EasyDCP

[Chris Wright]

huh? an old DCI white? the christie projectors themselves are also calibrated D63 SMPTE-RP-431. Is there any old reference to this? even if it used to be standard 10 years ago, i don’t see how its useful for modern projectors. I know the old film bulbs were D55 a long time ago.

[Sebastian Leitner]

cinema has not changed much since 1999, DCI interOP regulations are still worldwide standard, so is the white point. easyDCP does everything right and is the number 2 solution for most (clipster being in first place for pros – if you have that kinda cash)

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Unless I missed it, no one here has mentioned DCP-o-Matic. Also free, also on Mac and Win.
I’ve used it to make many a DCP even for theatrical release. But trailers and shorts mostly. I have a friend who’s used it to make even encrypted DCPs for full length features for previews in cinemas.

I’ve used Open DCP too, but DCP-o-matic lets you interactively adjust frame size and aspect and crop media delivered with hard mattes, and rearrange sound track numbers. And other features like trim source, adjust sync between video-audio-subtitles.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Sebastian Leitner]

yes, dcp-o-matic has great features and options (which can be a problem for beginners though) but from a professional point of view it has its draw backs:

very show and occasional color/gamma shifts
sytax does not pass easyDCP player test, and some cinemas might get a warning (probably still plays)
working with subtitles has many bugs

like with adobe, features are not everything. speaking of adobe, there is wraptor for DCP built into media encoder. it’s rather fast but has zero settings. code and quality are questionable, often does not play or has picture problems, no subtitle option.

[Lydia Robertson]

Hi I am new to DCP creation.

My original master file was 1080p, 23.98fps Rec709 5.1 surround ProRes 422HQ

I created a new master specifically for DCP so it has the correct aspect ratio, frame rate and all graphics and on screen lower thirds are displayed correctly. Unfortunately I didn’t know about the xyz color space.

The new master is 2K Scope, 2048 × 858, 2.39:1, 24fps, REC709 5.1 surround ProRes 422HQ

I opened easyDCP, added my project and found very disturbing crushed blacks, over saturation and an over all green skew to the hue.

I am not sure what would be the best plan right now. I could certainly do a test of a few key shots, correct them until they look pleasing in the easy DCP player on my iMacPro’s calibrated monitor (Rec709).

Since I do not have a cinema to test the final output on I am very nervous to continue this way on my own and am thinking of paying a professional to do it. If you have any suggestions on how I should proceed I would be very grateful! The question is, is the viewer in easy DCP correct?

[Sebastian Leitner]

do not trust any preview, if your source is rec709 (gamma 2.4, which is prores native) select the standard ITU709 color processing (default). you will however only see the final image on a cinema screen.

the only possible issue could be levels though. meaning: full range or legal range, which is a 20% difference in gamma/contrast. rec709 is legal range and usually that’s the standard in any NLE, but computer screens are full range unless calibrated (with gamma 2.2). prores 444 however is full range and could alter your image if it was present at any stage. cinema is also gamma 2.6 in 12bit.

you can learn a lot about the basics in my free ebook about professional DCPmastering, available on my website

[Sebastian Leitner]

p.s. easydcp player is correct if the right color transformation is selected. but it’s all an estimate, only cinema shows the real deal.

[Lydia Robertson]

Thank you Sebastian,

your website and free ebook is very helpful.

One thing I am confused about. I see the 5K iMac and iMac pro both have P3 colorspace baked in. Does that mean we do not have to calibrate it with our puckr, just set it and go? I am used to calibrating my iMacPro monitor regularly.

Next, if I see crushed blacks and extreme chroma and in the easyDCP, pay to play creator’s viewer does that mean my over all color correction is wrong? I have color corrected for over 20 years for broadcast and am used to trusting my scopes more than my eye. I *know* my colors are correct (and of course safe) for broadcast and the film looks great on a variety of TVs, home projectors and monitors. Without scopes connected to the player I am at sea.

We played a blu-ray at the WWII Museum in New Orleans and I was not happy, blacks were crushed and over all chroam was bland. Next we played a ProRes422HQ in an iMAX theater in Dayton Ohio at the National Air Force Museum and it looked better but not good enough.

I went back and re-color corrected the whole film and I feel it is a lot better. Then I re-edited it (for positioning) to 2K scope and I love the look. But still it is the ProRes 422 HQ Rec709 colorspace.

I can create a new project in FCPX with the new 2K Scope master but set the color space to P3, and set my monitor to P3, I could even change the codec to Jpeg2000 or ProRess4444, make any global adjustments necessary to get it to where I want it in that environment.

Do you suggest any of that?

[Oliver Peters]

[Lydia Robertson] “I see the 5K iMac and iMac pro both have P3 colorspace baked in. Does that mean we do not have to calibrate it with our puckr, just set it and go? I am used to calibrating my iMacPro monitor regularly.”

I’m not sure how you are calibrating these. At work we have 8 of these and I don’t consider the viewer image on the iMacPros to be anywhere close to correct. The iMac Pros only seem somewhat accurate in FCPX, not much else.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com

[Sebastian Leitner]

first off, no, the P3 is NOT DCI P3, it uses a different white point and still gamma 2.2, it only shows P3-like colors. so don’t change anything just make sure you are full range (in resolve you can change this with the flip of a switch). stick to prores and read on:

only calibrate for rec 709 in gamma 2.4 which will be about 20% darker already-also keep in mind, apple uses internal colorsync to stretch colors to P3 and make contet look alike across apple devices-but only apple software supports that, hence FCPX or QTX are correct.

I also write about this on my website if you click “show mare” under DCP ebook there is also a YT video. this is a feature, not a bug, but can be wildly confusing. you can override it with my trick on some machines. alternatives use an external reference screen since your iMac will always try to be too smart.

Using ProRes 4444 could help to soften but would actually be wrong. Be sure to only use the default color processing in easyDCP for both creator and player (sRGB), since your system remains to show gamma 2.2 and not 2.4 which is rec709 standard. if also bluray was crushed it’s clearly this levels shift. I use an 5K iMac for DCP, TV and BD alike (fcpx & resolve) and everything looks the same.

side note; the color transform preview in easyDCP is of course already xyz valves which do not work on your RGB panel so greenImagenta shifts are normal. however easyDCP player or also resolve will back-transform and then it should look like the original again.