Shot on EPIC

Shot on EPIC from Ben Cain / Negative Spaces on Vimeo.

EPIC Test Shoot @ Attic Studios 

ISO 640, 48fps, 180 Shutter, RedCode 5:1 

RED Epic-X in Stills Configuration, RED 18-50mm @ T3

Model: Andrea Grant

andreagrant.com/ 

Shooter: Ben Cain

negativespaces.com/ 

Editor: Nate Pommer - Super Collider Post

supercolliderpost.com/ 

Colorist: Tom Wong

thewongcut.com/main.html

Lighting Designer: Matt Hawkes

Art Director / Hair / Makeup: Heather Thomas 

Location: Attic Studios

atticstudios.net/ 

Special Thanks to:

Peter Clark, Matt Hawkes, Heather Thomas, and Attic Studios

Derek Nelson and B2Pro

RED Digital Cinema

Music is "The Pink Room" from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Soundtrack

NOTES FROM SHOOTER:

There is some flicker on the makeup table shots. I've never seen incandescents flicker @ 48 fps before but I suppose there's a first time for everything. The camera was in "Stills" mode meaning I was operating with the Interface Grip and pulling focus with the weight of the lens in my hand. Because of the small size of the camera, this isn't a good way to shoot motion with it. It really needs to go on your shoulder somehow. Once more of these are out in the field, I'll be curious to see the various configurations and what people come up with to get it in a more comfortable operating mode. 

NOTES FROM COLORIST:

So the workflow was developing the Epic r3d's, shot 5:1 at a lower iso to try to gain back more in the low end, and in redlogfilm for the max the image has to offer. The imagery we had, was very high contrast, probably almost a 6-7 difference from the lowest to just the midtones. A lot of blacks were clipped but that's fine considering it as a available light shoot, and the mood of the image is what we wanted anyway. I found that image was, it almost looks identical to the r1 mx to the eye, but with noticeably increased clarity and texture. We were working with 16 bit DPX, for uncompromised quality of the online, since Resolve doesn't take in Epic r3d's yet. I found the highlight roll off more gradual and more aesthetically pleasing than the r1. It felt more gentle over all, and had a wonderful organic sharpness to it, which is what RED is known for. Hyper sharp, but not in the edge enhanced kind of what. Brought to you by just the pure resolution of the sensor. 

The blacks definitely had more information in it, and the dynamic range in the low end is very nice. I was digging out certain areas of hair, while leaving the rest of the room dark, several nodes of contrast expansion and compression. The extra bitrate in the codec really helped a lot, as I wasn't afraid to mess with the blacks as much. Yes there was some noise to a certain extent with some of the more very extreme under exposed shots, since it was shot run and gun. So that level of noise on such a un-planned shoot is pretty remarkable for a sensor packing so many pixels. The noise is also very tight and small, and black and white which is aesthetically closer looking to film grain. Little better than what the r1 mx looks like to my eye.

Overall, I think it's the fact that the r3d has much less compression on it now that's making this more of a great time in the grade. The sensor itself for all intents and purposes is just like a r1 mx, just tweaked out to be better across the board. I think r3d is coming to full fruition now, and with the latest color science, it's looking more organic and natural than ever.