updates for PC workflow?

[keghnan]

hello,
any AVID updates for PC workflow?
if not, are we going to see any relief in PC workflow anytime soon?

Thanks

 

[Christopher Grant Harvey]

hello,
any AVID updates for PC workflow?
if not, are we going to see any relief in PC workflow anytime soon?

Thanks

Not sure what you mean by relief? The SDK is out and many 3rd parties have it. CineForm has had a working solution for a long time now for Mac and PC.

R3D's can now be imported natively into Premiere Pro CS4.

Here is a link to the page for Red/Avid support, on the bottom right there is a tab you can click on to receive updates.

http://www.avid.com/red/

 

[keghnan]

yeah, but SDk is for Premier right?
I am talking about Avid.
my concern is that I have a PC workstation MC2.6 software only and I will shoot a music video next month, and my concern is that my equipment can't handle it.
my workstation is 670 precision, 4GB ram, quadro FX 4500, 500Boot and 500SATA raid1.
I heard that for better quality image, redrushes is much better than Redcine, and Redcine works for PC only. so what is the best solution for me? shoot 4K or 2K, I know for undercrank I will go 2K, what about steady or tracking shots?
note that the output will be DVD.
I really appreciate your advices.

Thanks in advance

 

[Christopher Grant Harvey]

SDK is for all vendors not only Premiere. Besides the plugin is not 100% Adobe, it is more a RED plugin but with a lot of help from Adobe.

Read through the AVID workflow guide included in the link I gave you, it will answer your questions and more.

 

[MichaelP]

We are working with SDK to get some PC solutions out soon. MetaFuze will be the first to get the treatment to create DNxHD directly and natively rather than go through QuickTime first. We just received SDK with audio support so we decided to delay a bit to include that as well. If you want to start getting familiar with MetaFuze in its original version go to www.avid.com/metafuze

Michael

 

[keghnan]

is there step by step guide using Metafuze?
cause now I got more confused.
so let me get this straight for SD DVD output:
1-Load R3D into Redcine.
2-Color correct, decide aspect ratio then Export as DPX.
3-Import into Metafuze.
4-Export as MXF or DNxHD? here I am confused.
5-Import into Avid MC.
6-Edit, ad visual effects if needed.
7-Export to Sorenson Squeeze.
8-Compress to MPEG 2.
9-Burn to DVD.

am I in the right track? is ALE or XML involved in this process?
please advise me.

Thanks

 

[MichaelP]

Once MetaFuze supports R3D directly you will most likely skip steps 1-3. MetaFuze will create MAX wrapped DNxHD directly. You drop these into your MediaFile folder and start editing. MetaFuze will take LUTs and an RLX file from Red Alert.

If your needs today are to only work in HD for SD DVD delivery I would create DNxHD 175x QT from REDCINE, use either MetaCheater to create an ALE or the XML to ALE convertor from Avid. The metadata is only there if you need to conform out to another system If you are doing everything in Avid, then just import the QT DNxHD files without XML or ALE. For now, all the timecodes will be 00:00:00:00 but that may not be an issue for you.

Michael

 

[keghnan]

Great, I feel much comfort now.
one quick question though, is the quality going to be the same as the original shot or I would expect some loss of resolution?

I appreciate your help.
Thanks

 

[keghnan]

I'm sorry loss of quality what I meant to say.
And when do you think Metafuze will launch to do the job that you described above?

Thanks

 

[MichaelP]

There is a resolution reduction since you are going from a 3K/4K image to an HD size image then compressed to an SD MPEG2 format. You have to expect some reduction of comparitive quality along the way.

Can't when MetaFuze will be available - being a public company, we can't speak beyond current quarter boundaries.

Michael

 

[keghnan]

I know the resolution loss when you go Mpeg2, but my question was from
3k,4K to HD 1080. export as DNxHD do we lose resolution or quality?

another question. some local TV stations ask for the file of the project that they air through their editing suite timeline. in this case what is the best format we can get them, lossless and small file? any ideas?

I understand the corporate policies. but do you think there is a hope with in a month? sorry to be pushy.

Thanks in advance

 

[MichaelP]

From 2K to 1080 is not too much of a resolution loss. You also lose some color information since HD in Avid is 4:2:2 unless you want to finish in HD-RGB in Avid DS. Avid DS will also let you finish in 2K and 4K but you will still need to deliver an HD or SD broadcast master anyway. Much like television programs shooting film, you are protecting your assets as a high resolution RGB format to create better HD/SD image by a concept called super-sampling and you have an archive for future use that will meet whatever broadcast standard comes down the road in the next decade or so.

When you say "air through their editing suite timeline" what system are they using? Usually "small and lossless" don't go hand in hand.

As far as MetaFuze, I would guess in Q1 of 2009.

Michael

 

[keghnan]

I did learn something new here, super-sampling. is this the same situation in FCP? cause I know some studios use FCP systmes for their editorial, or even some movies have been cut with FCP, but do they finish in FCP?

so basically if we want to reserve the quality and colors, we send from MC to DS, right?
well my question would be, do we open the same MC project with DS? or do we have to export the project as EDL or any other format?

finishing 2K or 4K in DS, does this mean you export the project from DS as file (reserving the resolution and the quality), and where do you export to?

another question, for future use of any project, lets say you finsihed in MC, but you need to finish in other NLE in the future, what format do you export and save the sequence as?

I think some stations use FCP and some use Premier.

sorry guys if I ask too much question, but I am so hungry for answers.

Thanks in advance

 

[Christoffer Glans]

For the moment I think the best workflow is the one I use at the moment for a feature film.

1. Import R3D in redcine and do the corrections needed before exporting everything to DNxHD in a resolution and debayering of choice.

2. Import every rendered clip into MetaCheater and create an ALE.

3. Import the ALE into Avid and batch import all the clips.

4. Import audio and sync, work and edit.

5. Export an XML through filmscribe

6. Use cineXML to create an XML timeline for RedCine

7. Export 2K or 4K DPX-files from the edited timeline in redcine.

8. Export EDL from Avid and online, grade, post etc.

This is by far the most easy workflow for PC and it's really fast.
It also has a number of advantages compared to mac workflow because when you do the DPX export after editing you can reframe and do a first color correction right on your offline computer.

Only drawback is that the import of DNxHD into Avid seems to be a bit too long when the file is the same as Avid uses = shouldn't be any transcoding at all.

 

[Henrik Cednert]

As far as MetaFuze, I would guess in Q1 of 2009.

Michael

Anythging new about the beta of MetaFuze Michael. Have gotten a couple of "i'll get back to you asap" from Vincent. But nothing concrete. We're prepping a show here and I start to get a bit nervous that we might have to look at something else then metafuze. :glare:

 

[MichaelP]

With the last release of the SDK, we now have access to the audio within the R3D files so we went back to support an audio workflow within MetaFuze. Please give your contact details to Vincent to forward to me and as soon as we have something "beta'ble" I will send along.

Michael

 

[Henrik Cednert]

Hey man =)

Sweet! He has my details already. =)

With the last release of the SDK, we now have access to the audio within the R3D files so we went back to support an audio workflow within MetaFuze. Please give your contact details to Vincent to forward to me and as soon as we have something "beta'ble" I will send along.

Michael

 

[Sean]

Will this lead to the much-anticipated R3D to DNxHD converter with audio? That wouldn't be through Metafuze as well, would it?

 

[MichaelP]

Yes, it would be through metafuze - R3D picture and sound to DNxHD...

Michael

 

[Sean]

Ah, okay. Will we have to go through the XML to ALE step to get DNxHD files? Or will we be able to simply select the R3D files directly and then batch convert to DNxHD?