Vegas

[Gbabymogul]

Not much posted about using Vegas, but now that redcine is out, maybe we could get a workflow going. Not having used Vegas before but considering it now, what would be th best workflow to get a 1080p final master for festivals etc...


1) Shoot 4K RAW.
2) Load footy into computer.
3) Process in Redcine, and output either,
a) qt proxies (reference r3d files) possible?.
b) or scale to 720/1080 best format to edit and monitor 720/1080p in Vegas realtime, which one ?
4) edit
5) generate edl
6) import edl and generate a pull list
and
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high end finish
a) go directly into Luki's cg/conform/data management (work directly)
b) take dpx's into high end suite for color grade, mix, and output deliverable for film out or high end master format...HD/SD Video - Rec. 709 color space, gamma 2.2, 10 bit 4:4:4 or 8 bit 4:2:2 , D-Cinema (DCI) - XYZ color space, gamma 2.6, 12 bit linear color resolution , Film - Kodak LUTs, gamma 2.6, Kodak Vision color print film, Fujicolor positive print 3513/3516 7
___________________________________
for indies
7) manual conform from pull list
OR
8) use pull list to take clips, scale to 1080p,
(possible to take into other indie program to conform, which ?)
9) Go into color grading program for final cg (using either pull list manual conform or conform from other program).
10) output deliverables
11) take to post house for full output
HD/SD Video - HDCAM SR, D5, HDCAM, Digibeta, DCI approved data files (TIFF, DPX, JPEG 2000), dubs: , DVD, HD DVD, Blue-ray, for festival and screeners for sales agents etc...

The only questions I have are :

1. What format to output from redcine to edit the best quality and real 24fps 1080p/720p in Vegas ?
2. Is the color grading in Vegas good enough so that you don't have to go to another program to color grade it with ? And which would you choose for festival and distribution ?
3. What kind of computing power will you need with 1080p 24fps (depending on format best to edit in vegas with). Is it possible to build a cheap computer just for that and processing raw to diff. formats.
I keep hearing that Vegas, despite a good computer, doesn't display, edit or monitor real time 1080p 24fps. Is that true ? Anyway to edit and monitor real time ?
2. How do you monitor 1080p out of Vegas, especially to a projector for dailies ?
3. Has anyone tried editing a project yet shot on red in Vegas ? What was your project settings, finishing apps, advice ?

forgive the ignorance about vegas please and feel free to tell me what it can do and can't, currently. i have no idea what is possible with it, but since no one else was mentioning it ;)

Obrigado

[jbeale]

I've been using Vegas for several years to edit DV and HDV material, but I can't help with your questions since I don't have a high-end computer. Do you really need real-time 1080p to edit with? I'm not doing national broadcast stuff, but it's certainly possible to edit with a lot lower resolution than the final output...

I will say that Vegas can accept pretty much any format you are likely to use. For example the H.264 .mov and .mp4 example files that people have posted here, load into Vegas just fine.

[Gbabymogul]

Do you really need real-time 1080p to edit with? I'm not doing national broadcast stuff, but it's certainly possible to edit with a lot lower resolution than the final output...

Ideally, I want to edit and finish in 1080p in a small studio for fest and alternative distribution, and then go back to a 4K master if and when we decide to go theatrical or get distribution. Primarily this is because then i can check at the deliverable level, focus, composition, color, artifacts, motion, not to mention we just like editing in 1080p.

And i'm still deciding on what nle and computer to get. Actually, i' a wee bit surpised more people haven't mentioned vegas as a great price and non-proprietary option.

[Gbabymogul]

II will say that Vegas can accept pretty much any format you are likely to use. For example the H.264 .mov and .mp4 example files that people have posted here, load into Vegas just fine.

Someones gotta want red & vegas :)

[jbeale]

Vegas tops out at 2048 x 2048 resolution, so if you need 4k output you would definitely need to go elsewhere. It has primary and secondary color correction tools which are perfectly adequate for my event video work, but I'm not a professional colorist.

Right now I'd opine Vegas is not ideal for theatrical work, because it only has one output format at >8 bit depth. That being 10-bit Sony YUV, a format probably little known outside of Vegas users. The current version, Vegas 8 actually has a 32-bit per pixel floating point format, but that is only internal to the program for now. Maybe they will expand the output formats later.

If you're really curious, I think Vegas has a free trial, so you can test it.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/...ct.asp?pid=457

[SalaTar]

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5976

[Gbabymogul]

hmm, i don't have an intel mac, so i can't test red workflow to vegas. Any input would be much appreciated ...

[David Taylor]

One option is to consider exporting CineForm files out of RedCine. They are fully compatible with Vegas.

[Finner]

I'm a little confused by people set on using avid or vegas over final cut. Arguments aside of which system is better it just seems that if a person plans to mainly use red then final cut is the clear winner.

It's been quite evident for a long time now that red and apple are in bed together and it only makes sense that final cut (as far as red features and options) will always be a few steps ahead of other editing programs. Especially with reds plan to always improve and change. So why invest and build a system that will always be behind? I just don't get it?

[jbeale]

One option is to consider exporting CineForm files out of RedCine. They are fully compatible with Vegas.

This is very interesting... can Vegas handle input and output of higher bit depths than 8 bits, via cineform? For some reason I thought it was still restricted to 8 bits, but I'd be happy to hear differently.