The Sunglasses Billionaire Who Got Hollywood to Leave Film Behind – The Story of RED Cameras

Industry Insights

by CineD StaffMarch 20^th, 2025

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Eddie AI, an easy-to-use “ChatGPT-like” video editing assistant, is launching a new monthly newsletter that dives into the stories of the people who have shaped our industry—often working behind the scenes, yet who have left a lasting impact. Their first feature explores the story of RED cameras, which we know is a company that redefined digital filmmaking.

In case you haven’t heard about Eddie AI, which just launched in October 2024, you can read up on my colleague Jeff’s article here, in which he explores its video editing functions in depth. Now, they are launching The Rough Cut, a ‘magazine for your inbox’ – a weekly newsletter featuring stories of the mavericks who have shaped the video industry and continue to drive it forward.

The following is an excerpt of Eddie AI’s first feature from today’s newsletter. It explores the story of Jim Jannard, the billionaire founder of the sunglasses brand Oakley, his team, and how he founded camera manufacturer RED, which Nikon now owns. If you are interested in not only the full version of this story but want to follow along as they uncover more untold stories, make sure to sign up for their newsletter.

The sunglasses billionaire who got Hollywood to leave film behind

As we stand on the brink of another major shift in filmmaking, let’s look back at a moment when technology redefined how we tell stories. What would you say if we told you one of the most influential camera companies of all time – RED – wasn’t just created by a Hollywood outsider but by someone with absolutely zero film experience?

Nearly 20 years ago, Jim Jannard, the billionaire founder of Oakley (yep, the sunglasses brand), and his team of industry bandits changed cinema forever. And hardly anyone knows what really happened behind the scenes…

An exit from Oakley and the start of a new frontier

Here are a few key dates we need to establish from Jim Jannard’s career:

• He founded Oakley in 1976 — naming the company after his English setter, he took his first steps in business by selling motorcycle parts out of his van. 
• In the 1980s, Jannard turned his attention to sports equipment, apparel, and the sunglasses Oakley is famous for today.
• By 1995, Oakley had gone public, raising $230 million in the process.
• And lastly, in 2007, Jim sold the company for $2.1 billion to Italian eyewear manufacturer Luxottica. 

Sometime between Oakley’s IPO and its eventual sale, Jim started looking to the next frontier. As a bonafide camera nut, ideas man, and entrepreneur, he set himself a new target: Create the world’s most powerful (digital) cinema camera. 

“Insane.” “Crazy.” “Stupid.” These were the words lobbied at Jannard when he first spoke of his dream – and they weren’t exactly wrong. Film cameras had a 95% share of the cinema market then, while digital hovered around 5% at best. 

Jim seemed to be dreaming up the impossible, but that didn’t stop him.

The Heist (or making the impossible possible)

• The objective: Creating an impossible digital camera comparable in image quality to film but for a lower price and in a smaller size. 
• The target: Making digital the dominant mode of Hollywood filmmaking.
• Chances of pulling it off? Next to nil, until…

Frederic Lumière (of no relation to the Lumière brothers) was a camera enthusiast and IT expert who created Lumière HD, the first plugin to allow users to edit HDV. His software provided a simple, feature-rich, high-definition video editing tool intended for the low-budget filmmaker. 

Lumière HD had built a legion of supporters after years of exhibiting their products in the tech world. Their supporters included Apple, Sony, JVC, and one eccentric, idealistic billionaire…

Phase 1: The billion-dollar email

“I was helping out with IT support for Lumière HD, and one day I got this email,” Fred explains.

Jim and Fred continued to chat over email for the next few days. “What started as a support chat escalated into a discussion of crazy ideas. It was relentless.”

Like Jim, Fred dreamt of creating a digital camera that could rival analog. After all, a movie shot on an ARRIFLEX 35II made in 1960 could still provide a great image 60 years later. Why couldn’t digital do the same? 

“If you’re interested, I would love to partner with you to build this camera. Give me a budget on how much you think it would cost,” said Jim before asking Fred to meet him – the very next day.

Jim lived in southern California, and Fred lived on the East Coast. A good 3,000 miles separated the pair, but the following morning, Fred was on the next flight out. Little did he know he was about to embark on the greatest heist in cinema history. 

Phase 2: Assembling the O-Team

Fred arrives in California and gives Jim a figure. 

The figure was the budget to undertake the entire project from start to finish: camera development costs, costs of the crew, everything. 

It was a large number, but Jim hadn’t expected it to be a small sum. The deal was finalized.

Despite the emails, Fred flying across the country, and meeting Jim in person, it still didn’t seem real. The next day Fred’s wife – who was the CFO of Lumière HD at the time – called Fred and said, “Honey, we’ve just received a sh*t ton of money. Do you know about this?”

Jim had sent the money straight to the company account. No contract. No invoice. Just sent.

And so the job began. 

The task was simple on paper: to create a digital camera that would not only compete with film but render it obsolete. The only way to steal film’s Hollywood customers was to ensure that digital was the hands-down better option.

So, who were they up against?

For the full essay, check out The Rough Cut by Eddie AI. Every week, they will break down the craft of video editing and filmmaking – what’s new, what’s next, and what’s worth remembering.

Did you already know the story of RED? Are you interested in more stories like this? Sign off in the comments and let us know!