Grading HDRx

[Eric Haase]

Who's using hdrx and how? I've been testing it a little with +3 stops all the way to +6. I'm not getting good results in redcinex. With either simple blend or magic motion and any slider variation for the controls, it seems to just make the image darker overall. More specifically if I've got some skin tones at a certain level and dial in any amount of the x track, the skin tones get much darker and it is difficult to bring them back to where they were.

Does anyone have any tips for getting a nice graded daily with hdrx in RCX? Is the solution to use a different grading solution to pull a proper luma key?

 

[jake blackstone]

Resolve Lite. It's free...

 

[Eric Haase]

Are there specific tools for red hdrx in resolve lite? Also, someone mentioned it cannot pass through sound from red files in a transcode. Is this the case?

Thanks,

 

[Zeb B]

Resolve Lite. It's free...

So Jake,
If you grade in Resolve . . . what would you use CineX for?

 

[jake blackstone]

So Jake,
If you grade in Resolve . . . what would you use CineX for?

I don't. I don't need to do dailies

 

[Zeb B]

I don't. I don't need to do dailies

So you exclusively use Resolve for you grading work?

 

[jake blackstone]

Are there specific tools for red hdrx in resolve lite? Also, someone mentioned it cannot pass through sound from red files in a transcode. Is this the case?

Thanks,

Yes, Resolve doesn't render sound. But then, why would you need to process HDRx for dailies? Just use RedCine-X with sound for dailies and forget the HDRx or if you are going to perform the final grade with HDRx, then who cares about sound. It get's added later anyway.

 

[jake blackstone]

So you exclusively use Resolve for you grading work?

Actually, I tend to use Resolve mostly for remote grading. For grading with the client in the room, I prefer to use FilmMaster.
What else would you use Resolve for? Dailies?

 

[Zeb B]

Actually, I only use Resolve for remote grading. For grading with client in the room, I prefer to use FilmMaster.
What else would you use Resolve for?

Heck it's free . . . the pretty logo at the bottom of my screen is good enough!

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

I stick with Magic Motion and work the slider to lighten things up...it's not perfect yet but Graeme is apparently working on RCXPro so we might have better control of the B track. Of course I also use Alchemy in and saturation, and maybe the odd adjustment of FLUT. But that's about it for now -completely usable for my purposes at the moment...I'm sure when it comes time for our online we will be investigating how to get the most out of the B track. Have yet to play with Resolve Lite tho.

 

[Uli Plank]

Now that Resolve Lite is not limited in nodes anymore, you can do nice things, like masking and tracking, to compose the two tracks. More flexible than Blend or Magic Motion.

Please keep in mind that RED recommends not to go beyond 3 stops for HDRx, not because it doesn't work any more, but because things can get tricky. Use the lowest difference that works with your scene.

 

[Eric Haase]

I'm not really understanding what the magic motion slider does. It seems like I would want a tool that pulls a quick luma key and substitutes the x track (or blends the x track) to varying degrees based on a user parameter. But both simple blend and Magic motion seem to affect the entire image and not just the highlights or even just the upper miss to highlights. If anyone has any examples of successful HDRx graded in RCX I would love to see them (along with a screenshot of the look controls to see how it was arrived upon).

 

[Chris Sharman]

I too have been wondering what I've been missing while trying to grade HDRX in redcine. It feels like what I need is some kind of "crossover" control (like you have in an audio system to separate out the different frequencies) telling the program at which luma point to start taking the x- track instead of the a- track. But I'm sure that's far easier said than done!

 

[jake blackstone]

Once more- use FREE RESOLVE!!!! You can have all the control you like HDRx in Resolve couldn't be easier. Lots of examples on the web on how to...

 

[Eric Haase]

jake, thanks for the suggestion. Just trying to figure out who to get a little HDRx into the dailies workflow. There are a lot of scenarios where this would be useful for me.

 

[J Davis]

just because resolve is free doesn't quench the desire to know how to correctly apply HDRx within redcine

 

[jake blackstone]

just because resolve is free doesn't quench the desire to know how to correctly apply HDRx within redcine

Well, that's because, what you're asking for, RedCine-X doesn't do, but Resolve does...

 

[Zeb B]

Anyone have an idea if in program Tone Mapping 'n such are on the road map for CineX HDRx? Heck, even my iPhone has HDR now - time to level up! ; )

 

[J Davis]

Well, that's because, what you're asking for, RedCine-X doesn't do, but Resolve does...

hang on ... let me get this right. I'm asking how do I correctly apply HDRx within redcine and your answer is that Redcine doesn't do this ?

 

[jake blackstone]

hang on ... let me get this right. I'm asking how do I correctly apply HDRx within redcine and your answer is that Redcine doesn't do this ?

Nope, here is the question:
"I too have been wondering what I've been missing while trying to grade HDRX in redcine. It feels like what I need is some kind of "crossover" control (like you have in an audio system to separate out the different frequencies) telling the program at which luma point to start taking the x- track instead of the a- track. But I'm sure that's far easier said than done!"
If you want to continue to waste your time, trying to use Easy HDRx in RedCine-X, I can't stop you. Or you can just use a free COLOR GRADING software, specifically designed to do what you and other posters are asking for, then use Resolve and move on with your life.