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Davinci Resolve – Possible to export color info without media?
Hopefully this isn’t a stupid question. I’ve searched and searched, but I’ve had no luck.
My cinematographer and I are in post production on a film, and our biggest issue is that he and live almost 5 hours apart. The project was shot in 4k Raw on a Red Scarlet. I’m editing in Avid Media Composer (version 8.5, I believe…whatever is newest) and he’s doing the color correction in the free Davinci Resolve.
Our workflow has been as such:
1. Edit in Avid, then export to AAF and send AAF file to cinematographer for color grading.
2. Import AAF into Davinci and relink to original RED Raw files for color grading.
3. Color grade in Davinci, then export back to AAF and send AAF file AND new color graded MXF files to me.
4. Import new AAF and MXF files into Avid for final cut.Since the clips are UltraHD, the files are massive. We were transferring footage services like Dropbox, but the file sizes are making that ridiculous. Our fallback is for him to load all of the MXF files on a drive and mail it to me, which seems equally ridiculous.
To me, it seems like there should be some way to just send the color changes/timeline information from Davinci, since we both have the same version of Davinci installed and we both have the RED Raw files on our computers. Similar to how it would work if I did VFX work in After Effects and sent the ae file to someone without the footage. They could relink the footage and everything would be the same.
Is there some way to alter our workflow to be like this?
1. Edit in Avid, then export to AAF and send AAF file to cinematographer for color grading.
2. Import AAF into Davinci and relink to original RED Raw files for color grading.
3. Color grade in Davinci, then use magic export option to send timeline/color information to me.
4. Open magic export option in Davinci on my computer and relink to original Red Raw footage.
5. Export back to AAF with new color graded MXF files on my computer.
6. Import new AAF and MXF files into Avid for final cut.Thoughts? Anyone know of the magic export function? I tried several options inside of Davinci that seemed like they would do what I wanted, but no luck.
Thanks!
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8 Replies
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You may export project from Resolve as a DRP and import that DRP on a different system. Relinking the media might be necessary
Dmitry Kitsov,
Blackmagic Design technical support agent -
As I understand your question, Chris, no, it’s not possible to do that. Avid cannot read the color corrections from Resolve. You need actual color-corrected media to reimport into Resolve. You will need to export high-res color-corrected files from Resolve (which are large, but that’s the price you pay for high res), import them back into Avid, and then relink to those files.
The alternative workflow would be to export flattened media so the entire project is basically one file, or maybe a half-dozen files (or whatever makes sense for the given run time). Often for TV series, we get textless material for color-correction and export the show minus any titles, then the online editor (aka “finishing artist”) drops the titles and/or VFX and sound back into the show and then exports the entire thing as a finished file.
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DRP project from one Resolve system can be opened on a different host running the same version of Resolve.
At that time this project can use the same originals as we’re present on am original host and a delivery of the media for Avid can commence. If any revisions are to be done, this can be achieved my emailing or sharing a DRP file.
Original post was only missing the DRP export /import and media relinking step.Dmitry Kitsov,
Blackmagic Design technical support agent -
The idea being you put the free version of resolve on your system as well. He does the color…sends you the project archive..you load it in resolve and render it at your end,avoiding all the dropbox transfers.
If his color is simple enough he could provide you a cdl that avid can read…but that is bare minimal corrections. No windows or anything like that.
Glenn
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Thanks so much for your help (and for everyone’s help!) I found the issue I was having with the DRP export, I thought I had the latest version, but he was running the 12.5beta and I was running the latest official release. Once I updated to the beta, everything worked.
The only issue I ran in to was, when trying to export the AAF roundtrip, it would render out all of the files but then would error saying something like “unable to find C:\Users\Clay\Desktop\blahblahblah.aaf. Export failed.” And then it wouldn’t export the AAF file I would need to finish the roundtrip.
Worst case, i could export everything out in a DCP sequence or something like that, but having the roundtrip would help tremendously.
Thanks again!
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And wait, with the basic color correction he’s doing, I can import the DRP directly into Avid? What sorcery is this!?!?
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you can’t import the drp, you can import a CDL (color decision list) much like an EDL
Glenn
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[Chris Wade] ”
The only issue I ran in to was, when trying to export the AAF roundtrip, it would render out all of the files but then would error saying something like “unable to find C:\Users\Clay\Desktop\blahblahblah.aaf. Export failed.” And then it wouldn’t export the AAF file I would need to finish the roundtrip.Worst case, i could export everything out in a DCP sequence or something like that”
I think you might mean dpx sequence or something like that… but you probably don’t need to go to that extent.
The unable to find [filepath] is probably a result of a nonexistent mdb in the strict hierarchy that Avid MediaFiles needs to construct a native AAF. I have evolvoved an approach where I set up that Avid MediFiles/MXF/10 or other #/… grade media target. Otherewise you might be in a situation where you sort of break the round trip and create a NEW AAF, and then point it to that numbered grade media folder so that Media Composer on startup can scan and create the mdb that it uses to index the new files.
jPo, CSI
“I always pass on free advice — its never of any use to me” Oscar Wilde.
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