4k Workflow Cost Analysis

[Andrew Medina]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone had put together a cost analysis for a standard 4k workflow and how it compared to a traditional 35mm cost analysis. I'm sure there are some line producers out there who have done this...and many more who would be interested in seeing it!

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

 

[M Most]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone had put together a cost analysis for a standard 4k workflow and how it compared to a traditional 35mm cost analysis. I'm sure there are some line producers out there who have done this...and many more who would be interested in seeing it!

There is no such thing as a "standard 4K workflow." Every DI facility that has done a 4K project has come up with their own approach. And quite frankly, there haven't been that many 4K DI's to begin with.

 

[Andrew Medina]

Let me correct myself

Let me correct myself

There is no such thing as a "standard 4K workflow." Every DI facility that has done a 4K project has come up with their own approach. And quite frankly, there haven't been that many 4K DI's to begin with.

Looks like I was a bit vague in what I'm looking at. Let's say a feature production shooting red in 4k...backing up on set, creating their own dvd dailies, offlineing in FCP with ProRes, outputting to a dpx for a 2k DI...vs. shooting film, doing a telecine scan to 2k and doing the same process.

 

[Brenton]

www.fxphd.com have two RED courses (10 classes in each course).

I think in the 2nd course they do a cost breakdown of RED vs 35mm (sorry not near my work pc), as I didn't generate it I can't pass it on sorry.

 

[Jeff Coatney]

Will someone please open a Post House called "Magnum DI". Just park a 308 Ferrari out front and land a striped 300c on the roof and I'll just take my business there.

 

[Dylan Reeve]

Will someone please open a Post House called "Magnum DI". Just park a 308 Ferrari out front and land a striped 300c on the roof and I'll just take my business there.

That is the single best business idea I think I've ever heard. Who needs a business plan when you've got that level of awesome! BRILLIANT!!

As for the cost question... For what it's worth the 35mm shoot we did the other day cost something like $3000 in film stock alone, camera rental was about the same price as RED and Telecine to HD is a few hundred dollars an hour. And that was a short shoot for a music video. Certainly for the work we do (music videos, motion graphics, opening titles, etc) RED makes much more sense, financially, than 35mm. But that may not be true of everything - and of course, that's also not the only deciding factor.

 

[John Brawley]

I did a film last year that went 2k. Well it was shot on 35mm, super 16 and some HD and SD as well.

The actual film record (done by the most excellent Park Road) was something north of 100K Aussie for 97 Mins. Now that cost wouldn't change for RED. That's just what it cost to get the actual data onto film.

The cost of daily rushes and digitise to drive for AVID ingest with sync sound, 2k scan (arriscan), conform, titles and 15 days (on scratch) of grading was also something north of 100K.

So let's say that 250K gets you start to end not including processing and stock for film.

Now I would argue if you were doing things properly that you would still have 15 days of colour correction so that's the same as well (that was about $40k of the $100K. You still need to to be conformed, so that's the same as well.

You still need titles etc.

So really what's left ?

The cost of scanning and the cost of telecine.

Now. I know you can put RED files onto a drive, but really, this is you MASTER now. It really should be done with at least ONE level of redundancy. So either RAID or multiple drives. You can't just buy a cheap 500GB drive. So how much does that cost ?

Making dailies ? Someone to sit there backing up files ? Transcoding ? processing those r3d's. That's an extra cost compared to film. It's the digital equivalent to the lab i spose.

Now there is lot's of scope for those that want to, to just DIY the conform, the grade, the titles, the edit. And of course they save. but that's not what was asked. And you would have to be a genius to think you're good at ALL of that anyway, especially grading.

I actually suspect the cost savings aren't as different as lots of people would imagine. That's if you aren't going the guerilla way and doing it all DIY.

jb