While he’s yet to make a big, summer tentpole, if and when he does, there few filmmakers who have such a keen grasp on current, cutting edge technology than David Fincher. Whether aging Brad Pitt backwards, virtually creating double Armie Hammers, or recreating the 1970s San Francisco skyline, Fincher has long turned to the latest in digital wizardry to help accomplish his cinematic visions. And while on paper his currently shooting “Gone Girl” looks like a straight-ahead thriller, Fincher is using the shoot to again push things forward.
In an interview with Southeast Missourian, the director revealed he was was using the latest and greatest, RED digital cameras. “We are working with at least a six-pack of the new Dragon cameras that they’ve built. For a digital camera, they see sunlight really well. They’re the next evolution of the Epic,” he shared. So, what’s the big deal with these cameras?
Well, simply put, it’s a 6K camera, which according to RED’s own site, offers up 9 times more resolution than your standard HD and can capture images in natural light better than anything before. Basically, it will melt your face off, though you likely won’t see the finished film projected at 6K. Regardless, it will allow Fincher to create the most spectacular imagery possible in the digital moviemaking world.
In another interesting tidbit from the interview, when asked about how his favorite director of all time is, Fincher couldn’t just pick one. “I don’t know. It’s like being asked what your favorite movie is and I have about 300 of those. Maybe George Roy Hill up until ‘The World According to Garp.’ There was a point in time when Francis Coppola was like Ted Williams,” he said. “He had ‘The Godfather,’ ‘The Conversation,’ ‘The Godfather: Part II‘ and ‘Apocalypse Now‘ in a row. Spielberg had a run up until ‘E.T.‘ that was astounding with five or six classics. So, I don’t know. It’s kind of like being asked, ‘What’s your favorite meal?’ “
Well, until we see what meal Fincher will serve us next year with “Gone Girl,” here is a sizzle reel of RED Dragon footage shot by DP Mark Toia, via No Film School, and he enthusiastically claims this is the best digital camera to come along, ever. (You can download the full video file at Vimeo for even greater detail).
