Peter Jackson is at the very top of my list of people who are awesome. The behind the scenes video diaries he’s been churning out from the set of the upcoming two-part prequel The Hobbit are simply fascinating. The theme of the fourth vlog is 3D filmmaking. Jackson and his crew are shooting The Hobbit in 3D using RED EPIC cameras and 3ality lenses. The camera department is home to a grand total of 48 RED EPIC cameras on 17 3D rigs. Interestingly, all of the different camera rigs are named after Jackon’s family members and inspirations. All of the scenes from the film are being shot at 48 frames per second at 5K resolution for a more realistic and immersive picture. The diary explains how everything from the set design to makeup is affected by the way in which the high-res 3D camera rigs pick up colors and tones. Oh and get this–even the concept art is drawn in 3D with red and blue colored pencils! Go behind the scenes with Jackson in the video above. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey releases December 14, and part two subtitled There and Back Again comes out one year later.
Tag Archives: RED EPIC
Spider-Man reboot is getting the RED EPIC 3D treatment
Spider-Man reboot cinematographer Jason Schwartzman beat Peter Jackson to the punch! Just about one week after Jackson announced his crew would be using 30 RED EPIC cameras to shoot The Hobbit in 3D, Schwartzman started production on Spider-Man using 3 EPIC cameras mounted on 2 3ality rigs. This makes the Spidey reboot the very first major studio motion picture to be shot using the highly lauded RED EPIC configuration. Schwartzman shared his initial thoughts after the first day of shooting. “I can say for certainty the camera does exist and boy is it ready for primetime, as a matter of fact it’s a true game changer. We shot in 3D…including running high speed and the images look stunning!” Watching a movie in 3D is hotly debatable topic, but there’s no arguing against the 5K super hi-def resolution that EPIC camera make possible. The Hobbit and Spider-Man are going to look good.
In related Spidey news, actress Emma Stone returned to her blonde roots for her Gwen Stacey role. Let’s just say it’s a natural fit.
[Via Engadget; RedUserForums]
Peter Jackson will shoot ‘The Hobbit’ using 30 RED EPIC cameras
Now that Peter Jackson is the official helmer of The Hobbit, production is ready to begin. Jackson and the creative team have decided to opt for the RED EPIC digital camera to shoot the Lord of the Rings prequel in 3D. The EPIC is the successor to the RED ONE camera, and it boasts 5K resolution, the highest dynamic range of any digital cinema camera ever made, and can shoot up to 120 frames per second. According to RED founder Jim Jannard, Jackson will have “at least” 30 EPIC cameras on hand during production. Jannard says, “The EPIC’s small size and relatively low weight makes it perfect for 3-D – where two cameras have to be mounted on each 3D rig.” Jackson happens to be a big fan of RED cameras, and you can bet he’s stoked to have 30 EPICs when production on The Hobbit starts in New Zealand early next year.
Have an itch to shoot your own footage using the EPIC? A whopping $58,000 will get you an EPIC rig consisting of an EPIC-M body, titanium PL mount, Bomb EVF and 5-inch touchscreen LCD, a REDmote, a four-pack of batteries, a charger, and a solid state storage module with a four-pack of 128GB SSDs. A limited run of EPICs will be made available in December or January for the early adopter filmmakers. Everyone else who’s interested (and miraculously not affected by the economy) will have to wait until at least April to nab a rig.
[Via Engadget]