RED Digital Cinema Camera
The film industry is in the midst of a digital revolution. Much as our home entertainment and telephone systems have been revolutionized in the last few years, the same is happening in the world of film production. Although some large budget films are still being shot on film, the majority of movie and television productions are now being shot using digital cinema cameras. These digital cameras offer similar performance to traditional film cameras, with significant cost savings and nearly instantaneous access to the footage as it is shot. This is a stark contrast to the expense of film developing and wait times of several days or weeks to see developed footage that were necessary when working with film stock.
Digital cinema cameras come in many flavors and sizes. Many independent films are now shot using DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that record HD video, rather than on traditional video cameras. These DSLR cameras are fairly inexpensive and portable, shoot well in low light, and utilize interchangeable lenses giving great control over focus and depth of field.
While DSLR cameras have created quite an impact on the film industry, larger budget productions are using even more advanced digital cinema cameras. There are a few leaders in this digital technology wave, but some of the most popular cameras come from the RED Digital Cinema Company. RED, founded in 2007, has created cameras so sophisticated that they have taken over much of the high-end camera market in only five short years. They have been used to film some of the largest films of 2011-2012; The Hobbit, Prometheus, The Great Gatsby, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Contagion, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Spiderman 3, Oz, the Great and Powerful, and many more. RED Digital Cinema Cameras are also widely used in television production for shows like: Leverage, Covert Affairs, Southland, and ER.
Although RED’s cameras are not inexpensive, the company has a policy of upgrades, updates and enhancements that protect their owner’s cameras and investments. This is unique in an industry littered with obsolete technology and legacy formats. CCCA has acquired a RED ONE™ camera for use as a primary teaching platform and for filming the CCCA Thesis film projects. It also will be available for use on select student projects throughout the year, for those students who become certified in it's operation. In order to get the most from the RED ONE™ camera, a comprehensive package of lenses, tripods, and other accessories has been assembled.
Since there are over 10,000 RED cameras currently in use in the industry, experience operating the RED Digital Cinema Camera is a valuable job skill for CCCA graduates to acquire. With this in mind, Compass College of Cinematic Arts is pleased to welcome RED Digital Cinema Company and the RED ONE™ Camera to our program.
