DPX transcoding for grade and VFX

[Juan Salvo]

Yeah. Some vfx software can accept r3d native. But a good flat dpx will give you all the latitude of the r3d, it just won’t have the camera tab options.

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[Sascha Haber]

ACES or True Linear in EXR

A slice of color…

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[Margus Voll]

Or you could run your pipeline so that you replace earlier version.

Depends on how you handle the files. If in the same building or town etc
then it is rather simple to make some adjustments and replace your output to vfx.

In some cases i like the idea that you have the whole chain in your hand and re adjust
and re export what ever you like when ever you like. It may generate more steps to complete
but some times gives you more control. You just have to adjust all with your needs.

—

Margus

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[Stig Olsen]

Thank you.

I think I was a bit unclear… As you can see from my post, my concern is that I have to decide which color space and gamma curve to apply BEFORE exporting the DPX.
Because I need to send the DPX-files to the VFX-guys before I start grading.
Isnt this correct?

For instance if i choose RedLogFilm, export DPX, and having the file back – I cannot change from RedLogFilm to RedGamma if I want to. It means that Im stuck with the choice I made before exporting the DPX to the VFX-guys.

[Jack Jones]

https://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?74001-REDgamma3-and-REDcolor3-update

“DI will typically still start with REDlogFilm and REDcolor3.”

Many DI colorists out there don’t have access to the Red settings in the grade. The Red footage is prepared to fit into a Log pipeline for film outs. VFX can then work linear to light using a standard LUT so everyone is playing the same game.

Obviously depends on everything from budget to color pipeline to workflow.

Jack Jones
Freelance Nucoda/Baselight/DaVinci Colourist
—
https://www.jackjonescolourist.com

[Stig Olsen]

Hi Jack,

From your website – “Once the project was conformed I went through and adjusted all my RED RAW settings. I tend to setup RED footage as REDLogFilm and REDGamma2 as I feel it gives me the best starting point available from the footage.”

This is the same settings I work with. Do you adjust the raw settings for THEN to export DPX to the VFX-guys?

I cant find a way to do it the other way around (export first and make changes after the DPX brought back from VFX)
It forces me to decide the Raw settings before grading, because we usually export DPX before grading.

[Stig Olsen]

As you understand, if I do export the DPX with the raw settings changed to redlogFilm and Redgamma2, it is complicated to paint or do whatever VFX because there will be need for some serious gamma adjustments in the VFX tool.

[Dan Moran]

Hey Stig,

I think you need to take an old school approach on this and do a firstlight and then a bestlight type grade.

In my head the firstlight would be when you grade the original files to a very basic level. So make sure your happy with all your exposure, color temperatures and other bits that you want to adjust from the raw file but not any “creative” grading.

Render everything redcolor and redlogfilm to dpx.

Then when the VFX are finished you can go back into Resolve and do a “bestlight” this is your final grade off the DPX files and hopefully you wont need to worry about any of the red settings and grade happily.

Makes sense to me and I hope it helps!

D

Dan Moran
DaVinci Application Specialist
Blackmagic Design EMEA

[Stig Olsen]

Thanks Dan!

So this is the way you all do this? It takes away a lot of flexibility.

Stig

[Margus Voll]

it really depends if and how much flexibility you need.

it all comes on finical cost or cost in time.

so i think there is not one 100% model and it depends of your needs, budget and workflow.

probably you know your project best and can go from there.

—

Margus

https://iconstudios.eu

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