Tom Lowe

Hi Tom

 

s at stephenw dot com . It's a shame I did not take up Jim's minimuim bet of $10,000,000.

 

Best Stephen

You and Max have both been paid now via Paypal, though no evidence of any kind has been shown here to indicate I even lost. I just don't want my reputation trashed online over some stupid nonsense. This was just supposed to be something fun, not mean spirited.

I've had some good times here, and met some good people, but I am going bid you all a fond farewell. It's been fun. No hard feelings. Best of luck to all. You can find me at Reduser and Timescapes any time. :)

Lol WTF. I give up. :rolleyes:

Okay Max and Stephen and whomever, PM me your paypal address and the money is on the way. Maybe then the peanut galley will quiet down and we can investigate who actually won the bet. ;)

Max, you missed the whole point. The funny part was not how Jim's offer to up the bet would matter to Jim's wallet, but rather, how it caused Stephen to stop taunting me at Reduser about upping the wager. In Vegas terms, I guess you could say Jim called his bluff. :lol:

So Max, let me ask you: Do you believe that the majority of +$35 mil films in production as of Dec 31 will be shooting digital or film? Like I've said, I will probably lose this due to the delay in Epic's release, but it might be close.

I looked up some of the bigger recent releases on IMDB to procrastinate working on my digital feature…

 

Tron Legacy - Sony CineAlta F35

Rabbit Hole – Red One

The Narnia movie - Sony CineAlta F23

The Tourist – 35mm

Harry Potter – 35mm

Unstoppable – 35mm

Black Swan – 16mm

Burlesque – 35mm

Love and Other Drugs – 35mm

Due Date – 35mm

The Tempest – 35mm

The Fighter – 35mm

The Garden of Eden – 35mm

All Good Things – 35mm

I Love You Phillip Morris – 35mm

Faster – 35mm

The King’s Speech – 35mm

The Next Three Days – 35mm

Morning Glory – 35mm

Hereafter – 35mm

Skyline – Red One

127 Hours – a whole bunch of different HD cameras

Fair Game – Red One

Saw 3D – HD

 

Of course if you look at the 5,000 Sundance submissions this year, the balance would shift. B)

Thanks, Justin. Now keep in mind that the bet was: What percentage of major American films will be actually SHOOTING chemical vs digital on Dec 31 of this year (IE, in the middle of being made, not films that are already finished). I think the numbers will shift when you research it that way.

Maybe it's the evident delight with which you proclaim 'film is dead' every time Jim Jannard so much as farts.

 

The fact is that film is still alive and well, and being widely used all over the world. Digital Cameras (and particularly RED) are not 'game-changers' as you're so fond of calling them, because the game remained the same as always - making pictures. For those people making their living in the camera dept, digital cinema initially complicated matters, then offered new ways of doing things, but at no point was there a huge paradigm shift where all the accepted rules went out the window. Those people that think that there was such a shift obviously weren't working in the industry at the time, or have drunk too much of the RED Kool-Aid.

 

Your work with the RED camera is hugely impressive, but it is so because you have talent, not because of the camera you choose to use.

Come shoot with me for a few days, and I'll show you why I love Red.

I'm working on a major feature film right now, and my assignment the other day was to film wild horses running through the grass. The temperatures here are below freezing. But I've been getting up before dawn every morning and stalking these wild horses through the frozen blades of grass in the dark, just to get one certain type of shot. The other morning, I rolled my Red MX for about 1.5 hours, trying to nail this certain type of shot. Wild horses don't like to be filmed, so I was waiting for just the right moment I needed. I don't know how much money or manpower it would have taken to roll a 35mm camera for hours at a time, but it's not the kind of money I have access to, nor would I want to drag a chemical film camera up those hills, with all the film magazines. There is no 10-second "pre-roll" on film, either, which is an option on Red. In addition to all of that, I was able to drive back to my hotel room and look at the clips instantly, and show the director instantly. And damn, at 4.5K res, these images are simply stunning.

People like me see film as a barrier that is being knocked down. Other, established shooters might like the idea of having access to an "exclusive" format like 35mm cinema film cameras, and being one of a small number of people trained to use them well. But those days are coming to an end very, very quickly now.

Huh? You were the one who made the bet. Supposing you produce some evidence that you've won, or are going to. Anyway, I'm sure Stephen Williams or Richard Boddington will be only too glad to oblige.

 

 

Bah. I can see the torn fingernails and bloodstains on the $50 notes from here. I hope the ink on US banknotes doesn't run when they get saturated with teardrops.

I always said getting to to admit you were wrong was never going to be easy.

:lol: You crack me up, man. BTW, where HAS Stephen been hiding lately? You don't think he might have already researched the numbers and is now hiding up in a tree somewhere, do you?

I never forget when Jim stepped in and offered to back my side of the bet for $100,000, Stephen's shoes left smoke and rubber burns on the cement as he ran for the hills.

But it was all in good fun and eventually a good bit of money was donated to a worthy charity.

Keith, you are proclaiming that I lost the bet? I'll ask again: do you have any hard numbers or data to back that up?

Considering the number of productions starting up in 3D, most of which are digital, I would like to see some numbers.

Lol the money is of no concern. It's only a small amount. I'm more than happy to pay it if I lose.

Hobbyists and diehards don't translate into healthy sales, which is what Kodak appear to have. I don't know why you hate film so much, but continually saying 'film is dead' does not make it true.

Stuart, I don't hate film. Where have I said that? I just prefer digital.

Why don't you face reality, about 2 1/2 years you made a really dumb bet. Why don't you just admit you were talking out of your freckle, pay up Stephen and Max, and we'll move on from there.

Well, Keith, if Disney is any indication, then I actually won the bet. If they have 12 films on their slate and only one planned to shoot chemical, then I won by a country mile. I'd like to see some hard numbers. Got any?

The bet was, something along the lines of, "In January 2011, will more major feature films currently in production be shooting on digital cinema cameras or chemical film"? Do you have any stats on that?

Actually, Kodak have recently reported that stills film sales have leveled out and are healthy, particularly in the B&W realm. Hardly the 'death' you describe.

I said: "At some point, somewhere along the way, chemical film "died" as the format of choice for still photographers."

Yes, there are still some hobbyists, diehards and B&W shooters who shoot chemical film, but not many left.

I hate to be blunt, but that does not look like a good deal to me. Most of those lenses are pure junk. What the heck is a "52mm wide lens"?? This company is just trying to sell off some worthless lenses. Why do you think they are throwing in everything but the kitchen sink?

I would rather have one good lens than 20 junk lenses. My suggestion is to buy a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. Or just buy the body and two good L-type lenses if you can afford it. You can pick up very nice used L-series lenses on Fred Miranda's buy & sell forum, as well.

"Tree of Life" will win the Best Picture Oscar. You can take that to the bank.

Sorry but my data is rock solid, Digital Is Dead.

Hahaha! :lol:

You made my night with this post, Richard. ;)

At some point, somewhere along the way, chemical film "died" as the format of choice for still photographers. It happened slowly at first, with the release of some "professional" Canon and Nikon DSLRS. Then the rate at which digital was replacing film increased. And then, at some point, the trendline of film vs digital basically went vertical and chemical film was swept aside very quickly and forever. This is what is happening with cinema, though some people are not able to detect it just yet. Another six months and the trend will be so clear that not even at c.com will anyone legit be able to dispute it. If Disney has 12 films on their slate, and only ONE is scheduled to be shot on chemical film, that tells you something. And this trend will accelerate even faster once Epic drops.

Lol, are people here still debating film vs digital? That debate is over. Actions on the ground have overtaken the talk. It's almost like the Iraqi Info Minister saying "Digital is not overtaking film. Film will stand for ten more years...." Even as the tanks are visible behind him.

From April 2008:

...I said from the very beginning that RED ONE would not be the film slayer. I figured something coming out in 2009 or 2010 (the generation after RED, Genesis, etc) would probably be the film slayer. I've been saying this for a couple of years now, and it is my opinion and belief. Film's day will come. Film is all but dead in still photography now. If you think moving image film is somehow immune from the progress of digital technology, you are simply wrong.

Sorry, but I know that history will prove me right. Film is here to stay.

 

There is nothing that the "film will soon be extinct" crowd can offer to prove other wise.

 

Hollywood features can all be shot digitally right now, but they aren't.

 

Digital will continue to make in roads, but a complete replacement for film? Never happen.

 

Only time will prove one of us right or wrong.

 

R,

Richard, care to revise your predictions? ;) Any of you here who doubted that Epic was going to be the final nail for film, are you still making the same claim?

That's a very Cinerama / IMAXy sort of lens! Great for those traveling shots looking forward.

Yeah. We found some huge fields of lily pads and algae on the swamp. I got up on the bow aiming forward, and the boat driver drove right through it. The shots almost seem like a low aerial flying over the lily pads. The distortion on that lens makes everything "zoom" and race around the edges. It's especially nice when you are filming at 3K 48fps.

Your talent is making you a fast-rising star, it's fantastic!

 

What sort of lens is that on the Red camera? It's so nice to see a stripped-down camera without all the accessories that AC's and sound people want/need...

David, that was an Arri Ultra Prime 8R 8mm! Or as I referred to it, "My preciooouus...." Absolutely stunning lens.

Me shooting on the swamps of the Atchafalaya basin, one of the most beautiful and primordial places in the United States.

DP Graham Berry with his Red MX on a prototype Kessler slider designed for Red and Epic (missing its Mitchell adapter, which was in my garage in Palm Springs).

My kick-ass assistant Dustin Kukuk and our guide Bernard Blanchard.

Godfrey and Philip Glass came out to the swamp with us for a day. Philip likes to experience Godfrey's actual locations before composing music for Godfrey's films.

______________________________

About a month ago, I got an offer I could not refuse... an opportunity to shoot 2nd unit plus all the timelapse for the first leg of Godfrey Reggio's new feature film. I took a month off from filming "TimeScapes", packed all my stuff, and drove to New Orleans.

What an amazing experience this has been!!!!!!!!!! I have learned more in one month with Godfrey than I could have in two years of film school. This is an education you cannot buy. Of course, without Godfrey's legendary, groundbreaking 1982 film KOYAANISQATSI, I would not even be making a movie like TIMESCAPES, nor would Ron Fricke have ever made BARAKA. Godfrey is the godfather of modern-day non-narrative and timelapse filmmaking.

Godfrey is, to me, the most epic person I have ever met. I've met a few politicians and celebrities and artists, but no one can compare to Godfrey. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful. I have dozens of voicemails on my iPhone of Godfrey wishing me well, telling me that he is keeping me in mind, giving me words of encouragement.... never asking "did you get the footage?"

When it comes to filmmaking, Godfrey approaches his films from a very lofty, cerebral angle, physically detaching himself from the actual craft of capturing the image (he stays behind his monitor), while encouraging the camera team to see the world as he sees it. And he loves it when you are able to surprise him with something he hadn't thought of! Godfrey always says, "I am like a blind man, Tom, and you are my eyes."

I could go on for pages about this experience. I still cannot believe that this even happened. I am eternally grateful to Godfrey for this opportunity. And I can't wait to spend time with him again!

The Red cameras have been a dream come true for Godfrey. We watched the footage every night on a big screen, and he was thoroughly impressed. We all were. Just tonight as I was packing my truck, Godfrey said, "God I love that camera." He was talking about Red!

I also want to say thank you to Greg, Dave and Jonathan at DigitalFX in Baton Rouge. They provided all the Red cameras, gear and support. Greg rolled out the red carpet and gave us treatment fit for royalty, bending over backwards to help us with even the smallest request. Thanks, DigitalFX!

Here is my latest video, "TimeScapes: Rapture"

"Are you sure ... you might not lose?"

What the hell does that mean? :blink:

Why do I get the feeling extracting the winning bet from you is not going to be easy :rolleyes:

Lol. I wonder if we measure which films in LA are shooting chemical film right now vs Red, Alexa, Genesis, etc, what the percentage would be? What about NYC?

I'll try to dig that thread up. I'll probably lose, but I'd like to take a crack at investigating what the numbers are. ;)

Max & I our looking forward to receiving our payout.

Stephen, do you have the link handy for the bet? Are you sure you might not lose?

Well, how about you brown-bag it at work for a week, or pass on one weekly fix of Terrence Malick DVDs, (whoever he is) and buy yourself a lifetime membership. Even Jim Jannard doesn't have one of those :P

Well I was trying to save my money to cover all my bets with you jokers. :lol:

Oh no. I might have known. Bloody "Film maker's gang" is back to his old tricks again.

There goes the neighbourhood.... :lol:

:lol: Is this what you've sunk to, Keith? Grammar policing? :P

I hate this system here at c.com where you have like 3 minutes to make corrections, or it gets locked! I'm much too sloppy of a writer.

Keith, you might have missed my point. I was saying that you cannot blame a bunch of kids running around with Canon 7D cameras for the bullshit movies Hollywood continues to put out.

And, yeah, the bet seems to be coming along rather nicely, despite the year+ long delay in Epic. My friends in LA tell me Reds, Alexa and other digital cameras have taken over entire the town. Especially Reds. ;)