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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Cineform 2K - DPX conversion? Anyone?

R

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Hi guys,

Anyone know how to convert cineform to straight up DPX files? I need to preserve all the metadata if possible.

Rich
 
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flameop said:
Probably use gluetools.. qt complient.

Or import into AfterEffects if on windows...


You spent nearly $340,000 and you cant do this? :-/ what ya spend it all on! :-0 ;)

s
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Nope, don't have all that gear just yet, and unfortunately I don't know much about Cineform, this is the first time I'll get footage in this codec. Thanks for the help though. We're getting our Scratch setup next month, and this is the first paying job that will be finished with it so I want to make sure I've got everything lined up.
 
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flameop said:
cool.. so someones giving you a load of cineform shots to work on ? or your capturing cineform ?
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Yeah, we're doing a green screen shoot for a 10 minute corporate and I've managed to find a Silicon Imaging SI1920 camera, it records 1920 x 1080 RGB 4:4:4 Cineform to hard disk. So it will be the first time dealing with Cineform, and I am just looking for the quickest method to convert. Although, I found out yesterday after posting this that with the codec installed properly I should be able to import it straight into Scratch, so it could be that no conversion is necessary beforehand.

Since Scratch works with uncompressed footage, I assume it must convert it on import. I just have to make sure we have the storage available, I know we'll have more than enough bandwidth at 2K. The system we're getting will have 2.5TB, so I think that should be sufficient.

I'm looking forward to getting to grips with Scratch, we'll be doing the conform, key and grade with it, and probably most of the compositing in After Effects, not quite sure yet, maybe Combustion. I'll be going to observe the post on a new Toyota commercial this coming week that is all being done on Scratch, so hopefully I'll learn a thing or two.
 
I've managed to find a Silicon Imaging SI1920 camera, it records 1920 x 1080 RGB 4:4:4 Cineform to hard disk.
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Hi 4K Hub,

Have you been working with the guys over at Atomic-VFX?

BTW, I'm not sure about the latest developments in the Scratch world, but if you need CineForm RAW converted to DPX, the easiest method is to use AE with Neo2K Player (free download from the CineForm site). With Neo2K you can import the CineForm RAW files, and then export them back out as whatever other format you need (you just can't re-export a CineForm file), which in this case would be DPX. Neo2K will read the LUT and white-balance metadata, although it won't allow you to directly change it. You do have the option though of turning the metadata on/off, if you want access back to the original untouched digital negative and do the grade from "scratch" in your Scratch suite (nice pun).

If you need any help with the conversion process, and how to move around CineForm RAW files, please feel free to private-message or email me, although I'm not going to be able to help with Scratch support. You can also visit our support forums on the SI website . . . we frequent those quite a bit.

Hope this information helps,

Jason
 
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Jason Rodriguez said:
Hi 4K Hub,

Have you been working with the guys over at Atomic-VFX?

BTW, I'm not sure about the latest developments in the Scratch world, but if you need CineForm RAW converted to DPX, the easiest method is to use AE with Neo2K Player (free download from the CineForm site). With Neo2K you can import the CineForm RAW files, and then export them back out as whatever other format you need (you just can't re-export a CineForm file), which in this case would be DPX. Neo2K will read the LUT and white-balance metadata, although it won't allow you to directly change it. You do have the option though of turning the metadata on/off, if you want access back to the original untouched digital negative and do the grade from "scratch" in your Scratch suite (nice pun).

If you need any help with the conversion process, and how to move around CineForm RAW files, please feel free to private-message or email me, although I'm not going to be able to help with Scratch support. You can also visit our support forums on the SI website . . . we frequent those quite a bit.

Hope this information helps,

Jason
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Thanks for the info, yep I spoke to Simon over at Atomic VFX yesterday. I'll definitely PM you for some advice. Thanks!
 
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Yeah, they have been out for a while, I know of two films shot here in South Africa with the SI1920, One called 'Spoon' by Sharlto Copley and Simon Hansen of Atomic VFX (http://indiefilmlive.blogspot.com/) and another recently shot here in Johannesburg called 'Discreet'.

The Atomic VFX team worked closely with Cineform in getting the workflow sorted out, the blog is actually really interesting to read but I think the latest post was November 2006 and by that time they had completed the shoot.
 
4K Hub, is this the shoot you were talking about in the "off topic" forum? The corporate gig that you didn't want to have to shoot DV on because of the chromakey work?

If so, please report back with your findings shooting with the SI camera. It should be a very similar experience, in terms of results, to shooting windowed/cropped with the RED and I'm curious how things turn out!

Regards,
 
Jim Arthurs said:
4K Hub, is this the shoot you were talking about in the "off topic" forum? The corporate gig that you didn't want to have to shoot DV on because of the chromakey work?

If so, please report back with your findings shooting with the SI camera. It should be a very similar experience, in terms of results, to shooting windowed/cropped with the RED and I'm curious how things turn out!

Regards,
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Yep, same shoot. I will certainly post feedback and some screenshots, we will also be putting together a review of the SI1920 for 4khub.com

If all goes well I think we will try to shoot exclusively with it until the RED's arrive as the hire rate is pretty good. It's still a 2/3" sensor though, but at least it has a PL lens mount. I haven't decided yet if we will use 16mm or 35mm lenses, depends what I can find.

Only problem is it's in Cape Town and we are in Johannesburg which means flying the camera and technician up every time.

Rich Lackey
 
Hey 4K . . . please note when you review the SI1920, that the Atomic-VFX guys are NOT using the latest stuff, and the SI1920 is actually a discontinued product (well, it actually never even reached manufacturing . . . its' been vastly modified since then).

They aren't using the latest electronics (it's a completely different animal to what we've been working on now), and their camera is a prototype from NAB two years ago . . . it doesn't even use the same sensor (it's an older sensor that had some noise issues, at least compared to the new stuff, and was discontinued by Altasens).

I'm also not sure if they are even using the latest software (since a number of features aren't necessarily supported anymore on their camera). They are recording CineForm RAW though, so that is a common point between that older camera system and the newer ones (although I'm not sure what version of CineForm RAW . . . I believe it's a later version though, but I don't think it's the latest).

So basically everything on their SI1920 has been discontinued, either by ourselves (the camera and it's electronics and form-factor), and the sensor itself by Altasens. To try and draw conclusions about our current products from that camera doesn't really do our current products justice, nor justice to the last year-and-a-half of work we've done to get from what they are using to what's available now.

Just wanted to clarify that point before you make a review, and people start drawing conclusions, especially on any negatives you may find that have already been addressed (it's not hard to find negatives on your very first prototype).

Now that being said, it is still produces great-looking footage, and the footage on our website from AtomicVFX's projects I feel is testament to that. So I think it will serve you well while you wait for your RED cameras.
 
i was under the impression that those that stepped up and bought the mini SI1920 last year before it's release would receive the UPDATED release product ?
seems spoon provided SI with valuable info to improve the camera, software etc ...
 
Jason,

I wasn't aware that thier camera was discontinued. In that case we won't even bother to write up anything as it wouldn't be a fair reflection of the current cameras.

Rich
 
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