Basic Mac Workflow Question

[Terry VerHaar]

I have very little hands on experience with the RED workflow but am trying to get up to speed in anticipation of owning a Scarlet. I have scoured the board quite a bit since I attended RED day a couple weeks ago (and quite a bit before that, too) but am confused about the flow of work through REDCine-X, FCP and Color.

Based on what I read and some things said at RED day, I was thinking that one first made some basic decisions about your footage - ISO, FLUT™, color temp, etc (even a basic "one light" grade) - in REDCine-X. Then you transcode footage, using REDCine-X, into a good editing CODEC (ProRes, HQ, or 444??) and bring that footage into FCP for editing. Then, you take your final edit from FCP into Color for grading. Finally (and this step I am REALLY not too sure about), you reconnect the footage graded in Color to the original R3D files (via FCP), where the grading in Color "sticks" .

OK - how far off am I? How much of this is right, totally wrong, OK, not OK, best way, worst way, not possible, etc.

Any comments and guidance would be most appreciated!!

Thanks.
Terry

 

[jimhare]

Hi Terry,

Pretty good so far, that's the basic idea.

There are other methods, such as using Log and Transfer or editing the proxies, which will automatically line up the R3Ds for you in Color, but I prefer transcoding in RCX and making the Pro Res files look so good, I don't even want to go back and regrade, I usually just do minor adjustments to the Pro Res.

Like anything there are many ways to get to the same place so the best advice is to get hold of some R3Ds and mess with them to work out what works best for you.

All the best,

Jim Hare

 

[joe hedge]

...you take your final edit from FCP into Color for grading. Finally (and this step I am REALLY not too sure about), you reconnect the footage graded in Color to the original R3D files (via FCP), where the grading in Color "sticks" .

It doesn't quite work in the order you described. To grade the R3D files you would first transcode into ProRes before editing, edit your sequence using the transcodes, then use ClipFinder to export an XML file that replaces the transcodes with the R3D's, import that XML into Color, and grade that. Note that you cannot change the file names; the transcodes have to keep their original names or they won't link up with the R3D's.

 

[Dave Beard]

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=40555&page=13

Check out post 126

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Thanks for the excellent help. It is slowly becoming clear. (Maybe I can squeeze out just a little more info?!)

It doesn't quite work in the order you described. To grade the R3D files you would first transcode into ProRes before editing, edit your sequence using the transcodes, then use ClipFinder to export an XML file that replaces the transcodes with the R3D's, import that XML into Color, and grade that. Note that you cannot change the file names; the transcodes have to keep their original names or they won't link up with the R3D's.

Joe - much appreciate the specifics. The ClipFinder piece is good to know.

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=40555&page=13

Check out post 126

Dave - I did see that post but, based on what I thought I was hearing from Jim at RED Day, it was more confusing. Whay would you go into FCP before processing in REDCine-X? Is it just to pare down the footage to the trimmed "selects" or is it the only way to establish the connection between the R3Ds and the proxies?

I did pick up on some of Jim's latest posts about the workflow in Build 30 and (although I have to go back and look more closely) he does seems to provide some more guidance.

Many thanks to all. This board is fabulous and the quality of information is top notch (even if the quantity is a bit overwhelming!!)