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So when we started Rat Catcher we had the opportunity to start looking at other cameras
to use, this is a unique position for us because previously we've had our own camera kit. We
had a Panasonic DVX100 which is what we shot things like Potential, Coming Home and Shelf
Stackers, we shot on that with a Red Rock adapter. Then obviously when Wasteland came
along we wanted to step up and shoot HD.
Tom's more interested in what's actually being shot, whats in front of the camera not necessarily
whats doing the shooting.
That's not to say I don't appreciate the image because obviously with more detail with a
higher res image you've got more to play with.
For Wasteland we had no budget what so ever, no budget for kit, no budget for anything.
We did it, we did a good job. This time we've got to push things on, we need a budget, that's
why the IndieGoGo campaign is live. Part of my job as producer is to develop a strategy,
a business plan and a budget for the film. That means we need to put money aside for
things like kit.
My job as the Director of Photography really at this stage is to look into the camera and
kit we'd be using on the shoot and just really seeing what is available out there.
Which one would you be more interested in? Because there's the three options of C300,
FS700 and Scarlet.
Initially I was interested in the C300, just because of the image quality I've seen coming
out of it can be absolutely stunning.
The FS700 and the C300 they're not 4k though are they?
I mean if we want to go down the 4k route the best option at the moment would be the
Scarlet.
There was some definite interesting features out there, with the FS700 the fact you can
shoot super slow motion, for some of the sequences we've got could look quite good.
We both were visualising some awesome super slow motion fight scenes. It's quite easy
to get seduced by the 800 frames per second and super slow motion for some of the fight
sequences for example, and then sort of trying to figure out how to get slow motion into
every sequence that you do, because you have that tool there.
The FS700 can shoot 4K but it's a firmware update, so it depends if it's got that and
then you need another box and all these additional pieces would probably mean a much higher price
range, so yes it can but it would be more expensive than the C300.
The image quality I've seen coming out of projects locally and worldwide from the camera
is incredible. Also I knew that the C300 we'd be able to rent within our price range.
The C300 it looks a great camera, really good image and that does do a bit of slow mo, and
then obviously the Scarlet was the third camera that we were looking at which by all accounts
is pretty incredible. The 4k image that comes out of it is pretty stunning.
I know when I first pitched the idea of RED Scarlet to Tom he was a bit apprehensive about
using the RED it was something he had never really used before and it's a completely different
beast to say the C300 and the DSLRs and the FS700 and cameras we've used before.
I think I thought at first the Scalet was just way out of our budget and we probably
shouldn't really be considering it. Do we need the kit, we do really really well with
what we've got, but I also appreciate the fact in order to kick everything onto the
next level we need to upgrade what we shoot on.
So after doing some more research and taking into consideration the whole kit package which
we'd need so it's not just the camera it's the lenses and everything else I came across
Cinebug and they offer a RED Scarlet package with everything you need. It's a bit more
than the C300 and FS700 that we've been looking at, and with the Scarlet being perhaps pushing
the budget a bit higher for the camera rental he was a bit juberous about shooting RED.
So I suggested to Tom why don't I contact Cinebug and we'd go down to Surrey and they
can really show him what the Scarlet can do for us and why it's such a huge advantage
to be able to shoot 4k.
Me and the Director of Photography Chris Newman are going to head off to Surrey to check out
a camera rental place and see what options there are for us out there within the budget
we've got to work with, but also which is going to be the best one to help tell the
story we want to tell.
So we're currently en route to Surrey to check out one of the potential cameras that we'd
be shooting Rat Catcher on. It's quite an exciting time at the moment because it's the
first chance that we've been able to look at other cameras outside of what we've actually
got within our network.
Yeah, it gives us a chance to have a look at a camera that's right for the project that
we're that the aspects that we want slow mo, high quality image. In the past we've only
been able to use the DVX100 is a camera that we used for corporate work and then also the
Panasonic GH2.
So we've been down to Cinebug in Surrey, and had a look at the RED. Fortunately we were
able to look at the RED Epic, as the Scarlet was actually out at the time on another shoot.
The RED Epic is the same camera as the Scarlet, the Scarlet is just held back a bit, it can't
do as many frame rates and a few other little technicalities that it can't do. Cinebug set
the Epic as 4k 24 frames per second and also showed us the slow motion capabilities that
the Scarlet would be able to do on the Epic. We were just completely blown away by the
level of detail.
The Scarlet or the RED kit that we saw was pretty impressive, I think that's probably
where we're going to look, for the camera we want to use.
So there's a few details with shooting RED and specifically shooting RAW which we needed
to get our heads around.
The price that we found it for fits inside our budget so that was quite a pleasant surprise.
The kit that it comes with has all the bits and pieces you could possibly need. I'm a
little bit apprehensive about a couple of the things such as storage is going to be
a situation that we have to look into, battery life was another worry but the kit comes with
4 batteries so that should keep us going a little bit.
So after discussing with Tom and Chrissa really the benefits of RED and looking at the other
options I think the Scarlet is the camera we really want to shoot on for this project.
And the benefits of spending the extra couple of £100 outweigh not
I was quite surprised when the guys has tried out the camera that they were after, they
came back to me under budget. I was mighty impressed! Using kit like the RED Scarlet
really makes my job that little bit easier because everybody sits up and takes notice
of what we're doing. We suddenly become the serious filmmakers that we keep telling people
we are.
And actually the camera doesn't look as or doesn't seem to be as scary to use as what
I first imagined, obviously I won't be using it that much Chris Newman our Director of
Photography will be the prime person in charge of using the camera so I believe he's pretty
excited about the possibility of using the Scarlet and using something that A shoots
4k and then being able to shoot RAW and having room to play with the grade after we've shot
it. So yeah it's pretty exciting the idea of shooting on the Scarlet.