Cinema Grade – Denver Riddle – Color Grading Central’s new plugin

[Andrew Kimery]

[Craig Seeman] “I don’t know if there’s another NLE that has this kind of competition in color grading plugins.”

So… no one likes the builtin tools on X? ????

[Craig Seeman] ” (a color grading plugin for Resolve… Imagine that)”

I’ve only watched the demo video but I assume the plugin is a vastly more simplified approach than Resolve’s built-in tools (which is something that’s required IMO if Resolve wants to have broader appeal).

So has Magic Bullet Looks (which arguably pioneered this space) been completely passed by?

[David Cherniack]

[Andrew Kimery] “I’ve only watched the demo video but I assume the plugin is a vastly more simplified approach than Resolve’s built-in tools (which is something that’s required IMO if Resolve wants to have broader appeal).”

Why stop with Resolve?. Maybe they should release a version for Baselight, too. ☺

I guess they figure that those who are challenged by ability or time will buy it. Probably there will be a few of those and it’s a shame that they’ll miss all that wonderful, creative capability that exists in Resolve’s color toolset.

David
https://AllinOneFilms.com

[Craig Seeman]

It almost seem the big feature is the masking. I think it’s a streamlined version of the vector masking Denver uses in Color Finale although it’s “automated.” Those panes/stages thingy sort of make the sequence of operation easier. He’s marketing emphasis is on speed (ease of use) so it seems like a “quick grade.” I don’t it replaces anything really in Resolve so much as allows you to do something fast. Now if that data could be passed to Resolve “proper” for more fine tuning it might be a good first pass, have a quick look at my idea pass, to show a client.

In FCPX it looks like he had to differentiate himself from CoreMelt Chromatic. Seeing how it works real world grouping and matching shot to shot would be a real test in that environment.

[Andrew Kimery] “So… no one likes the builtin tools on X? “

It’s as if he’s trying to make the eye drop selection portion of curves a bit more simplified. It’s hard to tell from the videos I’ve seen but I’m not sure if it provides as much control as FCPX. We’ll have to see what the reviews look like or otherwise give it a play. Seems it’s priced to persuade and impulse purchase..

There’s no cross grade price for Color Finale users and that is a little irksome.

[Andrew Kimery]

[David Cherniack] “Why stop with Resolve?. Maybe they should release a version for Baselight, too. ☺

I guess they figure that those who are challenged by ability or time will buy it. Probably there will be a few of those and it’s a shame that they’ll miss all that wonderful, creative capability that exists in Resolve’s color toolset.”

I think most people that are in the market for an NLE would prefer a more approachable way to grade than having to learn a high end grading app.

[Bill Davis]

I’m still the biggest color theory idiot here, but back when the new 10.4 Color Tools came out, it seemed to me that Apple was looking not just at grading as it’s been done in the past, but with building a toolset and interface that will gracefully deal with Rec2020 and the coming world of expanded dynamic range workflows.

My 2-bit theory is that the missing piece is still affordable desktop production suite monitoring.
When the Apple marketing team did their demo at the LACPUG last year, Steve Bayes kept suggesting we NOT look at the iMag system – but instead watch the large (clearly super expensive) deep color monitor they had setup on stage.

My expectation is that the OLED elves are working on fixing this and that we might see some decent priced solutions at NAB 2019.

At that point — and IF the industry goes toward deep color — then I presume the color science in the new tools will be more important.

My observers 2cents.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Brett Sherman]

[Andrew Kimery] “I’ve only watched the demo video but I assume the plugin is a vastly more simplified approach than Resolve’s built-in tools”

It seems to me it’s mostly innovation in user-interface. And I think it’s quite possible this would significantly speed up the color correction process. The controls are still the same as virtually all color correction systems. I think it’s a good idea. I just wish there were more innovation in the features. No skin tone tool? No curves? How about clicking on the image and having it adjust the luminance curve around the the luminance value of where you clicked? Black stretch? White stretch?

For me there is a significant cost to plug-ins beyond their actual monetary cost. I have to implement them across multiple systems. In cases like this where you get two licenses, I’d have to get multiple licenses for people on my team that don’t edit, but need to be able to look at the timeline. (Someone really needs to develop a “read-only” plug-in) Then there are the inevitable crashes. For me, it doesn’t meet the threshold yet.

[Oliver Peters]

[Bill Davis] “When the Apple marketing team did their demo at the LACPUG last year, Steve Bayes kept suggesting we NOT look at the iMag system – but instead watch the large (clearly super expensive) deep color monitor they had setup on stage.
My expectation is that the OLED elves are working on fixing this and that we might see some decent priced solutions at NAB 2019.”

The problem is not in the screens, but the software that drives them. New iMac Pro screens are very bright, but they are not HDR. Not because of brightness levels, but rather the way that an HDR signal is displayed to a screen. Until that gets fixed/changed/supplemented in the OS or in FCPX, you won’t get HDR to a computer display.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com

[Andrew Kimery]

[Bill Davis] “My 2-bit theory is that the missing piece is still affordable desktop production suite monitoring. “

Agreed, though there’s more to monitoring than just an ‘affordable’ the monitor. How does the signal get to the monitor, the monitor needs to be properly calibrated, the lighting in the room matters, the color of the room matters, etc.,. It’s the difference between doing it and doing it right. And I’m not passing judgement because there are many times I’m doing a basic grade on a piece on my laptop in an uncontrolled environment because that’s what the gig is.

It’s like doing a final audio mix. The financial barrier to entry isn’t the software, it’s the room you are mixing in.

[Craig Seeman]

Cinema Grade – a new way to color grade footage inside of your NLE
https://www.provideocoalition.com/cinema-grade-a-new-way-to-color-grade-footage-inside-your-nle/

These comments speak of the concerns.

“There are no adjustments to each control as in a traditional grading app for adjusting the key or adding or removing from the key. Cinema Grade selects those colors on its own and that will be the part of the image affected. There is no way to see a matte of what has been auto-qualified.”

What’s missing?
The main thing is video scopes in the base correction and final grading modes

And does Cinema Grade really work in Resolve?
Yes.
But it’s more of a “light” version that doesn’t seem to have things like shot matching, color management among other things. Because, you know, Resolve is a pretty advanced color grading tool on its own.

Will Cinema Grade take off and become the next big thing when it comes to color grading? I doubt it. It’s hard to see big advantages over the mature tools that already exist.

[Tangier Clarke]

I haven’t installed the trial yet, but my thoughts were the same as mentioned above in that at first glance it seemed a lot like Magic Bullet Looks. I like the tools built into FCP X and will have to do my homework to get the most out of Resolve.