Report from the field: FCF Weapons #27 & #65 Endure 23 Day Midnight Sun Shoot.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Nope, you're on point still. I'm exploring the lowest REDCODE RAW Compression Ratios lately for various reasons. 6K FF 3:1 looks very nice, but 5:1 is still pretty much standard fair on big productions with Weapon. The 5:1-8:1 range is still the most common for 4K-6K.

I've done endless compression tests. Each one more boring than that last cause REDCODE is so good. But I will say this -

I'm a 5:1 guy because - it is actually overkill for MOST shots - but the amount of detail can vary dramatically shot to shot and what you don't want to do is have to think .... "is this a 8:1 shot or a 5:1 shot" - you want one setting - and that setting needs to be good enough to compress your highest detail composition.

When I test compression - I will often refer to the EDGE DETECT to visually represent to me how much detail is in the composition that those wavelets needs to crush. Edge detect is pre debayer as well - so it's dead to rights precision accurate. One of the most under-used power tools on RED cameras.

So often, what you THINK is a "average" or "non-high detail image" is actually a high detail image or visa-versa - because our freekin brains are so advanced.

I have always wondered if Matt & the firmware wizards at RED could use the existing edge detect algorithms to determine if the image is "higher" detail - and then LOWER your compression ratio from your base compression setting.

How cool would that be

Auto dynamic compression setting.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

REDCINE-X Pro Ver37 for the grading and transcodes. i took the 720 prores into final cut x and made 1 hour reels that i compressed to sd res and then sent to encodi for online viewing. low budget film so did not use the higher bandwidth DAX system that we usually use for exec on-line dailies.

As always, great to hear your experiences in the early days of these cameras.

Were you doing synching in Redcine-X and then importing into FCP X?

To me, the thing that interested me most about Weapon is the temperature control/auto black shade features. It's good to hear that you have found it to be consistent and low maintenance.

I agree with 5:1 being a sweet spot for features. I also agree with going with less compression on aerials when you can.

Good stuff Dino!

 

[dino g]

As always, great to hear your experiences in the early days of these cameras.

Were you doing synching in Redcine-X and then importing into FCP X?

To me, the thing that interested me most about Weapon is the temperature control/auto black shade features. It's good to hear that you have found it to be consistent and low maintenance.

I agree with 5:1 being a sweet spot for features. I also agree with going with less compression on aerials when you can. /

Yes STEVE redcine x for auto sync with mixer provided sound. Best thing besides the sync is the population of the scene and take numbers in the metadata (thank you david Fincher for that). Once I graded and synced the sound I pushed out dnxhd 36 1920 x 1080, then 720p pro res lt, then took the pro res into Fcp x and made the 1 hour reels and then compressed those using Fcp x. About 25 mins for each hour reel. That h264 was then uploaded by technicolor vancouver along with the audio, script reports, fool cat report, and avid media files to the editor in LA. The h264 was then put up on Encodi for viewing by the money guys and other producers.

Good stuff Dino!

 

[Michael Tiemann]

[...] When I test compression - I will often refer to the EDGE DETECT to visually represent to me how much detail is in the composition that those wavelets needs to crush. Edge detect is pre debayer as well - so it's dead to rights precision accurate. One of the most under-used power tools on RED cameras. [...]

Nice! Will add this to my bag of tricks.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Thanks for sharing Dino!!

 

[Stuart Graham]

11-13-2015, 03:08 PM

Good to hear Dino. Just a quick curiousity, what REDCODE RAW Compression Ratio was your main at speed recording setting?

More or less to curious to see what others have been up to. I'm mostly at 2:1-6:1 depending on what I'm doing and which resolution I'm shooting thus far with Weapon.​

I've set the WEAPON to 2:1 for everything and leave it 'yellow' when I'm on a speed or sensor size that can't achieve 2:1, which is the same as I did on DRAGON too...not sure why I'd want to shoot more compression than this.
last night I had the camera at 1280 ISO LLOLPF (6K 2:1) with Scorpio anamorphic's at T2 (wide open) ...so impressed, I left it as it was and then added a further -1.000 FLUT but nice to know the RAW has the extra detail in the sky/blacks if they want it.
This is my 4th WEAPON (FORGED#68 & #74) commercial in as many weeks and so far yeah! It's awesome & I can't look back!
Jeff Brown (BROWNIAN MOTION Lomdon) 3D printed an adapted block for the action products rear components from his fleet of DRAGONS & we have a great camera with 3 X HDSDI outs, LEMO's and 12v XLR in too..perfect for all my work on a dolly or on my Easy rig too
ill post some pics if anyone is interested to see the set up.

Stu

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Great read, thanks for sharing Dino!

 

[Bérenger Brillante]

Auto dynamic compression setting.

Well auto maybe overkill for some web based shoot, that don't need more than 8:1 because it's 720p in the end anyway.
But I agree, at least an exclamation mark for high details shot to warn your compression settings are too low would be cool.