Mark L. Pederson
REDuser Sponsor
I just wanted to share a quick update on the post production process of our first 3D EPIC feature film - HELLBENDERS.
After a bunch of R&D (and some great advice from Deanan) John "Pliny" Eremic, who runs our post, and Chris Healer (mad scientist and one of the principals at The Molecule) we are underway with VFX - with a 5K, multi-view 3D OpenEXR pipeline.
We export EDL of VFX sequences from Avid MC 5.5 (we are cutting in 3D from side-by-side DNxHD36) and yes, the director and editor are in the edit suite reviewing each sequence as they cut in 3D.
The EDL is then conformed in RCX against the 3D Stereo pairs of EPIC R3Ds. Our DITs pair, sync and QC the clips on set while shooting - this writes an RMD file that contains the information of the clips stereo pair, and the frame offset, if any. When you load these clips into another RCX session - RCX reads the RMD and all the clips show up as 3D clips, with the precious sync, etc.
The EDL is then conformed against the 3D clips - and then exported, with handles to multi-view 3D OpenEXR files in full 5K, linear, 16-bit from Redcine X (yes - this functionality IS in RCX)
So each frame of OpenEXR now contains the entire, unmolested, full-raster of each eye - left eye in three channels (RGB) and right eye in another three channels.
The team at The Molecule then opens these files in NUKE - which reads the multiview OpenEXR as a 3D file and work begins in Ocula and Nuke.
We shot the film in 5K, 5:1 with a 5% custom frame guide to allow us a bit of room for post HIT adjustments, the film was shot MOSTLY converged, with some specific shots and VFX elements in parallel.
The Molecule has a custom render farm currently running 250 processors - some details can be found HERE
The Molecule then renders versions for viewer in side-by-side, 1920x1080, DNxHD36 to drop into Avid and review. Final renders will be to 5K, Multi-View 3D OpenEXR files.
The film will DI's at OFFHOLLYWOOD on SGO MISTIKA - we are installing the first system on the East Coast - this is the finishing system that Peter Jackson's team selected to finish The Hobbit.
Mistika reads and supports multi-view 3D OpenEXR files - so during the DI - all media will be 5K EPIC R3Ds with the exception of VFX - which will be 5K linear OpenEXR.
HELLBENDERS will be finished in 2D, 4K for eventual REDRAY release and 2K 3D DCP.
I pinch myself every day that we can do this stuff - and how amazing it all looks. And how easy it actually is.
If anyone tells you that you cant do a true 4K finish of feature budgeted under $5M - shot in 3D -and do your VFX in 5K - tell them to call me
We are screening directors cut June 30th in an attempt to get selected for a world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in September. Fingers crossed.
The film is being edited by Jacob Craycroft, who cut Super Troopers and Our Idiot Brother (shot on RED film that was acquired by The Weinstein Company at Sundance for $7M) - sound design is being done by Lew Goldstein - who did LIMITLESS.
I'll post some screenshots of VFX in progress in a few days.
After a bunch of R&D (and some great advice from Deanan) John "Pliny" Eremic, who runs our post, and Chris Healer (mad scientist and one of the principals at The Molecule) we are underway with VFX - with a 5K, multi-view 3D OpenEXR pipeline.
We export EDL of VFX sequences from Avid MC 5.5 (we are cutting in 3D from side-by-side DNxHD36) and yes, the director and editor are in the edit suite reviewing each sequence as they cut in 3D.
The EDL is then conformed in RCX against the 3D Stereo pairs of EPIC R3Ds. Our DITs pair, sync and QC the clips on set while shooting - this writes an RMD file that contains the information of the clips stereo pair, and the frame offset, if any. When you load these clips into another RCX session - RCX reads the RMD and all the clips show up as 3D clips, with the precious sync, etc.
The EDL is then conformed against the 3D clips - and then exported, with handles to multi-view 3D OpenEXR files in full 5K, linear, 16-bit from Redcine X (yes - this functionality IS in RCX)
So each frame of OpenEXR now contains the entire, unmolested, full-raster of each eye - left eye in three channels (RGB) and right eye in another three channels.
The team at The Molecule then opens these files in NUKE - which reads the multiview OpenEXR as a 3D file and work begins in Ocula and Nuke.
We shot the film in 5K, 5:1 with a 5% custom frame guide to allow us a bit of room for post HIT adjustments, the film was shot MOSTLY converged, with some specific shots and VFX elements in parallel.
The Molecule has a custom render farm currently running 250 processors - some details can be found HERE
The Molecule then renders versions for viewer in side-by-side, 1920x1080, DNxHD36 to drop into Avid and review. Final renders will be to 5K, Multi-View 3D OpenEXR files.
The film will DI's at OFFHOLLYWOOD on SGO MISTIKA - we are installing the first system on the East Coast - this is the finishing system that Peter Jackson's team selected to finish The Hobbit.
Mistika reads and supports multi-view 3D OpenEXR files - so during the DI - all media will be 5K EPIC R3Ds with the exception of VFX - which will be 5K linear OpenEXR.
HELLBENDERS will be finished in 2D, 4K for eventual REDRAY release and 2K 3D DCP.
I pinch myself every day that we can do this stuff - and how amazing it all looks. And how easy it actually is.
If anyone tells you that you cant do a true 4K finish of feature budgeted under $5M - shot in 3D -and do your VFX in 5K - tell them to call me
We are screening directors cut June 30th in an attempt to get selected for a world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in September. Fingers crossed.
The film is being edited by Jacob Craycroft, who cut Super Troopers and Our Idiot Brother (shot on RED film that was acquired by The Weinstein Company at Sundance for $7M) - sound design is being done by Lew Goldstein - who did LIMITLESS.
I'll post some screenshots of VFX in progress in a few days.
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