicktimes will carry timecode from the R3D. Provide you set it that way.
You then edit them in FCP, and export an XML out of FCP

Run Clipfinder and point it to where the Red files are located.
Clipfinder makes a new XML now referring to the R3D files. Actually referring to the _H files which are 2048×1152.

You then send this sequence to Color, and in Color you can grade as long as you want and as much as you want.  You can later come back to FCP for further editing if need be.  For advanced users working on Resolve eQ, smoke/Flame Lustre  you can export DPX or CIN from Color, set the handles as you wish and take the DPX to the other systems.

Some things to be careful of since R3D footage is still basically in BETA stages!

The XML that Clipfinder makes after re-linking to _H files, creates a sequence in FCP that has the same name as the original sequence. So quickly rename it to avoid confusion.
DPX files out of Color work fine in Shake, Resolve and iQ/eQ. But some versions of smoke/flame/lustre can’t open them. For these systems better to use Cineon.
Color does only a half-res De-Bayer so if your needs are 4k and or full-res De-Bayer film then this workflow may not be for you.
If the Red files are on a FAT32 or other non-Mac drive, Clipfinder may not work for making a new XML. Copy files to a MacOSX HFS drive and it will work fine. If you have any problems please post any of your queries here and we will be sure to help you out!

Kodachrome film was revolutionary and was the cornerstone for all types of film to follow including both motion capture and sill photography. Kodak, the films manufacturer, has decided to discontinue production of the film after 75 years. Kodak has stated that:

Due to declining customer demand for KODACHROME, continued production of this film in no longer viable. Over the years people have moved from KODACHROME to other methods of capture, be it new films or digital. Simply put, not enough people are shooting KODACHROME for us to continue offering it.

There will be enough product to stock shelves likely until Fall 2009. As a tribute we have posted Kodachrome by Paul Simon.

The 4K technology, which is also referred to as Ultra High Definition, features 4,520 lines of horizontal resolution, known as “4k” technology because the scan lines exceed 4,000.

Texas Instruments, which said it will still continue to develop and further its DLP Cinema 2K chips, which number 11,000 installations worldwide, plans to deliver the enhanced DLP Cinema 4K chip to its licensees Barco, Christie Digital and NEC, which will extend the number of high-resolution displays to more than 12 projector models, TI said.

All projectors with the next-generation DLP Cinema electronics platform will include DCI compliant colors, high contrast ratios and light output sufficient for large auditoriums.

The projectors will fill theater screens as large as 100 feet and 3-D screens as large as 75 feet, which TI said “has been a challenge for competing technologies.”

The next-generation DLP Cinema electronics platform combines the three boards needed to produce images into a single board enabling lower adoption cost. The next-generation platform will work seamlessly with more than eight server solutions and multiple 3-D platforms, TI said.

Coming soon we will have in depth side-by-side analysis with the Palm Pre and Blackberry Storm.

Any kind of advertisement won’t be qualified. However if a sponsored viral video is deemed to have enough independent spirit behind it, we may decide to include it.

The prize is further exposure and a time-honored award credit (yes… we will give you shoot indie! laurels.)

Although we may think of filmmaking as a primarily visceral process, sound and sound engineering play an integral role in assuring that the image speaks to the audience the way the director intended.  A great example is Stanley Kubricks famous scene in Clockwork Orange where Frank Sinatra’s “Singing in the Rain” plays while the audience watches Malcolm McDowell ravage and murder a family hiding behind the visage of a white mask.  A good and meaningful soundtrack is just as complicated as the image being projected along with it on screen.  A soundtrack can comprise of three different ingredients, the voices, the sound effects and the music soundtrack.  These three elements must be mixed and balanced to create the perfect combination that does not seem off-putting to the audience and helps move the story along.  When working with sound and imagery one must think three-dimensionally because there are some exceptions which are not traditional but the audience accepts.  For example, if two people are talking in a wide shot and we hear them like they are right next to us, this is acceptable.

When voice texture fits the performer’s physiognomy and gestures, a whole and very realistic persona emerges. The viewer sees not an actor working at his craft, but another human being struggling with life. It is interesting to note that how dialogue is used and the very amount of dialogue used varies widely among films. For example:
In the film 2001 little dialogue was evident, and most of what was used was banal. In this way the filmmaker was able to portray the inadequacy of human responses when compared with the magnificent technology created by man] and the visual beauties of the universe.

The comedy, Bringing Up Baby, on the other hand, presents practically non-stop dialogue delivered at break-neck speed. This use of dialogue underscores not only the dizzy quality of the character played by Katharine Hepburn, but also the absurd duality of the film itself and thus its humor. The audience is bounced from gag to gag and conversation to conversation; there is no time for audience reflection. The audience is caught up in a whirlwind of activity in simply managing to follow the plot. This film presents pure escapism - largely due to its frenetic dialogue.

SOUND EFFECTS

Synchronous sounds are those sounds which are synchronized or matched with what is viewed. For example:
If the film portrays a character playing the piano, the sounds of the piano are projected.
Synchronous sounds contribute to the realism of film and also help to create a particular atmosphere. For example:
The “click” of a door being opened may simply serve to convince the audience that the image portrayed is real, and the audience-may only subconsciously note the expected sound. However, if the “click” of an opening door is part of an ominous action such as a burglary, the sound mixer may call attention to the “click” with an increase in volume; this helps to engage the audience in a moment of suspense.

Asynchronous sound effects are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen. Such sounds are included so as to provide an appropriate emotional nuance, and they may also add to the realism of the film. For example:
A film maker might opt to include the background sound of an ambulance’s siren while the foreground sound and image portrays an arguing couple. The asynchronous ambulance siren underscores the psychic injury incurred in the argument; at the same time the noise of the siren adds to the realism of the film by acknowledging the film’s (avowed) city setting.

MUSIC

Background music is used to add emotion and rhythm to a film. Usually not meant to be noticeable, it often provides a tone or an emotional attitude toward the story and/or the characters epicted. In addition, background music often foreshadows a change in mood. For example, dissonant music may be used in film to indicate an approaching (but not yet visible) menace or disaster.

Background music may aid viewer understanding by linking scenes. For example, a particular musical theme associated with an individual character or situation may be repeated at various points in a film in order to remind the audience of salient motifs or ideas.

Film sound is comprised of conventions and innovations. We have come to expect an acceleration of music during car chases and creaky doors in horror films. Yet, it is important to note as well that sound is often brilliantly conceived. The effects of sound are often largely subtle and often are noted by only our subconscious minds. Yet, it behooves us to foster an awareness of film sound as well as film space so as to truly appreciate a twentieth century art form, the modern film.

In recent films there has been a subtle yet significant change towards a lower and softer lighting scheme.  Although the same techniques (three-point lighting and ratios, and exposure) still apply, the look has changed to help give the talent and the surroundings a softer look. This newer approach is used with both film (16mm and 35mm) and video (whether it be HD or DV).  The China ball itself not helps mask the talents imperfections, but it serves as a great replacement for practical lighting.  Kino Flows, which are also commonly referred to as Diva lights are also used in the same three point lighting scheme as any other lights and serve as great lighting setups for music videos or bigger indoor and outdoor lighting setups.

Previously soft lighting was only used for high key setups, but cinematographers today use it in both high and low key setups.  The reason they used to stay away from soft lighting when doing a low key setup is the fear of making the subject look flat, but we can easily avoid this by placing the lights at an angle to give the subject a shadow, lending to a more three dimensional look.

Practical Use

To create this three dimensional look side lighting is placed around the perimeter of the subject, usually at eye level.  Now,  depending on the cinematographers preferences you can place either just kino flows or just lanterns, or there’s always the ability to mix the two.  They both omit the same type of lighting, it just depends on the room you have and your preference.  If you are not happy with the contrast, and the kinos or china lamps are simply just not enough bang, you can always throw in a bounce board to bring up the key in the shadow areas or to just bring up the background lighting in the entire shot.  Also, unlike china balls, Kino flows have their own intensity knobs on the back which can also help set the exact mood you want, and if you’re really into keeping the china balls onset, then you can always add a seperate dimmer to the actual socket itself and control the intensity from there.  Remember the key controls the mood and ambience of your scene, so it’s important to keep these things in mind before you go onset.

The Workflow
This is where the RED One excels. They have made it so easy to take their propriety Redcode RAW footage and bring it into Final Cut to work with proxies a fraction of the actual files size.  Although you need much processing power and ram to render things out in a timely fashion, RED has a few programs to help this process less painful.  REDCine and REDCODE RAW are the color correcting programs that RED provides free of charge right on the support section of their website.  They also support REDCODE RAW data integration with Adobe’s Premiere Pro instead of having to use the proxy files like in Final Cut Pro.  Of course news of Final Cut Pro Studio 3 probably have something similar in the works.