R3D workflow with greenscreen redcolor/redgamma vs. flatpass

[Eric Rainey]

In dealing with greenscreen I have a question about best workflow. I have to tell the set how to make the prores quicktimes in redcine-x. Traditionally you would ask for a flat pass to work with in visual effects and keying out a greenscreen. But....With redcolor/redgamma skin color looks so good and I don't want to move away from this?

Can someone tell me if there is a different or better workflow than this...
1. At DIT station set look, transfer redcolor/redgamma to quicktime prores(HQ).
2. Edit.
3. Then take selects from edit(r3d) into redcine-x to do a flat pass so we can pull some mattes?
4. Use the Mattes on the original quicktimes from DIT?

Or... put the selects(r3d) into After Effects and pull mattes so we can use with original quicktimes from DIT.


We could also do more color correct later in redcine-x and use the mattes but I need to simplify and explain to the producers.... to cover my ass.

Any help would be great!!!

[Barend Onneweer]

If lit well I've been pulling super clean mattes from recent Red builds (way improved since build 16...). For instance Keylight seems to respond better to images that are around gamma 2.2 so you'd probably be fine pulling mattes from the Redcolor material.

I wouldn't key from Prores though - make sure you've got some uncompressed clips to work with for that.

[Kevin Hansen]

For most of our work, we go to ProRes 4444 and get great keys.

Kevin

[Brandon Kraemer]

Camera RGB and RED Log is how I transcode all my material (to uncompressed 10-bit or DPX) for 2D and Color Correction. We offline with pro-res or proxies. I will hand off 2k plates in RED Log for mattes and roto, then send off graded plates for final composite.

[Barend Onneweer]

For most of our work, we go to ProRes 4444 and get great keys.

Kevin

I admit I haven't tried ProRes444 but just last week I accidentally converted some shots of a project to ProRes 422 and the difference in hair detail was very obvious. 444 will obviously make a difference so if it works for you it works.

Personally I don't mind the filesizes and enjoy working with the cleanest footage I can.

[paulherrin]

i would pull it from the original r3ds over the prores files, or if you can't work with the r3d's use tif or DPX sequences...