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Those of you who have been following the RED phenomenon may be interested in this news from engadget about a just-announced new camera system. Looks to be fairly cheap and configurable, just as previous RED One cameras have been. There's a thread on this at Slashdot as well. Update: Oh, and they announced a 3D-camera system too.

2nd update: Interesting critical look at RED here. (warning- a bit technical)

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According to this article on Slashdot, Theora, the totally free and open-sourced video codec has reached version 1.0 and will be supported by upcoming versions of the browsers Firefox and Opera. The final release of the standard will allow anyone, anywhere, to create and play videos unencumbered by patents and other licensing issues. Congrats to the developers, and let's start seeing some open-videos that use the new HTML5 "VIDEO" element....

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When I first talked to Stephen Susco, I knew nothing more about him than “he was that guy who wrote the 'Grudge' movies," which I really liked. So it was a pleasure to talk with him, given his busy schedule and family life – he was tending to his 14-month old son.

We talked at length about the movie business and his new film “Red,” which was garnering rave reviews. As the interview progressed, it became clear he was someone who had gone through the trials and tribulations of Hollywood while still managing to keep that artistic integrity and passion about him. That same integrity that was forged growing up as a small kid in Pennsylvania. He was not only a really good writer and producer, but a really good person.

FM.C: How did you get started in film and writing in particular?

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Nobi Nakanishi writes: The Smalls is an online short film showcase - our goal is to connect talented filmmakers with companies looking for content, partners and collaborators, or just a solid base of admirers. Over the past two years, we have gained popularity with everyone from broadcasters, creative agencies, freelancers, artists and anyone remotely interested in short films.

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June 23rd, 2008- an anthropologist from Kansas presented a talk to the Library of Congress about the sociological effects of YouTube. It's worth a look. You may also be interested in his other widely popular video about Web 2.0.

(via Digg) Wired has an article posing the question "Can the Internet save Indie film?" While some don't think indie film NEEDS saving, others disagree strongly. What do you think?

After many years of development, the free, open-source, cross-platform screenwriting and pre-production application Celtx has finally been released in its 1.0 version. Available in numerous languages for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, the new release contains many improvements from earlier test versions. Congratulations to the Celtx team on reaching this important milestone!

Fresh out of film school, Greg Marcks made the trek to Los Angeles as so many other aspiring filmmakers do. At the time, he had no idea that his little student film, “Lector,” was going to win a student Oscar and that doing so would afford him the opportunity to write and direct his critically-acclaimed, first feature film, “11:14.” Now, with a second feature, “The Gift,” under his belt, he's fast becoming a filmmaker with whom to be reckoned.

On a beautiful, southern California day, Filmmaker.com sat down with Greg to discuss all things film. What strikes you most about him is his intellect, his passion for movies, and his uncompromising honesty – the marks of a consummate artist and professional.

FM.C: Where are you originally from?

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While actors, directors, writers, and producers often get the limelight, the film world is full of unsung heroes and heroines: the workers of the camera, grip, electric, costuming, sound, art, and other "below-the-line" departments. You only have to look at the end credits of a movie to see how integral they are to production. Watching a good crew in action is like watching a well-made clock. Timely, steady, and dependable. Without them, films could not get made-- plain and simple.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2001, Jennifer Lai has worked with the camera department on such films as “Me, You, and Everyone We Know,” “Walk Hard,” and “My Blueberry Nights.” She's also been involved with so many commercials and television shows there's not enough space to go over them all. Filmmaker.com was lucky enough to catch her on a day off, sit down with her, and pick her brain.

FM.C: What inspired you to get involved in film?

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MacNN is reporting that Apple has updated Final Cut Pro and Compressor to new versions in anticipation of the NAB conference in Las Vegas.

The release notes are here.