Newbie questions!

[Jonathan Burton]

Hi Everyone, i am a newbie here, so any advice would be really helpful. My question is this: Is it possible say, for archival purposes, to have a full quality 4k edit of your finished film in a digital format without going DI and then to film? I know that the .r3d have a quicktime file that points to the source footage and this is what you edit with in a 1 or 2k res, and then make an edit decision list for Di, but is it possible, after you have edited to have a full 4k final copy edit in digital form perhaps to go out to film at a later date or just to whack on a portable for storage?

 

[Christopher Grant Harvey]

It is, depends what format you need/require.

 

[Mike Harrington]

you can't write to Redcode....
maybe in the future...

so you could do an edit in DPX ect

with the Adobe plugin you are not editing quicktime referances....it's the actual 4k file....just at 1/8, 1/4 rez ect...
then once the editing is complete you revert it to full rez and output...

basically Redcode is not an output option right now
If you have the money...cineform Prospect 4k is the way to go...as you can write to the cineform format...
but for film out you will probably need DPX eventually, which you could convert cineform to at that time.

 

[Christopher Grant Harvey]

CineForm P4K offers a DPX <> CF AVI converter so that is an option.

 

[Jonathan Burton]

with the Adobe plugin you are not editing quicktime referances....it's the actual 4k file....just at 1/8, 1/4 rez ect...
then once the editing is complete you revert it to full rez and output...

Can you edit the actual 4k files in final cut too?

 

[Mike Harrington]

if money is an issue, you could export to a 4k jpeg 2000...I think morgan has one for cheap, or another lossless compressed format...or DPX but it will be HUGE!!

once you leave either Redcode Raw or Cineform...you loose the ability to do things like change white balance non-destructively....so your first light color corrections must be exactly what you want...no different from regular video, but you loose some of the flexability of a raw codec

http://www.morgan-multimedia.com/M-JPEG2000/details.htm

 

[Mike Harrington]

Can you edit the actual 4k files in final cut too?

with cineform you can edit a cropped version...4000 pix instead of 4096
but not in FCP by itself...at least not in redcode raw....

 

[Jonathan Burton]

thanks for all the help guys! I guess my big concern was that it seems a bit of a waste to shoot in 4k and only ever export digitally in HD. I really liked the idea of having a full 4k digital version. A cinema near me has just got a new 4k digital projector, and as these become more common it would be nice to have a full quality edit in digital form. Out of interest, is this a issue/important ideal for you guys? or am i fussing about nothing?!:sarcasm:

Also do you guys think the work flow will change with the introduction of the new Scarlet and Epic cameras??

 

[David Newman]

basically Redcode is not an output option right now
If you have the money...cineform Prospect 4k is the way to go...as you can write to the cineform format...
but for film out you will probably need DPX eventually, which you could convert cineform to at that time.

Thanks for the plug. One update some film-out houses to accept CineForm MOVs for direct filmout. FotoKem and Lasergraphics are two off the top of my head. FotoKem is filming out a IMAX feature posted in CineForm compression under Prospect 4K using compressed masters.

 

[Mike Harrington]

good to know..

is the film out format based on the machine being used?

for instance...I was under the impression that an Arri laser would only take DPX...

 

[David Newman]

True, while the LaserGraphics film recorder can take CineForm MOVs directly, you only need to be concerned about is what the film out facillity will accept. It is much easier delivering CineForm files than drives filled with DPX files.