CDL Informatio into an ALE?

[Jesse Korosi]

Hi All,

I am hoping someone can shed some light on me as to how this normally works.
If I were to create a 1 Light within a software that can generate a CDL. How can I then incorporate that CDL Data into an ALE so that all of the color metadata can then be exported out along with the EDL for the final Grading facility.

Maybe I am going about this the wrong way? Should the CDL normally be passed along as a separate file then the EDL to the final grading facility, or is it best to have it within the EDL somehow?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Nick Shaw]

If I were to create a 1 Light within a software that can generate a CDL. How can I then incorporate that CDL Data into an ALE so that all of the color metadata can then be exported out along with the EDL for the final Grading facility.

What software are you proposing to do the one-light with? Truelight on Set for example will create CDL compatible grades, and export that as an ALE or EDL. However Truelight on Set does not currently work with the RED, since it works on the SDI feed from a camera, and the RED cannot currently output REDlogFilm on its SDI output.

 

[MichaelP]

Usually the system providing the color correction and CDL values creates an ALE which has the source information as well as the CDL values. Some facilities do a post merge of the CDL values into the ALE then import the ALE into the Media Composer.

Michael

 

[Jesse Korosi]

Thanks for the response guys.

Do you know how you would normally do the merge of the CDL values into the ALE (versus manually doing this).

The idea would be to use Divinci for a color pass, render out digital dailies whether that be Avid QTs to then import into Avid via an ALE or QT files for FCP. The big question I have though, is how do I convey the color information to the final colorist that I have made during the dailies process if an RSX or RMD is not an option.
It has always been a no brainer when I have colored RED material because it automatically adds an RSX and or RMD depending on the software I have used on a per clip basis that travels along with the master. But if I am working with Canon, Arri and or any other format. How can I provide a starting point for the colorist, so to speak?

 

[Nick Shaw]

Worth bearing in mind that CDL only carries SOP and Sat values, which represent a very small part of the toolset used by colourists. You might well find that a colourist would start by removing your CDL grade, even in you did get it through to the DI. They may prefer to grade using curves, or shadows/mids/highs, which CDL doesn't convey. In that case your graded dailies would be adequate as a reference for creative intent.

Always talk to the colourist, as there is no point going to a lot of effort to create a workflow to get CDL data to them which they then don't use.

 

[Jesse Korosi]

Thanks Nick,
Agreed. The point of getting any of this info over to the colorist would only be for reference purpose only. Because the DP has 'signed off' on this look on set, it seems like a good idea that the colorist can see what this was.

Mind you the colorist will have the offline edit at his/her disposal that they could see as a reference I suppose.

So I guess the big question that still stands though, is how can you merge a CDL with an ALE? (Assuming I don't have Truelight) Divinci can't export ALE files can it?

 

[Nick Shaw]

Resolve exports CDLs as notes in an EDL, so you could possibly bypass ALE and render MXFs from Resolve then conform those in Avid from the EDL/CDL. Need to test that though.

I your colourist is working in Resolve too there might be a way of avoiding CDL. I don't know how it works in Resolve, but if you grade your dailies in a Baselight, you can then use the 'multi-paste' function to apply those same grades to a final conform.

 

[Jesse Korosi]

There we go, now were on to something. Thanks Nick!
I will test that out. I am normally creating my ALE's through Metacheater to ensure the Tape Name Column is indeed correct so I wonder if Divinci will still carry that info through...?

All of this talk really makes me love the RSX/RMD system even more as it just travels along with all your masters in the RED world. That is brilliant.