[Sean Sartori]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the response. Hmmm I didn’t know that card sucked, the post super spec’ed the system out according to the guidelines from Blackmagic. I’ll look into that. What are the latest recommends from Blackmagic? I have the Config guide for Resolve 9 and it lists the ATI 5770 and the Quadro 4000 as recommended cards, is there a new recommendation?

I noticed that they hadn’t updated the drivers, I’m doing that now. The codec is DNX HD from Avid. I exported a Quicktime from Avid, DNXHD 1080i/59.94 220 10 bit, interlaced lower field, 29.97. Yes this is kind of a fat codec, maybe I should try 8 bit?

In Davinci I have “enable field processing” checked. Perhaps take this off when I am in playback? I don’t usually work with interlaced footage…..could the field processing have something to do with it? I noticed that the playback in the Resolve monitor is jagged, but it plays smoothly in Quicktime on the mac and plays smoothly on the broadcast monitor. I assumed that this is how Resolve displays interlaced footage…..

The source drive is a GRAID firewire 800 connection.

shots that have 1-3 nodes play thru fine. shots with 5-10 nodes with multiple windows etc. play at about half speed.

[Sean Sartori]

Thanks for the tutorial. I have seen that one and I think I missed the mention of the “erase” function. This helps, as you can make an outside vignette.
Avid is just overlaying black on the image though, and it looks a bit too crude and noticeable to use except for a strong look or a horror movie.

I am actually a Davinci colorist, and am using Symphony because this client insists on using Symphony at their in-house facility. I am not very clear on the reasoning behind this, and I am hoping that when i can sit with the client this week we can discuss it. If I can’t get a good vignette or a power window, this is a problem, and hopefully a good argument to switch to Davinci.

[Sean Sartori]

Thanks for the replies.

I will check out Baselight. I know Avid pretty well, though its been a while. I gather the grading tools arent that complicated, so maybe I will just sit down with it for a weekend. Avid has training, but only one course targeting the color correction tools, and its not being offered right now. I can learn it on my own, but I love a good training video series.

Yes they are green producers who are pretty stressed out. I am hoping that in the future they will be willing to try out Davinci, at the moment it will be some weekends getting friendly with Avid again……

[Sean Sartori]

Preconform was my method of choice, and I went thru this with them in detail. I explained to them that they can still make changes, and if they are not sure about an effect they can just take it off and I can grade the original shot, then they can re apply the effect and tweak it.

They decided it was too scary to have to “bake” the whole show, and they just want to stay in Avid. I am not sure how this relates to the frame rate issue they cite, as a preconformed show has only one frame rate. In any case, they are working in Symphony and if I want to work with them I have to work in Symphony as well.

I run into this a lot in network shows, they are on tight timelines with inexperienced crews, and the edits have often been done in such a way as to make the conform difficult. And they are terrified of last minute changes from the network. I’ve actually been asked to color a show in FCP, because the producers were afraid of changes. se la vie

anyone know of good Symphony tutorials?

[Sean Sartori]

nope. source file is the same.

[Sean Sartori]

frame rates are the same. Its not just a few frames, its like 4 or 5 seconds. Its like another EDL entirely, it doesn’t correspond to anything in the cut. It even has more cuts, and so has cut points in black, after the last frame. And this is the exact same EDL that I used originally, and it worked fine.

[Sean Sartori]

that was it!!

thanks. that was driving me crazy.

[Sean Sartori]

I have the offline loaded fine, its the reference still i needed, thanks!! so much easier now.

[Sean Sartori]

so there is no way to copy dynamics from one shot to another? ugh. i was afraid of that.

so here’s another question. I’ve been doing the moves by eye, from the offline that is loaded on the conform page. The thing is, I have to flip back and forth and can never see the two shots side by side to replicate a move that was done in editorial. Is there a better way to do this?

thanks much

[Sean Sartori]

thanks for getting back
yes i found the outside node, it was right there with the other nodes, oops.
yes i was afraid i was using the mouse for curves. too bad, as i use curves a lot for fine tuning balance, and it seems awkward to go to the mouse for that. I’m adjusting how i work to rely less on curves, i guess.

i wish there werent so many function commands on this board, but love it so far. especially the sparkly trackballs.