Alchemy...

[Marcos Montenegro]

Jim:

As a pro photographer I've been shooting RAW files (Nikon's NEF) for many years now and they have saved my bacon on many, many occasions; it's like time-travel! Now that I've gotten into cinematography I'm so GLAD that RED is pushing their RAW format with all their tools...free tools! You rock!

Marcos

Shoot RAW. Easy to understand.

You can change and adjust almost everything in RAW.

Alchemy is a useful tool (I think for every image) if you have shot RAW.

I will use Alchemy on everything I have ever shot or will ever shoot. It is that good.

Jim

 

[Elsie N]

I want to make you aware of a new control in REDCINE-X Professional called "Alchemy". It will be enabled in a future release of RCX-P.

It is a tool that is mandatory to know about. The version of RCX-P that includes Alchemy should be released very soon. When it is... try it. You'll like it.

Jim

Is this another one of the four things? If so, where does it rank in importance?

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

I was about to ask last night regarding the new release of RCX-pro whether we were going to see any more tools with respect to power windows and HDRx (i.e. greater control)...I don't know if this is the answer, but I'm so thankful to see you guys keep keep pushing the envelope. Thanks so much Red Team.

 

[Fergus Meiklejohn]

REDCODE RAW is one of the most important things about RED. What you can do with RAW is extremely important. RAW tools will continue to grow.

Shooting an RGB codec locks you into a box. Don't do that. There are just too many advancements coming that limiting yourself just seems silly.

Alchemy is a tool for RAW that will make you rejoice why RAW matters.

Jim

I totally agree with this Jim, I think REDCODE RAW is your most important feature. It's your key differentiator..

 

[Meryem Ersoz]

some of these post-processing surprises are pretty much like getting a new camera all over again - for free! there's really nothing like it. the elasticity of REDCODE is pure magic, and I'm looking forward to Alchemy, whatever it is.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

SDK for sure...

Jim

Good as gold...

 

[James Brundige]

So you want lower resolution and grain?

Jim

I am so happy to be done with grain. Thanks for that, Jim.

Grain reminds me of hiss and rumble on LP records. Some people are so used to it they think it's art, but it's really just noise from a primitive chemical process. I'm sitting in an office surrounded by lots of lovely pictures. I can pick out all the film shots because they're all just a little soft. Nice for faces, but w digital I can choose that in post, or not.

 

[Elsie N]

Alchemy is a slider that turns lead into gold.

And, of course, it is free.

Jim

Very appropriate to be discussing changing one metal into another and getting a benefit. A few days ago I read on the Forbes website that on the 28th of this month, somewhere in Italy, there is going to be a demonstration of how changing nickel into copper can act as cold fusion and provide MUCH more energy than goes in. If in fact this proves to be true, it will totally change the larger world in re: energy independence, just as RED has changed the imaging world.

I truly understand what Dickens meant when he said "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

 

[Graeme Nattress]

We've had Open EXR export for quite a while now, and great success in it's use for combined VFX / Grading pipelines with mapping back and forth between the linear Light EXR and REDLogFilm. I'd advise against ACES colour space as the rendering side of that (the bit that occurs after it leaves our hands) is currently buggy and noisy. Use REDColor2 and you'll have great results.

Graeme

 

[Raphael Varandas]

Can't wait... give me !

 

[Graeme Nattress]

I've got the feeling we've only just started when it comes to RAW development, and as we keep things RAW with R3D, anything we learn can be applied back to the oldest of footage.

Graeme

 

[Gunleik Groven]

We've had Open EXR export for quite a while now, and great success in it's use for combined VFX / Grading pipelines with mapping back and forth between the linear Light EXR and REDLogFilm. I'd advise against ACES colour space as the rendering side of that (the bit that occurs after it leaves our hands) is currently buggy and noisy. Use REDColor2 and you'll have great results.

Graeme

Hi Graeme!

What would you say on RC vs RC2 currently in a rlf online?

M Most and others seem to suggest RC because it is more saturated and de-saturation in post doesn't create noise, whilst saturation does.
But the difference goes a bit beyond saturationlevels, if I am not wrong...
Would RC2 + some saturation be a better choice in your opinion?

Cheers

G

 

[Graeme Nattress]

RC2 with you adding saturation in grading looks best. So export RC2/RLF and grade from there.

Graeme

 

[Gunleik Groven]

OKi

SO add sat in grade...

Good

G

 

[Gabriele Turchi]

SDK for sure...

Jim

Please Jim ,
SDK sooner than Later , even if we all appreciate RCXP , all of us working on finishing , we need those tools integrated on Davinci , scratch , Baselight etc...

for example , still waiting for R3D trim and Magic Motion ...

thanks

g

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Please Jim ,
SDK sooner than Later , even if we all appreciate RCXP , all of us working on finishing , we need those tools integrated on Davinci , scratch , Baselight etc...

for example , still waiting for R3D trim and Magic Motion ...

thanks

g

Hm...

I have been discussing with myself if Magic Motion is implementable in the SDK.

I did not get to agree with myself. Sure would be nice, but is it possible?

G

 

[Eric Lange]

I've got the feeling we've only just started when it comes to RAW development, and as we keep things RAW with R3D, anything we learn can be applied back to the oldest of footage.

Graeme

It’s a fabulous (design/systems) approach too.

In the 3d spatial software that we built and continue to develop we use that kind of thinking whereby if fundamentally better restitution or registration data comes along later then one can throw that into the mix and have a total rebuild of all of the data sets, radio/photometric and 3d/VR/spatial. We built it that way almost right from the start so that when you get better or refined info, it ripples through all of the data sets, and rebuilds almost real time. The nice thing is in the mean time you can still carry out all of the principal work (unhindered) that you need to carry out and still have excellent results to show right off the bat. We "use"/real time render mainly high res and HDR RGBA stills as giant stereo textures embedded into pretty complex models. Eventually when we get to RED hardware to generate our source imagery it would certainly be interesting to write a front end that can manage a “data base” to “re-build” the source imagery from RAW and even re-grade (a smidge) to ripple everything through too. Definitely something to think about when you have boat loads of 2d and 3d imagery to keep straight in one “simulation” or data set.

Hmmm I/we should do that...(or put that on the list...)

You guys always display terrific thinking…and doing!

Cheers,

Eric

 

[Jay Patton]

jannard for prez 2012.

Created more jobs the last couple years than anyone else running. Runs a business based on transparency and innovation. Knows how to make the big boys squirm.

All of these are very important presidential qualities.

m525

 

[Gabriele Turchi]

We've had Open EXR export for quite a while now, and great success in it's use for combined VFX / Grading pipelines with mapping back and forth between the linear Light EXR and REDLogFilm. I'd advise against ACES colour space as the rendering side of that (the bit that occurs after it leaves our hands) is currently buggy and noisy. Use REDColor2 and you'll have great results.

Graeme

Hi greaeme,

i would like to expand this :

i tested EXR exported form RCX as ACES :

1- RCX build 501 and RCXPRO beta 3 produce 2 different Result (i believe RCXbuild 501 is correct and RCXP beta 3 is wrong)

2- In Davinci , Those EXR looks fine (no issue ) as soon i apply a Rec709 output transformation Lut (part of the aces engine system) the image gets banding in the Sky , and yes overall blocky noise

again stretching those EXR in ACES mode without that output transform Lut does not produce any banding , that Lut applied seems that translate badly the colors

BUT

All work fine using Alexa Footage

so i have the feeling that the ACES conversion in RCX is not done properly ? ( i mean the alexa one works )


PS: at the moment there is no way to do the Transform into aces one an R3D because using the input transform LUT for RED , the image gets super super bright , from my tests seems that that transform Lut always apply 800 Iso (so when i have footage sot at like 320 iso is an issue ) (so maybe for this issue you have to provide an Input transformation Lut for each step pf ISO ?

thanks

g

 

[Steve Wake]

WOW!

I have a feeling this will have two major effects:

1. Any lens can get closer to that "Leica look" as far as microcontrast.
2. Scarlet 3K footage uprezzed to 4k will be comparable to or better than any competitor's 4K RGB codec, even 10 bit 4:4:4:4

Why?

• Last I remember word of Graeme working on slider controls had to do with HDRx.
• Having shot a lot of HDR, one of the more tasteful things one can do with it is adjust local contrast in small amounts, which gives an image that pops with a perceived increase in microcontrast. Not an actual increase in resolution, but looks like it. Different from sharpening.
• Since Jim said this can be used on any RAW footage I'm guessing Graeme figured out how to use a microcontrast control to enhance a single stream.
• Part of the unmeasurable Leica look, or look of other "special" lenses is their microcontrast-which has to do with coatings, QC, overall design, etc.
• It's an effect that is simulated when you downrez a photo.
• Now if you're going to uprez (say 3K to 4K) it would be nice to do it while still preserving as much perceived resolution as possible. A microcontrast control that worked as early in the processing stream as possible would help achieve the goal. (Or maybe RED will have a special Scarlet uprez in RAW option to apply before this step).
• If I had a tool like that and was about to release a 3K camera, I would release the tool at the same time (or shortly before), then at the unveiling of the camera, show uprezzed 4K footage on my 4K projector and blow the competition away.

The only downside: you'll need 4K viewing ability to really judge the effect. A $$ downside.

The big upside: It's f-ing FREE. And you know it will be upgraded continuously. No wonder STORM bit the dust.