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  • Export for DCP

    Posted by Enrico Mandirola on August 26, 2012 at 3:31 am

    Hi, I’m new on this forum, I’ve a big dilemma and i can’t found the right answer.

    I’m finishing to edit a movie shoot with a Canon 5D MKII on FCPX
    With this movie I’ll made a DCP copy for screening in theatre, so my question is :

    I’m editing with the original H264 codec, and i want to use the FCPX color correction option to finalize a quicktime to send to the LAB for the DCP copy.

    Which is the best workflow to use???

    I’ve think to transcode all the images in APPLE PRORES 422 HQ and setting the project’s settings of FCPX with the same codec for rendering. Then use the FCP color Correction in this TimeLine with a calibrate Monitor.
    At the end I’m thinking to make an EXPORT in Apple ProRess 422 HQ and send this Quicktime to the Lab…

    Now, is better to transcode everything in 10bit Uncompressed ??
    And work with this setting in FCPX or use the option “Optimized Media” for the media and chose a higher codec for the rendering???

    Sorry but I’m lost in this world of CODECS….. and COMPRESSION… and etc…

    If someone have the same Dilemma and know an issue… is Welcome…

    Best

    KinoLab

    Enrico Mandirola replied 13 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Axel Schreiter

    August 26, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Why give your film “to the lab”?

    Download Open DCP
    https://code.google.com/p/opendcp/
    and make the film yourself. The film would not be key-protected, but do you care?

    The problem – afaik – is, that there still is no reliable player to check if everything went well. As a digital projectionist, here is my advice: Find a cinema near your place, talk to the projectionist and spend coffee and cake, then give him the USB stick with your film and check it.

    What kind of codec do you need to export? An RGB Tiff sequence. Be aware, that the DCP server needs a preset for your film size to play it properly. Most should have 1080 x 1920 (HD 16:9, though the standard cinema distribution format is 1108 x 2048, Widescreen 17:9).

    The sound needs to be exported as 24-bit PCM 48 kHz, nothing else.

    As frame rate, use 24 fps.

  • Enrico Mandirola

    August 26, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    Hi, Thanks for your answer and your TIPS for the DCP…

    Now the other question is, in which kind of codec I’ve to transcode the H264 Original file to make the color correction in FCPX ?

    Can i use the OPTIMIZED option of FCPX or is better to transcode with MPEG STREAM CLIP in Uncompressed 10 bit ?

    Best

    KinoLab

  • Axel Schreiter

    August 27, 2012 at 4:48 am

    Probably you monitor 8-bit, and that’s all you probably have recorded. FCP X calculates with floating point accuracy, so you won’t ADD more banding etc. to your material, regardless which bit depth or chroma sampling you use. Stay with optimized media, then export as RGB Tiff sequence, as mentioned (and described in the documentation of the software). Though you can’t judge the conversion to the XYZ color space Open DCP does for you, I assure you that the images will look the same on the screen – provided that you calibrated your monitor with care and know how to color correct.

    Anyway, don’t expect too much of 8-bit in comparison to the genuine 12-bit clips surrounding your film on a big screen. 8-bit is just enough to represent colors, there is no glory to them. Also: If you have the possibility to monitor surround, make it surround. Sound adds a lot to the feel of a film, stereo is not good for big rooms and mono is kind of thin.

    In short: Try to imagine a very big image, move closer to your monitor, be very critical. You will learn to judge the shortcomings and avoid ugly surprises.

  • Enrico Mandirola

    August 28, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Thank a lot for your help…

    Best

    KinoLab

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