On set monitoring - looking for some pointers

[Charles_Boileau]

Hi,

Little background info: I'm a cinematographer working in a duo of 2 cinematographers. I'd like for us to encompass both the work of DP and DIT as one creative unit. IE: this means that we both creatively prepare projects.

We've noticed recently that our approach has a few little kinks that need to be worked out. It's hard for us to get a decent pay as we have to split everything and it's also hard for us accumulate union credits.

On the other hand our approached has yielded allot of positive feedback from production companies and directors. Do I order to maximize this we decided that one of us would do the leg work as a DP as the other one takes care of quality control. Where we live DP's usually operate and are very busy dealing with the smaller teams we have. So having someone behind the monitor assuring that we have a consistent creative and technical vision will be an asset for anyone working with us.

So here is the problem... I'd like to find a suitable workflow that would enable us to go from production to post with high level on consistency.

So I've searched quite a bit about this in the forum and I didn't find much.

I'm looking either to buy or to put together a rental package that would enable to do the following:

- Monitoring
- Use scopes
- Import looks to the camera or to the monitor
- Send these looks to our DI guy who works on lustre.

I'm thinking of using 3CP to start finalize dailies and send LUT's or ASC CDL to our colorist for color grading.

My ideal setup would be to have a monitor for the camera with scopes, a macbook and a monitor for on set grading and a way to set up looks on set.

Another thing: Is it possible to monitor in 2k or 4k on location? Using the red rocket? It's impossible to have a live 2k or 4k feed from the camera right?

Any ideas? Any other suggestions? Workflows?

Thanks!

 

[Charles_Boileau]

It's hard to believe no one here has no advice for me...

 

[Ryan S]

Hi Charles,

I'm afraid my knowledge is not sufficient to help you with youR rental package (too many unfamiliar terms!) but I can tell you that your live monitoring is limited to 720p until Epic and Scarlet launch, at which point 1080p will be available.

Hopefully someone else here can be more helpful!

 

[Tim Sutherland]

As I was reading what you were writing, I was about to suggest 3cP but I saw you already brought it up.

Scopes for on-set monitoring can help, but with a RAW format they mean less than they do on a traditional HD Video shoot. The histogram is your friend here, letting you see what you're really recording in a way a waveform/vectorscope can't quite do in raw.

And as far as on-set monitoring goes, you have to think of the RED's video signal out of HDSDI more like a video tap on a film camera, it's a representation of what you're recording, but it's not exactly what you're recording. I actually like it when shows have Standard Def video assist because it keeps people from expecting that what they see on the monitor is exactly what they're getting as is true with HD video shooting, not RAW shooting.

However, when you get into 3cP, then you can look at scopes of what was actually recorded, and then you're getting an accurate picture. The new version also has a histogram, white balance picker, and FLUT/Shadow controls for RED footage as well, which makes it really valuable as grading tools add controls for these parameters.

Hope this helps.

Tim

 

[Charles_Boileau]

As I was reading what you were writing, I was about to suggest 3cP but I saw you already brought it up.

Scopes for on-set monitoring can help, but with a RAW format they mean less than they do on a traditional HD Video shoot. The histogram is your friend here, letting you see what you're really recording in a way a waveform/vectorscope can't quite do in raw.

And as far as on-set monitoring goes, you have to think of the RED's video signal out of HDSDI more like a video tap on a film camera, it's a representation of what you're recording, but it's not exactly what you're recording. I actually like it when shows have Standard Def video assist because it keeps people from expecting that what they see on the monitor is exactly what they're getting as is true with HD video shooting, not RAW shooting.

However, when you get into 3cP, then you can look at scopes of what was actually recorded, and then you're getting an accurate picture. The new version also has a histogram, white balance picker, and FLUT™/Shadow controls for RED footage as well, which makes it really valuable as grading tools add controls for these parameters.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Cool thanks for the replys.

So my best bet would be to send the GUI overlays to the monitor so I can read the histogram? What about when you set the camera to RAW "colorspace" (preview of the raw image) isn't that a fairly good representation?

By that logic it would be fair to say that since it's an "inaccurate" preview it could possible to monitor through the HDMI port of the camera to a good computer monitor? Which I could rent to productions. Or would it be easier just to rent a broadcast monitor from the rental house? I'm saying this because it would be nearly impossible to calibrate a computer monitor without access to the blue only setting...

About 3cp... 3CP would read the downloaded files, right? I really dig what 3CP has to offer, but I'm trying to find a way to monitor the footage from the software in an adequate way. Do you use the software? Would I be able to trust my computer monitor.

My problem is that I have to use the equipment I have available at the moment. I recently bought a supped up iMac that I use with a Dell monitor. Does 3cp let you use dual monitors? Would I be able to trust my Dell monitor with 3cp? 3cp seems to think so, but I have my doubts...

I was also thinking about buying a Matrox MXO: http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mxo/
But I have no idea if I can even use it with 3CP. What Matrox seems to explain is that it works with QT based software that support video out. Not sure if 3cp has that type of feature. I think I can mirror my main monitor, but I'm not sure if that's even worth it.

It's a hard call to make. I'm struggling to make ends meet so any investments must be well thought out...

Thanks again!