TONACI TRAN - RED SCARLET + EPIC CAMERA SHOOTER » Tonaci Tran

ENZOANI

Tonaci Tran — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:56:43 +0000

Timeless

"Follow a young woman through stages of her life from the early stages of budding femininity, culminating into the elegance of an Enzoani bride"

Director: Tonaci Tran

Cinematographer: Joel Spezeski

Editor: Thuy Huynh-Tran

First AD: Marc Chester

Composer – Giona Ostinelli

Producer – Sean Hunter

Set Design – Shawna Yamamoto

1st AC: Tanner Stauss

2nd AC: Corey Cooper

1st AC (b-cam): Mark Parsons

Gaffer: Kevin Pham

Key Grip: Tom Hunt

Lighting: John Ngo

Lighting: Nam Luong

Story Board Artist: Ninh Dinh

Hair & Make Up 1 – Kim Bui

Hair & Make Up 2 – Janice Lee

Additional Red Epic gear and Support Special Thanks to:

Justin O'Neill - Royal Galactic

Blair S. Paulsen - Alacrity Media

George Tsai

2012 Enzoani Fashion Show Teaser

Tonaci Tran — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:51:47 +0000

Olympus ME51s Scratch MIC – Red Scarlet – Epic

Tonaci Tran — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:57:30 +0000

Above is a quick test of the Olympus ME51s mic that would work as a good scratch mic for the Red Scarlet or Epic. Keep in mind, this is good for "scratch" audio. I wouldn't use it for any quality sound, but for running around and getting some rough audio, I think it works great. I turned the fan setting to 25% during record. If the fans are loud, it will record the fan sounds. The mic also comes with an extension cable so you can place the mic in a better spot on the camera. Any questions you have, just drop a line below. =)

NAB 2012 SHOW RECAP

Tonaci Tran — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:31:50 +0000

TED SCHILOWITZ

It was a blast getting to hang out with Ted Schilowitz a day before the big NAB festivities. This was my third time interviewing Ted at NAB. The first time was on the steps of the Tropicana during NAB 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f595rUo-BRA.

My how time flies!! Anyways, keeping in line with our traditional guerrilla style iphone shooting, Justin O'Neill, Ivan Agerton and I jumped on board a taxi to talk to Ted about his thoughts about the upcoming show at NAB 2012. You can view our video HERE.

In the video, Ted discusses how Red has been pushing 4k since 2007/2008. With Canon, Panasonic and Sony now finally jumping into the 4K ring, the writing is on the wall for 1080p. To each their own, but I think anyone investing heavily into a 1080p camera is making a grave mistake. Furthermore, if everyone else is finally doing 4k, you can't help but wonder what RED is currently working on behind closed doors.

MY WORLD IN 4K - REDUSER PARTY BY LIGHT IRON

Next up was the Reduser "My World is in 4K" pre-nab party hosted by Light Iron at the Tropicana. Light Iron and the Reduser team did an amazing job with the event. I loved all the 4k displays sprinkled throughout the pool area of the Tropicana. For the main event of the night, they had a 4k projector set up that showcased a montage of the 4k submissions, a special message from Ridley Scott about "LOOM" and a screening of the winner of the 4k contest. Congrats to fellow Redusers: Kenny Mosher (1st place), Micheal Millichamp (2nd) and Brandon Lippard (3rd)! I loved the speeches by Michael, Ted and Jim. When this dream team talks, you can't help but get excited about digital cinema. The surprise treat of the night was a video of Ridley Scott introducing LOOM and sharing his thoughts about 3d and where he sees the future of cinema heading. He stressed the need to "up the game" when it comes to entertainment and improving the whole "movie experience." As the event was winding down, I got a chance to catch up with both familiar and new faces. I ran into one of my favorite contributors to Reduser, David Mullen. David just came back from working on "SMASH" in New York and had time to make a pitstop in Vegas before returning home to LA. I first met David when I provided Red Epics for feature film "Big Sur" he shot last year. It was really awesome catching up with all the other Redusers in person. Sure, some of us are crazy (Josh Beadle!! hehe) but that is what makes our community so amazing. All in all, a really fun night. Michael, if you are reading this... please do it again next year! *Check out more photos by Reduser Josh Beadle HERE.

LOOM

The RED booth is definitely where you want to be the first day of NAB. The photo above shows the calm before the storm. I was fortunate enough to be the first in line to see the screening of LOOM. This wasn't "just" another screening. Massive technological developments from RED were simultaneously at work here. Red's new prototype projector displaying red ray footage shot on Epics with 3ality Technica stereo rigs. I remember back when Red had to be reliant on Sony 4k projectors. It is so awesome that RED now has their own 4k projector to complete the 4k eco-system. Since the projector was in early alpha/beta mode, we were watching it in 2k (which still looked freakin amazing!). Jim mentioned that 4k (per eye) output needed some tweaking and possibly could be enabled by the end of the show. 4k 3D projector for $10,000? This is huge. I want one. Loom was really impressive. Presented by Ridley Scott, directed by his son Luke Scot, Dp'd by Darius Wolski, produced by Jim and Jarred and starring Giovanni Ribisi (I got a photo op with Giovanni!) and Jellybean Howie. Side note - fun fact. Giovanni owns an Epic! Back to the film, the stereo 3d in the film is definitely some of the best I have ever seen and was enjoyable to watch. It was easy on the eyes and very immersive. The low light scenes looked uber clean. I came away with new excitement and hope for 3d. I definitely can't wait to see Prometheus in the theaters. The only inconvenience for me, was that the 3d glasses didn't stack nicely on my Oakley prescription glasses hehe. I asked Ted if LOOM would be available online and he said at some point it likely will be.

MEIZLER MODULE

I took this shot of the Red Meizler module inside the 3ality Technica booth. I didn't notice this until after downloaded the pic, but it looks like there is a cool extension interface for the Redmote which gives direct connectivity to the Epic. In other words, the Redmote is not simply just getting charged, but is also connected through the pins for direct communication. The pic below shows the interface without the Redmote mounted. I LOVE how the Meizler module gets rid of all the "spaghetti" that plagues most studio setups. The new Red wheels felt really good and rugged. The rubber on the wheel grips are much thicker and comfier than the proto versions I tried out earlier. I think a pair of these Red wheels will make for a really tight small handheld rig. Due to the unique shape for manufacturing, these took a little longer to come out but definitely worth the wait.

*for more Red Epic Eye Candy - check out my 500px gallery HERE. The Dragon sensor upgrade was first announced last NAB so we were left to speculate what the Dragon sensor would actually be. When the MX sensor upgrade happened, there was no bump in resolution. With Dragon, we get bump to 6k resolution, higher frame rates and a boost in dynamic range! 15+ plus stops. In a recent post, Jarred said they are seeing a 2 stop improvement so far over the MX sensor. I am assuming, over time this could even get better. Jim stated "The Dragon sensor is slightly larger than the Mysterium-X sensor and the pixel size is slightly smaller. Dragon has a sensor size of 30x15.8mm and pixel size of 5 micron." We are essentially getting a brand new camera for $6,000 dollars (pricing for Epic but Scarlet TBA). This should be exciting news for all Scarlet/Epic owners. Take a look at other camera companies like Canon who announced the C300 and now the C500. Is there any upgrade path for C300 owners? NO. A new announcement I am excited about is the + monitor module that gives the additional evf/lcd output we all need. I have been hanging on to my old 5.6 lcd so I can have the touchscreen for the operator and 5.6" for the camera assistant. In the pic above, we get a sneak peek of the new wireless module. Details on this unit are still scarce at the moment. BTW, the 9inch screen is a monster (in a good way!) when you see it in person. Super cool! You can check out all the newest NAB 2012 announcements on the Reduser forum. Next up, are some cool 3rd party stuff coming out that caught my eye during the show.

Fujinon Cabrio 19-90mm T2.9

Lightweight zooms usually require two flavors. You usually need one zoom for the wide and one for the telephoto. The Fujinon Cabrio does pretty much the full range from 19mm all the way to 90mm. As a bonus it also comes with FIZ rocker which makes it the first cinema level lens with rocker most commonly used on those eng broadcast cameras with b4 mounts. When I talked to the Fujinon rep, he said he was shocked that they got massive preorders even before the NAB show. He was expecting that everyone would want to at least see it first. Reduser Evin Grant gives his take on the lens HERE. I shot a quick video of the rocker zoom action HERE. Super smooth!! The cool thing about the rocker is that you could theoretically hook it up to the Meizler module for full wireless controls of focus, iris and zoom. Epic + Meizler + Fujinon Cabrio would make for a very slick spaghetti free unit. Checkout Landmines coverage HERE.

OCONNOR FOLLOW FOCUS + OBOX

I have been in the market for a cinema grade follow focus to hit around the 2k mark and Oconnor definitely has the answer with their new Ofocus model. The Cff-1 is pictured above but I will do a full review next week of the Ofocus model. I was impressed enough that I got two Ofocus units to go with my kits. The industry standard has long been the Arri FF-4 but it costs 3500 and up for a starter kit. I needed something in the 2k range. None of the other offerings under 2k have the oomph needed to drive cinema lenses. You could pick up a used Chrosziel for around 2 grand these days, but it is used vs getting a brand new unit. Plus, I usually get my items off of ebay, so there is no way to test them out before hand. Their O-Box is also a winner as well. Very well constructed and rugged. On Reduser, I noticed that many of the rigs posted have O-boxes. Good stuff! Check out the REDUSER Oconnor thread discussion HERE and stay tuned for my upcoming review.

MIGHTY CINE ENG SHOULDER RIG by ADAM LUBKIN

I often see many handheld rigs that end up being too front heavy. Adam's design here puts all the weight to the back and is designed to give you that ENG style balance on your shoulders. Adam said that he used the quad module as just a space holder until the Pro I/O comes out. There will be two versions. The full size version with 19mm baseplate you see pictured above, and another slimmer version that will have only the riser with 15mm light weight rod support. The rear battery module can extend back further if better counter balance is needed. If you are interested in one, you can join the wait list at: http://www.mightycine.com/ and discuss it on Reduser HERE.

WOODEN CAMERA

Wooden camera had different hand held configurations on display at their booth. Reduser Ivan Agerton was diggin this shorty low-mode. You can't see the back of the rig in the pic above, but there is a brick battery in the back for the counter balance. If you need a simple sturdy rig, Wooden Camera's shoulder rigs may fit your needs. I have a rig which i will do a mini review of soon. For more configs check out their website.

Action Products - Innocinema

Action Products - Innocinema came with a slew of brand new accessories. The prototype handgrip you see above has a start/stop trigger built in as well as the ability to accomodate a Redmote mounted on it. Check out the Red forum discussion here.

Zeiss 70-200mm Zoom - $20,000

In the still lens world, the 70-200mm is a really attractive zoom range. Zeiss ups the game with a compact cinema version of the 70-200mm. I am looking forward to trying this when it is available.

mLOGIC mLINK R - Thunderbolt Expansion Enclosure for Red Rocket

My post about this enclosure is HERE. $699 introductory pricing until May 14th.

mLOGIC mLink R – Thunderbolt Enclosure for Red Rocket first look!

Tonaci Tran — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:52:59 +0000

Designed from the ground up specifically for the Red Rocket card, check out the first look at the mLink R from mLOGIC. We got a chance to meet up with mLogic's CEO Roger Mabon and VP of Product Development Jean-Pierre Durand. If you want to pre-order this bad boy, check out this link to lock down the special introductory price of $699 until May 14th 2012: http://www.mlogic.com/mlinkR/preorder

Ted & Tonaci PRE-NAB 2012 Interview – Las Vegas

Tonaci Tran — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:12:47 +0000

We are just a day away from the the big NAB 2012 show. I had a chance to do a guerilla interview with Ted Schilowitz from the back of a Taxi along with Justin O'Neill and Ivan Agerton of Royal Galactic Media. Check out what Ted has to say about the upcoming show.

Blackmagic Design Smartview HD 17″ LCD Monitor Review

Tonaci Tran — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:55:34 +0000

Hey everyone! just wanted to share some info on a new affordable monitor I just purchased that works great with the Red Epic or Scarlet. At only 850 dollars, you get a 1080p image in compact 17" inch screen with built in HD-SDI inputs. The monitor settings can only be accessed through a laptop using the rear usb port and are limited to only brightness, contrast and saturation. But hey...I'm not complaining. There aren't any other 17" screens with built-in HD-SDI for even under $1500.00 that I am aware of. To clarify my comment in the video about color reference, my main point is that I would much rather use a laptop/monitor station w/Redcine when it comes to dialing in my color grading. Otherwise, this monitor provides a good picture that fulfills my needs while shooting on set.

Red Swat Rail LCD Arm Setup

Tonaci Tran — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 06:34:50 +0000

I consider this the ULTIMATE lcd arm. Noga arms have kept me going for the past 4 years since I have been shooting on Reds, but I always wanted something even more robust and less prone to slumping over. Enter Red's line of SWAT RAIL ACCESSORY COMPONENTS. These pieces remind me of LEGOS. You can configure them to do pretty much anything you want. Using four components, I came up with a nice adjustable LCD arm set up utilizing the 1) SWAT RAIL CLAMP , 2) DOGBONE A (OR JOGGED B OR ARCHED C), 3) ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT BRACKET and 4) SWAT RAIL. In the pics below, there are two configurations using the "Straight" Dogbone A and "Jogged" Dogbone B. Both work and have their own advantages. I like how the straight dogbone is nice and compact. The jogged dogbone is longer and curves outward which allows for additional placement options. Below I have an example where the jogged curve allows for LCD placement to clear the left side of the mattebox and also totally clears the follow focus. Everything is "tool-less." Just untwist the knobs and you can quickly adjust on the fly.

Red Gunner Handheld System Review

Tonaci Tran — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:25:26 +0000

Red Gunner pic above is my "Rocket Launcher" setup. =)

I have been lusting after this handheld rig ever since it was announced. It has been finally released so the question remains, does it live up to expectations? My answer is... ABSOLUTELY

Above is a BTS shot of me doing handheld on the action film "clash"

For a sample of my camera operating work, you can check out the trailer from the film above HERE. At the time of this film, it was so early on that there were not many options for handheld. In fact, in the pic above, I operated the entire film with only a dovetail and towel on my shoulder. Fast forward to today, there are thankfully some great options for handheld rigs. For me, I always wanted to have the option of a smaller rig that could be easily used for run-n-gun applications. The RED GUNNER gives me exactly what I have always wanted and then some. =)

Handheld that sits/stands on it's own

One of the main features I need in a handheld rig is for it to have a small yet stable foot print. I want a rig that I can place on the ground or surface during break periods where I won't have to worry about the rig tipping over. I need a rig I can quickly put down and quickly pic up for run-n-gun situations. In the configurations used for the photos above, you can see how the rig happily sits on its own without any handles. For the first pic, I actually have a tripod quick-release plate attached to the bottom of the Red Gunner. Although the plate provides a more stable foot print, even without the tripod plate, it can sit on it's own as long as weight is evenly distributed on both sides. Likewise, with the Gunner Handles, the camera rig can be quick placed on the ground with little worry about the entire camera rig tipping over.

Perfect EVF/LCD VIEWING POSITION

In about 90% of the Red Epic/Scarlet handheld rig photos I have seen, the LCD and EVF never seemed to be mounted in the right place. Using the Accessory Attachment Bracket (which can be used for the LCD/EVF) + Swat Rail Clamp and/or the Spinner, you can achieve perfect placement of the EVF or LCD right on the gunner. Another option which I covered in the video, is to use the Spinner hanging off a swat rail attached to the left side of the DSMC Tactical Top plate. Having the Bomb EVF "floating" is my favorite setup as it gives me full unobstructed access to the lens and also allows for mounting any follow focus beneath it. Furthermore, on the Red Gunner itself and handles, there is a plethora of 1/4-20 holes for use of Noga arms for even more monitoring mounting options.

ROLLING ON DUBZ - UPCOMING RED WHEEL

I have never seen anything like it on a handheld rig. What the heck is this "wheel" you ask? The upcoming RED WHEEL (to be released soon) allows another way to grip onto the rig. Rather than using a traditional handgrip shape, this unique circular shaped wheel with rubber cushion, provides a very comfortable surface/shape for gripping onto. I will be ordering two of them for my ultra compact red gunner rig configuration when it becomes available.

BALANCED HANDHELD RIG =)

Last but not least, the most crucial element of any handheld rig is balance. When using a larger lens, I am able to acheive the best balance when I add a DSMC Backpack, DSMC battery plate and V-mount battery to the rear. At the end of the video review, I provide an example where I am using a small pl mount prime with battery power from the side handle. Even without a counterweight, the camera is compact and light enough that the camera stays comfortable and balanced for all day handheld operation. Another option for counterweight is the upcoming Red Volt Quad module. Additionally, the rear of the red gunner has 1/4-20 holes for additional accessory mounting points in case more counter balance weight is needed.

Conclusion

The Red Gunner is a gamechanger IMO. I love the "tool-less" quick release ability of the entire system. Making it Nato-Picatinny rail compatible is genius. I am planning to pick up a bipod from AMAZON where they have a load of other Nato rail accessories. The RED GUNNER is small, rugged, super adjustable and is simply a work of art. =) You really have to give it a try to feel it for yourself. Seeing pics online doesn't do this rig any justice. If you would like to try out the Red Gunner, you can visit the Red Studios Hollywood store front or sign up for the upcoming REDUCATION starting February 27th through March 2nd. Below are more photos from the Red Tactical System lineup. If you have any questions regarding the Red Gunner, feel free to ask me below and I'll try my best to answer them. =)

Epic/Scarlet Tactical Cage - Or as I call it, the ultimate body armor! =)

On a feature film, surface "real-estate" on the camera is always desired. When you have to mount wireless receivers, distribution boxes, sound devices, or remote follow focus boxes, the bottomline is that you need somewhere to bolt it on to. This is where the Epic/Scarlet Tactical Cage comes into play. This cage offers the most mounting points I have ever seen on a camera, period. Another cool thing about the cage is that you can be rest assured that your camera will remain protected underneath the protective "armor" it provides. =)

Red Scarlet X – First Review & Impressions Part I

Tonaci Tran — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:47:21 +0000

Background

I am currently a filmmaker and camera rental house co-owner (with my wife) of Tonaci Digital. To date, in the course of four years, Tonaci Digital has provided cameras and services for over 22 "Shot On Red" films. I personally have worked in the field on over 16 feature films in various capacities: as second Unit Director, Camera Operator, Digital Imaging Technician, and Red Camera Supervisor. Some notable projects for us this year include: "Big Sur" (Polish Brothers shooting Red Epic), "The Banshee Chapter" (our first 3d Epic project produced by Zachary Quinto), "Innocence Blood" (Red Epic), and our first Red Epic feature overseas, "Blood Letter." (if you haven't seen the Blood Letter trailer, it will blow your tits off)

1st Scarlet

On 11/18/2011, I was very fortunate to be the first to take delivery of the Red Scarlet X. 3 days later, I flew to Vietnam to begin prepping the Red Scarlet X for likely the first ever feature film in the world to begin principal photography with the Red Scarlet. On 11/30/2011, shooting began for "Cuoi Ngay Keo Lo aka Love Puzzle." By day 5 of the feature, I had to fly back to the US on December 4th to teach for Reducation, leaving our Red Scarlet X in the good hands of our camera team in Vietnam. As of this writing, they just finished Day 13 and I am happy to report that the Red Scarlet-X has been running non-stop flawlessly. You have to keep in mind that in Vietnam, the budgets are too low to afford backup cameras. Fortunately, "knock on wood," no Red camera has ever failed on us in the past 3 years working in Vietnam on 20 feature films (which btw were all theatrically released) and over one hundred commercials.

Reliability

I saw the humorous C300 review by Jonathan Yi, and saw his response to someone in his comments section saying, "Enjoy your broken camera." Notably, Philip Bloom had problems with his Red Epic so the natural thought for some may be…are Red Cameras that bad? Here is my take on it. It is sorta like those social worker news stories (loose analogy I know, hehe..but my mom is a social worker so bear with me). When one social worker is involved in a case where the child dies, everyone hears about it, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We need to be aware of these things when they happen…but the other side to the story…the reality is that there are thousands of workers doing great service everyday that you don't hear about. Same goes for Red Cameras. There are literally thousands and thousands of Red Cameras working day in and day out without any problems. This is not to say there are never any problems with the cameras…sure there is. This is the nature of electronic devices. Canon 5ds go bad too, right? (My friend sent his in for repair last week.) What I can tell you is that Red staff have gone above and beyond to help me whenever I have questions or issues. I'm positive that thousands of owners will share similar experiences with me on that. As I mentioned above, a good bulk of my work is supporting feature films in Vietnam where there are very little resources. If Red cameras were unreliable, I would have zero chance of ever sustaining a rental business and shooting movies overseas. It's not like I can drive down to Hollywood to pickup a backup camera. If my Red Epics gave me grief, I definitely would not have ordered the Scarlets. As of this writing today, I am currently managing five Red Epics and two Red Scarlets on seven different jobs all happening at once. This would be hard to do if they were "broken" cameras.

Longevity

I firmly believe in trying to always stay ahead. I have been shooting 4k for four years now with the Red One and 5k this year with the Epic. Sony is entering the 4k game and before you know it, so will Canon, Panasonic, Arri…you name it! Sony just announced their 4k consumer projector and now more and more theaters are being equipped with 4k digital projectors. I had the pleasure of seeing Barco's latest 4k projector and it is amazing. Youtube supports 4k and before you know it, the internet bandwidth and computers will be fast enough to handle it. As of right now, the 4k on Youtube chokes on my current browser and internet connection, but this will certainly change! Perhaps I am thinking too far ahead, but with Sony jumping into the game and heck, even Canon announcing a 4k camera… it is going to happen. I like the idea that my material will be up to spec for the next resolution standard. I can't stomach watching ANYTHING in standard def and I have a feeling I will probably feel the same way about 1080p HD being uprezzed on my future 4K display. One thing I have to wonder is how long the life will be on the C300 before Canon releases another model? With the Scarlet, I feel good knowing that there will be a Dragon sensor upgrade option down the road and anything I shoot today with Scarlet, will have longevity over the course of the next several years after 4k becomes mainstream.

Special thanks to Chanh Phuong Films for giving us permission to post some of the very first images and footage from "Cuoi Ngay Keo Lo aka Love Puzzle". Please stay tuned for PART II of my review which will cover menu navigation, accessory configuration and much more!