DaVinci for Mac, game changer or game over?

[lionel2p]

Save your money on Davio. Resolve includes full Cinespace support. Just provide your monitor profile (just find someone with Cinespace to profile it for you) and the target profile and Resolve will build your own custom 3D monitor LUT. Resolve is world class! It's like getting Truelight thrown in for free...
Scratch? No dice...
It seems, that I keep harping at shortcomings of Scratch, but people keep comparing $70k Scratch to $1k software only Resolve or even $50k Resolve with one of the best panels out here (it was $70k only last year) and I'm just pointing out, that Resolve isn't such bad choice:-)

Thank for the tip Jake, I'll keep Davio for the projector :) - OFF TOPIC- Do you have any experience with Xrite Hubble ? END OFF TOPIC.

We can discuss hours about features of every grading systems on the market but according to the passion here, game changer is the appropriate reply :)

[Frank Cueto]

Of course Andrea. But someone with a 50K DaVinci will want to make some of his money back, and while you sit and wait for the $50,000 or $1,000 DaVinci, Me and the guys with all the other suites, from Pablos to Speedgrades are making money, providing service, building relationships and expanding our skills.

Succesful color rooms are not just a software, SPECIALLY when you are going to be working 10-20 days with the same guy. It takes a lot of patience and client-savy, and while you might have those skills, it doesn't mean the guy you will hire to drive it will. So you will have to stop doing all the profitable things you could do, to drive the suite.

I really could have cared less which system my colorist picked. IN all honesty, the cheapest one possible for him to feel he can deliver to his clients and not to be making up excuses. He wanted Baselight, end of story. Happy Colorist, happy Clients :-)

It will be a TON harder for the guy with the 50K DaVinci to explain how his setup is deifferent to his kid's, than for me to explain that one :-)

[jake blackstone]

We didn't check out specs when we bought Baselight. We just tried out the systems and picked out the one we liked the most, THEN we went about the process of acquiring. Took us better part of a Year to buy into it. are there cheaper solutions? OF COURSE. we paid a GODLY amount for it, but it has been good to us.

I suggest driving the systems first. THen choose which one you like and fits best with your clientele and then making a financial plan around that decision. Maybe it could be a loss leader for you if it gets u a ton of volume in other departments?

Also, as a small-medium facility its nice to not hear my clients mention to me how their kids have the pirated version at home :-) Believe it or not thats a HUGE PLUS in my market. I feel sorry for the facilities that have to work harder all the time to justify their rates and then they hear a comment like that one from their client. Yes its about the talent, but it doesn't help ONE BIT...

The same way you can buy it for 1K, someone else will download it for 0K.

Heard about something similar happening with scratch and smoke/flame. Its nice to not hear my client say that their kids got baselight back home.

A couple of years ago I had a grading facility in Kiev. I had Baselight HD and I couldn't be happier with it, but just about every other place in town had pirated copy of either Scratch or Lustre or just Color. But clients still would come over, because I was providing superior quality. Now I get jobs from all over Eastern Europe and it is not because I have high quality tools, but of the quality of my work. Now, more than ever, one needs to be informed, as to what is out there in order to be able to explain clearly and truthfully why you can provide better service, than the guy next door with pirated copy. Everyone knows Baselight and everyone knows DaVinci. So now, you can't just dismiss the little guys on purely name recognition. Now he has the same prestigious label without pirating it. And now YOU have to deliver and justify the higher price. And that you can't just buy. Reputation can only be earned...

[Andrae Palmer]

Kids love playing with knobs... their toy doesn't have any knobs... a two year old can see the difference.

[Frank Cueto]

A couple of years ago I had a grading facility in Kiev. I had Baselight HD and I couldn't be happier with it, but just about every other place in town had pirated copy of either Scratch or Lustre or just Color. But clients still would come over, because I was providing superior quality. Now I get jobs from all over Eastern Europe and it is not because I have high quality tools, but of the quality of my work. Now, more than ever, one needs to be informed, as to what is out there in order to be able to explain clearly and truthfully why you can provide better service, than the guy next door with pirated copy. Everyone knows Baselight and everyone knows DaVinci. So now, you can't just dismiss the little guys on purely name recognition. Now he has the same prestigious label without pirating it. And now YOU have to deliver and justify the higher price. And that you can't just buy. Reputation can only be earned...

Couldn't agree more!!! I am glad it's that way

[jake blackstone]

Thank for the tip Jake, I'll keep Davio for the projector :) - OFF TOPIC- Do you have any experience with Xrite Hubble ? END OFF TOPIC.

If you can afford it, that's the way to go for projector calibration and it works with Cinespace.

[jake blackstone]

Couldn't agree more!!! I am glad it's that way

Said all that, I wish I still had my Baselight. In my own opinion, it's the best overall system out there at any price. And FilmLight is an outstanding company. I'm jealous:-)

[shashbugu]

We didn't check out specs when we bought Baselight. We just tried out the systems and picked out the one we liked the most, THEN we went about the process of acquiring. Took us better part of a Year to buy into it. are there cheaper solutions? OF COURSE. we paid a GODLY amount for it, but it has been good to us.

I suggest driving the systems first. THen choose which one you like and fits best with your clientele and then making a financial plan around that decision. Maybe it could be a loss leader for you if it gets u a ton of volume in other departments?

Also, as a small-medium facility its nice to not hear my clients mention to me how their kids have the pirated version at home :-) Believe it or not thats a HUGE PLUS in my market. I feel sorry for the facilities that have to work harder all the time to justify their rates and then they hear a comment like that one from their client. Yes its about the talent, but it doesn't help ONE BIT...

The same way you can buy it for 1K, someone else will download it for 0K.

Heard about something similar happening with scratch and smoke/flame. Its nice to not hear my client say that their kids got base-light back home.

Guess what buddy we are not your clients, I really don't care how many people pirate the software, I will buy the $995 Davinci Resolve, its a no brainer, I will also buy an BM ultra-scope. There is absolutely nothing wrong with checking out the specs on paper or discussing the short comings. There are some on this thread that own facilities just like yours or are trying to build facilities, so getting information from people like you is very relevant. there are thousands of kids pirating whatever they get their hands on 99.9% of their stuff ends up on youtube. If your clients kid has base-light at home and is talented, you should freelance jobs to him at pizza delivery prices.

[Frank Cueto]

Guess what buddy we are not your clients, I really don't care how many people pirate the software, I will buy the $995 Davinci Resolve, its a no brainer, I will also buy an BM ultra-scope. There is absolutely nothing wrong with checking out the specs on paper or discussing the short comings. There are some on this thread that own facilities just like yours or are trying to build facilities, so getting information from people like you is very relevant. there are thousands of kids pirating whatever they get their hands on 99.9% of their stuff ends up on youtube. If your clients kid has base-light at home and is talented, you should freelance jobs to him at pizza delivery prices.

I used to be the guy doing the jobs for Pizza (back in 1992-94 on amiga's turbo silver) :-) got hired to work on a video toaster in exchange for RAM, all 512K's of it.

Dont get me wrong, people like you are thE best clients in the world. Once they walk in, I know they tried at home and come with a lot of respect for what we do. When it comes time to put a price on the work that makes it a LOT easier.


Matter of fact, I believe 100% of my clientele has FCP and Color and all those things, i've being hearing the demise of the "high-end" suite for decades ( alot of people forget that high-end suites come with HIGH-END service as well). The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Frank Cueto]

Said all that, I wish I still had my Baselight. In my own opinion, it's the best overall system out there at any price. And FilmLight is an outstanding company. I'm jealous:-)

That's easily fixed, rent our suite

(friendly banter, this thread is turning into a minefield, hence this disclaimer ;-) )