Digital Cinema Florida - RED ONE & EPIC D.I.T.

What is a D.I.T and why do I need one?

This is often one of the first questions asked by those who are not familiar with the RED workflow. D.I.T. is short for Digital Imaging Technician. Their job is to transfer the files from the camera's Raid to a set of hard drives to be sent to post-production, making sure that all files are copied safely and securely. File transfers can sometimes take a while- time that your crew can be using to work on the next scene- so a D.I.T. is crucial in keeping the production on schedule.

Experience Counts

Just like you would not let an intern load your film magazine, you should not take the role of Data Management lightly. These files are the result of all the time, effort and expense for the project. Using someone who is not experienced in data management runs the risk of lost or corrupted files, requiring expensive re-shoots and resulting in angry clients.

How a RED D.I.T. from Digital Cinema Florida is different

At Digital Cinema Florida, we approach the D.I.T. as the critical link in the transition between the production and post-production phases of the project. We start with having our D.I.T.s trained and well-versed in the settings and menus of the RED camera. Since we own our own camera, our technicians are working with it constantly and know its history, what firmware it uses, which different configurations work on the variety of camera platforms, and how to connect the assortment of cables to all the monitors, microphones and timecode feeds.

Our difference starts by swapping out the media during scene changes so we are constantly backing up the latest scenes. We don't just drag and drop to copy. We apply software that runs a check of the original material down to the individual bit, which then creates a bit-for-bit copy to several hard drives simultaneously. We place a copy on the hard drive you provide and a redundant copy to a drive we bring, so there is always more than one copy of your media at any given time. For security, we hold on to the redundant drive for a period of time until you have had time to make several copies of your drive, just in case something happens to that drive before it is backed up. We also provide an enterprise-level LTO archiving option for your media, giving you a simple and safe archive solution with a 25 year life expectancy.

We also employ an array of software from RED and other companies to open and view your media on location. You can adjust the metadata and create looks that can be passed on to the post-production team, giving them an excellent starting point for editing.

Digital Cinema Florida D.I.T.s understand the different workflows for different kinds of productions. Commercials have different requirements than an independent film which can differ from a music video. We have also developed proven workflows for the different editing platforms that can be used for post, whether you use Apple, Adobe or Avid. We can educate your post-production staff on the uniqueness of RED footage and the ways to best implement it into their current systems.

A RED production can be run like any other production, only with greater quality. A Digital Cinema Florida D.I.T. handles setting up the camera and lets you concentrate on the things that you do best- like shot composition, lighting or dealing with the talent- without having to worry about what is happening to your media.

Make an appointment to stop by our studio to see how our attention to detail regarding RED media and RED workflows can make your next production a great success.