Workflow advice needed for a FCP music video

[jake blackstone]

Sure it would. If they need an uncompressed delivery, output it uncompressed. Or play it out to SR tape. The days of purity in terms of compression are long gone. I can name (I won't, but I can) at least 2 network dramas and 2 high end cable dramas that are posted using compressed files and delivered as HDCam SR tape. At least two are completely posted in DNxHD115 (yes, 115, not 175). Another is posted in ProRes (not HQ). If anyone thinks that high end material demands uncompressed material through the post process today in order to be acceptable, they are simply mistaken. I'm not saying whether or not I think this is a good trend, but it is fact.

Again, I agree, but just because it's an open industry secret, it doesn't mean it is proper and should be followed. Heck, Cannon Mark II 5D camera shoots H264 and I just had graded itl for an industrial video. To a naked eye it looks decent, but once you start grading, it just falls apart. Granted, Prores or DNxHD 115 or even 175 is a much milder compression codecs, but it's still compression. You just can't recompress it, grade it, then output as an uncompressed codec and call it a day. Yes, cable, satellite TV and Web collectively managed to bring the the video quality to a new lows, but I still prefer to grade it uncompressed, when final deliverables call for. I realize, that 3/4" U-Matic was never intended to be a broadcast format, but you already know the rest of the story

 

[jake blackstone]

Sure it would. If they need an uncompressed delivery, output it uncompressed. Or play it out to SR tape. The days of purity in terms of compression are long gone. I can name (I won't, but I can) at least 2 network dramas and 2 high end cable dramas that are posted using compressed files and delivered as HDCam SR tape. At least two are completely posted in DNxHD115 (yes, 115, not 175). Another is posted in ProRes (not HQ). If anyone thinks that high end material demands uncompressed material through the post process today in order to be acceptable, they are simply mistaken. I'm not saying whether or not I think this is a good trend, but it is fact.

Just another quick point in agreement on business practices. And I will actually name names I used to work at a very big post facility in Burbank. In there we did dailies and color grading for a lot of network shows. The one show in question was the show you all know very well- Friends. Well, you'd imagine, that the cornerstone of NBC programming for many years would be done at the highest quality possible. Dailies were done on the RANK Mark III, if I remember correctly, and recorded to D2- a composite video recorder. Then it was tape to tape color corrected on DaVinci Renaissance. And yes, DigiBeta and D1 were already around by then. So, yes, good shows and quality not always complimentary

 

[M Most]

You just can't recompress it, grade it, then output as an uncompressed codec and call it a day.

And yet it's done every day. Successfully.

I don't necessarily disagree with you. But when you're giving advice to someone, I think the advice needs to be appropriate to the level of expertise and understanding that seems to be present. There's no sense in complicating things for very minimal gain, especially when the person asking seems to want and need a simpler path.

 

[jake blackstone]

And yet it's done every day. Successfully.

I don't necessarily disagree with you. But when you're giving advice to someone, I think the advice needs to be appropriate to the level of expertise and understanding that seems to be present. There's no sense in complicating things for very minimal gain, especially when the person asking seems to want and need a simpler path.

Well, I propose, that we agree to disagree. The workflow, that I consistently advocate isn't necessarily more complicated. In my experience I'd found, that grading compressed files is generally not the best idea. Of coarse, there are different levels of compression and Prores or DNxHD codecs aren't necessarily so bad. But personally I would always prefer and recommend to use an uncompressed form of the material, whenever possible or practical.
Of coarse, r3d files by it's own nature are compressed as well, so I certainly can see the irony of my position

 

[Carlos Corral]

I'm actually editing a short film right now and I chose this workflow:

http://www.mindwarpentertainment.com/blog/2009/04/editing-with-redcode/

See if that helps your editor.

 

[M Most]

Well, I propose, that we agree to disagree.... I would always prefer and recommend to use an uncompressed form of the material, whenever possible or practical.

But you're a professional colorist. He isn't.