RED camera shoot out cancelled

Jim Jannard, CEO of RED, took to the RED User Forums on Tuesday to issue a camera shoot out challenge to every camera company willing to participate. They were allowed to bring any camera, a team of techs, and could post process the image however they pleased. 2K and 4K would both be tested at different screen sizes, but it seems that a number of companies didn't take too kindly to the idea. Just two days after issuing the invitation, Jannard has withdrawn it, saying that the "grief and complication doesn't warrant the effort."

So what exactly was the issue? Jannard decided to create his own shoot out after disagreements with company Zacuto over 2K vs 4K. Jannard says that companies should stop living in the past and embrace the future of 4K, pushing out a 4K finish on top of 1080p and 2K, while Zacuto argues that 4K simply isn't fully with us yet in terms of equipment or movie theater showings.

Zacuto go on to say that Jannard refused to participate in past shoot outs despite invitations being extended, "begging" Jannard for an EPIC camera yet receiving no reply, and ultimately catching some heat from fans when there was no RED appearance in the final competition. It seems then that Jannard wanted to do things on his own terms, including a proper 4K shoot out, but says that "several companies have refused to participate", and that RED "just aren't up for the grief. We have better things to do."

Jannard himself admits that "resolution is not everything", but movies shot on these cameras are going to be around for a long time. Unlike film, the resolution you shoot in is the resolution that the content is going to be stuck with for the rest of its life, so why not shoot higher? Then again, there are other aspects to take into account. RED's workflow is said to be more complicated than other digital offerings, and some directors may simply prefer film. Christopher Nolan for example says he much prefers film, saying that it looks better and is cheaper to work with.

[via The Verge]