[Marc Wielage]

[Jared Gardner] “I’m an audio engineer and a lot of times we go for older, used hardware units for FX processing. Sometimes a software plugin is OK, but hardware (even if it’s not analog) is usually a bit better for various reasons. This makes me wonder if there are any older hardware color correction units out there that people have forgotten about, just like they have with FX processor rack units.”
No.

This is kind of like asking, “should I use an Ampex AG-300 or Pro Tools in 2014?” And the answer is, use Pro Tools. It’s infinitely faster, cheaper, and it’s what clients ask for.

About the only two or three things I can think of where you still really need hardware:

1) legalizer (not unlike a hard-limiter/compressor)

2) HD videotape machines (for companies that require HD-Cam SR tape delivery)

3) standard-def DigiBeta videotape machines (for companies that require standard-def tape delivery)

Beyond that, it’s all pretty files. Well, except for the last bastions who require a film-out.

[Marc Wielage]

After more than 20 years of using various daVinci-branded projects, I continue to be amazed that the default for the program isn’t “auto-save every 30 minutes.” Makes me crazy.

[Marc Wielage]

[Warren Eig] “If you are shooting with Magic Lantern Raw you have in fact 14 bit RAW.”
Whatever it is, it looks crappy to me. Not a fan of DSLRs, particularly the rolling shutter and noisy blacks issue. And I’ve seen that with the 5D, 7D, and whatever else is out there. Toy cameras.

[Marc Wielage]

[Robert Houllahan] “As far as I know there is no rental S8 gate for the Spirit. Shops with S8 gates include LightPress, Cinelicious, Spectra and Technicolor had one. You could ask but I bet they would want to sell the service and not rent the gate.”
Technicolor NY had the S8 Spirit gate, but Hollywood never had the gate. We got it in only on very, very rare occasions.

There are all kinds of scanners that can handle S8/reg8 to HD now, but not necessarily Spirits.

[Marc Wielage]

On the occasions when I’m forced to use 7D or 5D footage, I request the editor convert the footage to ProRes 422 log first. It’s still an 8-bit format, so (IMHO) Raw is not gonna make a helluva lotta difference.

Some good advice on the EOSHD site here:

https://www.eoshd.com/content/12250/canon-7d-raw-video-mosaic-engineering-vaf-7d-anti-aliasing-filter

Note that I’ve worked on a few fairly high-budgeted TV shows that have slipped in 7D footage and we were able to match it to much more-costly cameras — in small doses, all with a ProRes workflow.

[Marc Wielage]

Perhaps Resolve v12 will have the “automatic makeup application tool.”

[Marc Wielage]

[Sascha Haber] “If the Library of Congress would do such a dumb move of asking a total noob to do such a high profile job, i suggest nothing but the best”
I think the best would be to hand the material over to Lowry Digital in Burbank and let them do their proprietary thing. Some of this restoration stuff is not off-shelf software. The color-correction is often the easy part; the other problem is just getting the film itself in good enough shape that it’ll scan in the first place. Flicker and shading errors are also real tough, but MTI is one way of doing it. Pixel Farm’s PF Clean is also said to be good.

[Marc Wielage]

Time and skill can do it. I’d pull a key and then use the Mist effect to help the skin out a little bit. Soft, diffused light on the set also helps, but that’s a DP issue.

1f you’re not a pro colorist, you could always hire one or have a paid one consult for you.

[Marc Wielage]

[MichaelMaier] “I’m not sure I would want to use Resolve as a NLE. There are way better options out there. Resolve is great for grading and now it is getting better for finishing. But it is not an editor and according to reports from their NAB stand they don’t have any plans to make it a real editor.”
That’s my understanding as well. But I think the tools they have in v11 will work as a conforming platform, which I think is all they ever intended. I don’t think their idea was that it would become another standalone NLE. I could see it replacing Symphony for some users, at least as a final rendering station.

[Marc Wielage]

I believe this is covered in the 5-minute YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj8XFvREmk0

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