RCX-FCP-CF-Color Workflow problem!

[Maya_Kazan]

Hi there,

I'm new to the RED, and working on a short that has absolutely no money for post, so post-houses aren't in the cards for me.
I'm at the end of my workflow, and I can't figure out how to finish.

Here is the workflow to date:
I made 422 quicktimes in Redcine-x to edit. When I was done editing, I replaced all shots that had been altered in terms of motion, etc. with 4444 quicktimes. Then I conformed using Clipfinder to the _H proxies, made an xml, sent that xml to FCP, and sent the sequence to Color.

Color flipped out- kept crashing, and then wouldn't reopen the project, and then started rendering our footage into these crazy images that were basically pink and green static. I was willing to put up with that, sort of, except-- THE METADATA WAS MISSING. The metadata did not apply to the r3ds in Color. I had been under the impression that it would connect to the metadata automatically. However, I understand that the camera proxies do not have the metadata attached/burned-in, and that is probably why the metadata did not come into Color. But I don't know how to fix the problem. Everything I was reading said that the _H proxies were a fine way to go, and that Color would automatically connect to the r3ds (presumably, with their metadata...)
What should I do? Is there a different way to conform, to r3ds that have the metadata burned in? I really want to start the CC with the image as I shot it on set, not with the RAW image. What is the easiest way to bring the metadata into color?

I tried to go into Redcine-x and export a REDCODE file from the clip that I had applied the 'meta' setting to--- and it made a "REDC, Linear PCM, Timecode" file. It comes up gray, it is tiny, it will not connect to my sequence in FCP.

RedAlert will render a Redcode file-- but I can't get the metadata to attach. It doesn't load my metadata correctly- I can match it by hand to the settings that come up (correctly) in Redcine-x, but RedAlert seems to be missing a setting for "FLUT Control," so I can't get it right.

What is the best way to go about fixing this problem? Is there a way to burn in metadata so that my conformed timeline will carry that information to Color? Should Color be reading that information from somewhere else?
I'm working on a laptop, which means everything is taking FOREVER, so I can't afford to do the 'trial and error' method any longer.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thank you!

Maya

 

[Dustin Cross]

RSX data does not go into Color by default. You can use Clipfinder 2.5 to update Color with the information in your RSX files.

Also Color can't handle long projects or projects with lots of edits. Stay under 20 minutes or 200 edits to keep Color from freaking out too much.

Which version of software are you using?


Dusty

 

[Maya_Kazan]

Thank you for your reply, Dusty!
I'm using final cut 7 and Color 1.5, but I've been using clipfinder 2.2. (I'm pretty broke...) Is there any way to move that metadata into Color without upgrading to Clipfinder 2.5?

Maya

 

[Dustin Cross]

Clipfinder 2.5 is the only way I know of to get RSX data into color.


Dusty

 

[Michael Dwass]

Maya,
Try this:
Open Red files in Clipfinder and use the Send To Red Alert command.
Shot will open in Red Alert with your settings applied.
In Red Alert use Save Preset, it will save your settings as a RLX in the Presets Folder.
In FCP open your footage in Log and Transfer, select the RLX you saved and Native as the file format. You can select different RLX for each shot or group of shots if necessary. Process each group based on setting used.
Connect your sequence to these native wrapped files and Send to Color. When clips open in Color they should have the settings from clipfinder applied under Red tab (minus curves). I hope this works for you.
Michael

 

[Maya_Kazan]

Michael
Thank you for the tip. Worked like a charm.
Only issue is that we shot using REDcolor, FLUT, and REDgamma settings. And none of these exist in REDalert or in Color.
(Is this what people mean when they talk about the new color science?)
When I open the clips with our metadata in clipfinder, send to REDalert and save the RLX, it doesn't really work- because REDalert is trying to save settings it doesn't have.
Is there a way to preserve the image as we shot it, with those metadata settings, and correct it in Color, even though Color doesn't have those same presets? Is there another way to save that setting, other than REDalert?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Maya

 

[Gavin Stokes]

Only issue is that we shot using REDcolor, FLUT, and REDgamma settings. And none of these exist in REDalert or in Color.

Maya, REDcolor and REDgamma will be available in Color if you install the current Final Cut Studio installer (30.1). Be advised, however, that if you're using old versions of software there may be incompatibilities between all these tools.