Monkey Extract Confusion and Questions

[joe hedge]

I'm a little confused about what it is that ME does that FCP doesn't do.

My understanding is that ME transcodes the clips in your sequence based on the edit points in the timeline, instead of the entire clips, and creates a new xml linked to those transcoded clips.

Does this mean that if you want to color correct the R3D's in FCP Color, ME doesn't do any good, because ME (or any program) will not create "shortened" R3D's that are based on the edit points in the timeline?

Also, will Color only render all of the clips sent to it, whether they're ProRes transcodes or R3D's, regardless of the edit points in the XML sent to it - which is the main reason ME exists in the first place?

Also, wouldn't it be simpler to just transcode everything to your online specs, edit that, and use FCP Media Manager to consolidate (as they say in Avid Land) your transcodes, and send that to Color? What am I missing here?

 

[Kaku Ito]

Monkey Extract is not only made for FCS, it could serve in many different purposes with footage shot with RED.

Gotta check but it does render out the whole clips and still create the conformed XML.
Aslo the benefit of render with ME (REDLINE) is the presence of OLPF process, Color does not support this yet, so you could get sharper image. Especially when you render out to 2K or HD from 4K footage, the difference is significant.

Color 1.5 can be outputting the handles but when you change edits, you would wanna do that in FCP, save the XML, then updated in Color. All based on if you render the master clips with whole, or longer length.

Media Manager idea is good, too. All based on how you want to handle things. I've done many R3D developing for jobs but depending on what I got asked, I used different method, but I tend to use Monkey Extract all the time to save workflow steps and time.
I just want Money Extract to support Red Rocket now, so it would be super fast.

 

[joe hedge]

Color 1.5 can be outputting the handles but when you change edits, you would wanna do that in FCP, save the XML, then updated in Color. All based on if you render the master clips with whole, or longer length.

So Color 1.5 will only output the entire content of the clips in the XML?

 

[Kaku Ito]

So Color 1.5 will only output the entire content of the clips in the XML?

When you render without setting for the handles, then it will output pretty much only the in/out points unless you have transitions (which will be like the handles).

 

[joe hedge]

When you render without setting for the handles, then it will output pretty much only the in/out points unless you have transitions (which will be like the handles).

Sorry but I don't know which program you are referring to, ME or Color...do you mean that Color will render in/out points, or ME?

If Color will render out the media between the in/out points in the sequence, then why use ME?

 

[Kaku Ito]

joe,

For FCP/Color integration, you won't use Monkey Extract as much. But say if people to shoot RED, then develop the raw clips using RED Alert or Clipfinder, then create rushes and DPX or TIFF without using FCS, Monkey Extract is a great tool.

Also, say you created rushes in DV format, then editor edits using the DV format, export XML, then Monkey Extract imports the XML and conform to the original R3Ds, then create DPX or tiff to submit to composition guys, or to send to online system without needing to use FCS.

 

[joe hedge]

Thank You for your time and patience Kaku, I was just trying to wrap my head around what I perceive to be the main drawback of sending R3D's to Color, namely that Color is going to render out all of each and every R3D, not just the segments between the in/out points in the sequence. Is there any way around this...or have you already answered this question and I am just too dense to understand it?

 

[Kaku Ito]

No problem joe,

If you are concerned about regrading and re-rendering in Color because of edit changes in FCP, you do so by sending the new XML and reconform in Color, so the grading work can be applied automatically unless there's a new clip. You do have to render the changes but already rendered and unchanged portion should be intact.