by Michael Sullivan

By the dawn of 2010, you will probably never see a film again—at least, not in the strictest sense. Though digital cameras have long been a staple of home movies and amateur films, technology has advanced to a point that independent filmmakers and professional production companies are looking to digital for current and upcoming projects. And if they aren’t yet, they will soon. Say “goodbye” to celluloid and “hello” to the RED-volution!

In 2005, Jim Jannard, the man responsible for Oakley sunglasses, decided to turn his attention to film, and developed the Red Cinema Camera Company and their flagship product, the RED ONE camera. The RED ONE is a professional-level digital camera that shoots at a resolution of 4K (or 4096x3072 pixels) at 30 frames per second (professional films are shot at 24 frames per second), though resolution decreases when the frame rate is increased for slow-motion shots. Recent films shot on this camera include Jumper (2008), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009), and the recent Knowing (2009)

Films shot on celluloid, as they have been since the 1920s, project at a resolution somewhere between 4K and 5K, and until only recently, even high-end digital cameras only shot up to 1080p, the standard for HDTV home sets (1920x1080 pixels, less than ¼ the resolution of celluloid film). Even the RED ONE, though an excellent piece of equipment, can’t compare. However, by the end of this calendar year, the Red Cinema Camera Company will change the playing field altogether.

The company will be launching two new cameras by the end of this year—the RED Scarlett and the RED EPIC—though to be fair, these two are really a nearly infinite number of cameras courtesy of customizability, which I’ll get to later. The RED Scarlett line consists of a lower-range end of cameras, featuring models that can shoot as many as 120 frames per second, but are limited to a range of 2-6K. The RED EPICs, however, are also equipped to shoot up to 120 frames per second and range from as little as 4K to as much as an unprecedented 28K, a resolution so brilliant that projectors don’t yet exist that can display the image in its entirety. And even a cheaper RED Scarlett can shoot in 6K, better resolution than any film ever made. Yet.

For freshman film production major Alec Morris, the new RED cameras are most exciting because of their appearance. “They’re just going to look insane.” This is because each RED camera is completely customizable. “You can rig it up any way,” he said, citing the fact that amateur and independent filmmakers will be able to change the form of their camera virtually at will to cater to the shot at hand. Also, because of excellent resolution specs, Morris believes “[an independent] will look just like a big movie…and the best movies will look much better now.”

But Morris acknowledges that “resolution isn’t everything.” Another factor that contributes to the assertion of RED’s unmatched image is the RED patented Mysterium-X and Mysterium Monstro sensors. According to RED’s website, these sensors contribute to the excellent resolution and frame rates of RED cameras, but also account for “increased dynamic range and decreased noise,” two factors that will basically improve low-light performance, an issue that has plagued digital cameras since their inception.

Finally, and most importantly, cost. Though RED cameras vary greatly in price from model to model, the cheapest RED Scarlett’s will cost in the range of $4,000, a price that would be considered average for a 1080p camera just a few months ago, but for a camera that shoots at more than three times the resolution. This will put “affordable” filmmaking up to a whole new caliber, allowing amateur and independent filmmakers to focus more of their budget on costumes, sets, and special effects.

The vast majority of these models will be on the market by the end of the year, with most Scarlett’s available by this fall. So please, take a moment to shed a tear for the death of film. My guess is you won’t miss it one bit.