RED FCP CG and DI workflow for film

[Chamath Paranawidana]

Hi,

I have 8 TB footage of a film which has been shot with the RED EPIC at 23.98 fps 4K HD. The film also includes a lot of CGI work. I need expert advise on the most suitable workflow to maintain hi quality and efficiency.

Available resources

Apple Mac pro with FCP and RED ROCKET installed

requirements -

1. The CG work will be done in 2K. required footage will be exported (as tiff 16 bit 2K ungraded ) from RED CINE X. The final CG shots can be exported to DPX

2. Do i need to confirm the footage from 23.98 fps to 24 fps ? the guide audio tracks have been recorded in 24fps. Which means I will have sync issues if i drag that to a 24p timeline. What is the best option ?

Should I use FCP log and transfer to convert the footage and continue editing with the native frame rate or export from redcine X ( with the power of RED ROCKET ) by confirming the frame rate to 24 fps and apple pro res

3. What is the best DI workflow ? if I re link 4K native raw files for grading with Apple Color how would the 2K CG shots look like ? can I import the .DPX 2K sequence of CG shots and insert them in Apple Color or is there a better way ti insert the final CG shots ?

4. The film should be CROPPED to 2:35 aspect ratio.

Please advise me on how I should proceed with this project

Thank You

Cham19

[Danai Chutinaton]

Is your final project going to be 24 or 23.98?

[Chamath Paranawidana]

24 fps

[Danai Chutinaton]

Try this with a long clip with audio. Export your 23.98 r3d to prores 4:4:4: 2k. Use cinematools to "interpret" the footage to 24p. This will be as if you under cranked your footage. Then speed uo your audio track by 99.999%. There should be no audible loss in quality. I hope thats right.

[Colin Hubick]

Hi Chamath, I have tried to answer each of your questions directly after each question, hope my insight is useful to you.


1. The CG work will be done in 2K. required footage will be exported (as tiff 16 bit 2K ungraded ) from RED CINE X. The final CG shots can be exported to DPX.

First it would be useful to get a copy of the offline locked picture with all the offline media, this will be a huge asset in moving forward on the VFX. We regularly create our own VFX pulls based on the locked picture, both as a way to do the pulls, and as a way to check that durations, and continuity are being checked through-out the VFX process. I can't stress how important this part is.

The next thing that we do is create a File Maker database with a screen grab of the first frame of each VFX. (see attached screen grab of the VFX database we use in File maker) This is vitally important for organization. The Foundry has an excellent piece of software called Heiro that helps with this, but it isn't the only option. Redcine is an excellent tool too, just that Heiro is specifically designed for the VFX industry.


2. Do i need to confirm the footage from 23.98 fps to 24 fps ? the guide audio tracks have been recorded in 24fps. Which means I will have sync issues if i drag that to a 24p timeline. What is the best option ?

Keep in a 23.976 world, it offers the most flexibility down the road to the DI, and has no drawbacks in quality or usability down the road. As a VFX house, it is important to remember where your shots are going to make it as smooth for your DI house as possible. This ultimately will make it smoother for you. Long story short if the film was shot at 23.976, then stay in that world, for sure.

Should I use FCP log and transfer to convert the footage and continue editing with the native frame rate or export from redcine X ( with the power of RED ROCKET ) by confirming the frame rate to 24 fps and apple pro res

Again, either will be able to create offline files for you, but I find that outputting your offline media from REDCINE is a much better solution than FCP Log and Transfer. This is just my opinion and I'm sure others have there opinion, but this has always worked for us in practice.

3. What is the best DI workflow ? if I re link 4K native raw files for grading with Apple Color how would the 2K CG shots look like ? can I import the .DPX 2K sequence of CG shots and insert them in Apple Color or is there a better way ti insert the final CG shots ?

If your plan is to finish the film in 4k, then all your VFX elements / plates / etc, should be exported in 4k. And all your VFX work should be done in 4k. This is where it's important to know what ultimately is the final resolution you will deliver at. If the film is being finished in 4k, then 4k DPX LOG sequences is what I would output our working files as. If the rest of the film is finished in 4k, and you do all your vex work in 2k, your VFX work will suffer compared to the other 4k material.


4. The film should be CROPPED to 2:35 aspect ratio.

This is a final DI decision, but keep in the back of your mind that you would rather have all your hard VFX work scaled down, then scaled up. So as the VFX house you must be cognitive of how your shots will be used once they leave your shop. After the shots are gone, you don
t have control over them anymore, and you want to give your DI house, and colourist the most options and best quality you can provide. Try to make your colourists job easier, not harder, they ultimately will have the intention on making YOUR images look BETTER. Give them what they need.


Hope this helps!
Colin

[Chamath Paranawidana]

Thank you very much for your advise. It helped me a lot. You said its better to be in the 23.98 world since its shot in 23.98. The problem with that is the guide sound tracks are recorded in 24 fps. If I drag them to a 23.98 timeline there will be a sync issue. Danai Chutinaton suggested that I should speed up my audio tracks. What do you suggest ?

[Colin Hubick]

The issue that I would raise by conforming your 23.976fps material to 24fps is that 24fps material is more difficult to down convert to other frame rates like 29.97fps. I would be more inclined to request that the footage remain at 23.976, and change the fps of the audio.

That is what I would suggest.

cheers
Colin

[Patrik Forsberg]

Colin,
Really like your filemaker app. Anything you share or sell?

Best
Patrik

[Chamath Paranawidana]

Thanks Colin. Appreciate your support.

[Colin Hubick]

No problem, you are welcome!