First Red edit; questions/advice

[Nick Hrycyk]

I'm starting work on a short shot all with Red. After researching as much as I can for the last week and doing test after test, I still have a few workflow questions. Scenes were all shot 24FPS, audio double system at 48k, 24FPS.
750gb of shots total.

My apologies for length of post but inquiring minds want to know.!

Proposed workflow;
1. Convert Red files to QT Mpeg4.(Using RedCine)
2. Convert XML to ALE.
3. Import into Avid MC 3.05, SD (don't have Mojo DX, would rather edit being able to see pix on monitor, not just computer monitor.)
4. Edit, Lock pix and sound
5. While edit is happening, start conversion of Red to DPX.
6. Export AAF for Audio post, Pro-Tools sessions, 5:1 surround sound finish
7. Up-rez and finish in Discreet Smoke, from DPX files or (rumors Discreet is working on using Red directly.)
8. Possible light CC in Smoke or transfer finished files to Pablo or Lustre. (Or insert suggestions here!)

Stuff available;
1. 2 PC's, identical, 3ghz Intel dual core chips, 4gb ram, Nvidia cards. MC 3.05, Redcine, Metacheater installed. (WinXP Pro)
2. 1 Macbook Pro (believe it has Intel dual 3ghz chip) with Red Rushes, RedAlert and RedCine installed. Should I put MC 3.05 on this.)
3. Possibly 4 proc, Dell workstation, running Windows XP 64
4. Possibly 2 proc, Xeon workstation running Win XP Pro.
5. Disreet Smoke, latest software upgraded last week.
6. Avid Nitris DS running v8.4

Questions;

1. Any and all workflow advice, only caveat is can't do FCP.
2. Is RedRushes quicker than RedCine for intial Mpeg conversion? (I plan on running RedCine on the 3 main machines to do the inital conversions)
3. How would I do QT ref files in RedRushes? I know this would slow down import to MC, but total time wise is it worth pursuing?
4. One of the PC's doing the conversions has had some issues with RedCine.

After doing a conversion on a cam roll, the QT files show correct approx time for conversions, also correct apporx file size, no errors generated from RedCine, but QT playback show just a stillframe from on of the first files converted. No ryhme or resaon, once it converted 3 files correctly, then halfway thru the fourth file, rest of QT was still frame from file, all 32 other conversions played just same still frame.

Same PC, if I turn on TC burn-in QT file are 1 frame video, 1 frame black thru entire quicktime. TC is there thru-out however??

Anybody seen either of these issues??

Thanks in advance for any and all help/suggestions. I'm sure I'll have more in the next few weeks. (Hopefully not as long!)

[MichaelP]

I am confused as to your need for MPEG confusion and hoping it is just an error in codec semantics...

REDrushes is the easiest way to make dailies. You can export directly out to QT wrapped DNxHD. And it makes the ALE file that carries all the metadata. Have you read through the PDF Step by Step Guide on avid.com/red? Use the REDrushes workflow.

Are you truly shooting 24fps or are you really shooting 23.976? That is a key question to ensure you are in the right project type to ensure sync.

Michael

[Nick Hrycyk]

I can't view an HD edit in the MC on monitors other than the edit pc monitors. If I edit using DNxHD then I have to do it in an HD project. If I use QT mpeg 4 then I can just edit in SD, swapping between the Avid systems as necessary. One is at work, 1 is at home, a friend has another that is available if needed. But they are all SD Mojo only!

Stuff was already shot, RedCine verifies 24, I am told the Audio files are true 24 but have not confirmed it yet on my own. (too busy testing video)

I have read thru the pdf several times, very helpful overall.

Since the plan is to finish in Smoke, and probably having to convert to DPX files, would the time savings using DNxHD be worth the hassle of not being able to see MC output on a large screen?

If I do switch and go DNxHD, would I have to import all ref files into Avid on a Mac then switch Project and MXF files to PC?

Thanks for all your help, especially all you have written!

[MichaelP]

Since you not making any color grading decisions in the offline, the full sceen playback via DVI might be good enough for you workflow wise to just go ahead and work in HD. You can always try switching your project type to NTSC once imported in the HD project and see how it plays out via your Mojo SD.

Michael