Play with this HDR-x shot and share workflow - Resolve

[Matt Ryan]

Hey All,

Just shot some HDR-x material that works well for the piece. My issue is getting a natural looking grade in Resolve. After scouring the web I have realized the HDR-x workflow isn't well documented or publicized for Resolve. This led me to this thread. I'm including a link to the R3D at hand, and would like for all who play with it, to post your resulting image and the steps you took to get there. You might have a different method that works well so don't be shy. There are many ways to achieve results so I challenge you to find as many variances as you can. I'd like to make this an informational reference for anyone dealing with HDR-x post. So please, if you're going to play, post your workflow and steps involved. Bonus points for a video tutorial. I'd like to keep this to Davinci Resolve since most are not using RedcineX to perform final grade. Davinci Resolve Lite is available as a free download.

Basically the shot should look vibrant, natural, and retain contrast. That is my challenge. This is a shot for an upcoming project so please use this only for this challenge and informational purpose.
R3D: http://matthayslett.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/B001_C016_08109E.0000236F.R3D.zip

My first attempt (unfortunately, it looks unnatural and hyper toxic shit haha).

*As a side note, bonus points for doing a step by step to creating glowing diffuse highlights in Resolve! I've keyed the highlights and attempted to add blur and mist to no avail. Not as easy to do in Resolve as other software.

Before anyone jumps on me for not using a ND grad, I did for the actual shot. This was just a test to see if HDR-x could achieve the same or better result.

 

[jake blackstone]

Hey All,

After scouring the web I have realized the HDR-x workflow isn't well documented or publicized for Resolve.

Resolve manual, page 477, Red HDR input support. Step by step instruction on how to set up your node structure and the use of the controls. What other undocumented features are you not finding?

 

[Matt Ryan]

Resolve manual, page 477, Red HDR input support. Step by step instruction on how to set up your node structure and the use of the controls. What other undocumented features are you not finding?

I saw that and that is what I followed for my image above. Wanted to see how to make it more natural and the possibility of an updated workflow. I know how to set it up in Resolve, that isn't the challenge.

 

[Pablo Moreno]

Love it! see what I can do

 

[Matt Ryan]

Love it! see what I can do

Looking forward to it Pablo

 

[Joe Minuni]

I just began to use resolve, here is what I got!
Just tried to bring the tracks together, didn't mess with much else besides not trying to make it look too tone mapped

Started from RedlogFilm gamma, and on the x track used a luminance qualifier to create a key on the highlights and tried to blend that over the original footage. Once a and x tracks combined with a layer mixer, went and adjusted the x track more to try to look less flat. Since you were talking about saturation I also used a qualifier on the background foliage and added some saturation and lifted it
Personally I think I would bring up the highlights a little more now that i look again (on the rocks) I do like having some things blown out in an outdoor scene, not a fan of trying to fit nature's entire dynamic range in a finished image unless there is a reason

 

[Matt Ryan]

Nice Joe, thanks for playing.

What challenges did you come across when dealing with the HDR footage that you wouldn't on a standard shot?

Just trying to compile questions and answers for anyone else wondering.

 

[Joe Minuni]

What challenges did you come across when dealing with the HDR footage that you wouldn't on a standard shot?

I'm not too experienced in resolve like I said, but I just feel like its hard to mix the two without pulling too much from the x-track and having it look tone mapped and unnatural. I adjusted the luminance key and levels of the x track once i layed it over the a track to try to balance it

I only have used hdrx one or two times and it wasn't across a wide range, usually just because we didn't ND a window for an interview and had to be out of the location asap. I was wondering with the water though if it would create artifacts once viewed in motion.

 

[Phil Holland]

The first thing I tend to deal with when working with HDRx material is figuring out exactly what the tonality of the frame is. Meaning getting a visual picture or heck even making a B/W version to figure out where everything goes. The specific things to look out for is how the color is moving across your tonal transitions. If not treated tenderly you can get some funky looking "cores" between your highlights and midtones, which is not so good on the eyes. Log controls really are the key on this front. If I have a minute I'll pump out a grade in Resolve.

 

[Matt Ryan]

The first thing I tend to deal with when working with HDRx material is figuring out exactly what the tonality of the frame is. Meaning getting a visual picture or heck even making a B/W version to figure out where everything goes. The specific things to look out for is how the color is moving across your tonal transitions. If not treated tenderly you can get some funky looking "cores" between your highlights and midtones, which is not so good on the eyes. Log controls really are the key on this front. If I have a minute I'll pump out a grade in Resolve.

Cool Phil, thanks. I know your busy but maybe you'd throw together a video tutorial

 

[Bob Gundu]

Nice Job Joe!

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

Adjusted Saturation on the R3D to 1.5, slight curve on the luminance, added mist to the water with a luminance qualifier and power window. There's some weirdness in the water, check in front of the mossy rock on the lower right. HDRx is tough with motion.

 

[jake blackstone]

I saw that and that is what I followed for my image above. Wanted to see how to make it more natural and the possibility of an updated workflow. I know how to set it up in Resolve, that isn't the challenge.

I don't think the problem in your image is with HDRx per se. It's the level of saturation, that makes greenery look almost toxic. If you look for natural, it may be good idea to start investigating why your saturation is so extreme. But if you're looking for some secret "not well documented" or "unpublicized" HDRx feature, that are not in Resolve manual, I afraid, you'll be disappointed...

 

[Noel R.]

Used film lut, and simple blend with REDs SDK within Resolve. Masked out the area with the trees and the rocks creating both an inside and outside node and adjusted levels separately. The grays in the highlights seemed to lack chroma info so I keyed them separately in a parallel node and refined from there.

 

[Matt Ryan]

There's some weirdness in the water, check in front of the mossy rock on the lower right. HDRx is tough with motion.

Hey Jeff, Thanks for playing. Not sure if it's the HDRx though making the weirdness of the water at that spot. It's right where water hits that rock and causes splashing. Here's a low res video of the A Track.

It's currently processing so 1080p will come eventually.

 

[Matt Ryan]

Used film lut, and simple blend with REDs SDK within Resolve. Masked out the area with the trees and the rocks creating both an inside and outside node and adjusted levels separately. The grays in the highlights seemed to lack chroma info so I keyed them separately in a parallel node and refined from there.

Thanks Noel. The rocks seem to be the difficult thing to blend.

 

[Matt Ryan]

The crazy thing to me is this was shot at HDRx +4. That is pretty much what the DR of the Dragon will be natively. Amazing if you think about it.

 

[Noel R.]

Thanks Noel. The rocks seem to be the difficult thing to blend.

That was the most difficult part, the highlights overall are difficult to blend. The highlights are not clipped, but when trying to find a good middle ground for the rest of the image the highlights get that nasty clipped look to them, so I keyed them and made adjustments in a different range to get a smoother roll off.

 

[Matt Ryan]

I just began to use resolve, here is what I got!
Just tried to bring the tracks together, didn't mess with much else besides not trying to make it look too tone mapped

Started from RedlogFilm gamma, and on the x track used a luminance qualifier to create a key on the highlights and tried to blend that over the original footage. Once a and x tracks combined with a layer mixer, went and adjusted the x track more to try to look less flat. Since you were talking about saturation I also used a qualifier on the background foliage and added some saturation and lifted it
Personally I think I would bring up the highlights a little more now that i look again (on the rocks) I do like having some things blown out in an outdoor scene, not a fan of trying to fit nature's entire dynamic range in a finished image unless there is a reason

Hey Joe, This Grade looks perfect. Care to do a walkthrough video?

 

[Phil Holland]

Got home and have a minute here.

I'll second Jeff's and Jake's comments here about HDRx. There is some fast motion in here that could be taken care of by a trip to After Effects. Typically on productions I've seen use HDRx they are trying to just gain a bit of top room and shoot in the +1-3 range.

Here's Resolves simple result after tossing this shot into HDRx w/ Magic Motion:

A quick pass motivated by the environment and natural feel pulling up forest out a bit. Lots of stuff to look at around the frame.

One a bit more on the "corrected and directed" side of things. Darkened up the FG to put more focus on the subject. More meat in the river and woods.

Based on the above, but with a bit more character.

A lush sort of stylized surreal approach bringing out a bit more of the forest detail itself. Left some of the green radiating into the subject.

In terms of working with HDRx there's just a few visual notes I try to keep in mind. As mentioned that discolored coring on the transition of colors between the tonal blends is something to look out for, especially at HDRx +4. The other stuff is really based around if you want a more natural somewhat linear feel to the image or something a bit more "flavored". There's a lot of room to play with that much information and it's more about selectively placing where you want tones to go. With this shot and particular exposure the forest could just as easily be hidden or revealed, surreal saturation or a more natural feel. Just depends on the look you're after. The river and rocks as a visual element poses some interesting narrative and composition thoughts. With a couple of looks I went with I was somewhat inspired by the darkness of the shadow on the rock and foliage frame right and that influenced the approach for the rest of the foreground. However, in the second image I went with more of a detailed approach.