Highschool filmmaker needs help on Red workflow and editing

[Matthew Antonino]

So I just shot 2 short films this past week with some friends on the Red Epic. The camera was surprisingly easy and produced beautiful images. I don't get why so many people say it is really hard to use- sure cameras have problems occasionally, but by in large, to me it felt like an ipod- with its touch screen and navigation. To me, Red is to new independents as 16mm was to the French.

Anyway, I need to know a few things:
I plan on renting a red rocket, since I know that speeds up render times and transcoding, but where can I rent one from I am Atlanta based and would only need one for about a day.

This is what my workflow is going to be like, I guess (please correct me if I am wrong):

RedCineX light grade -> Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Edit in FCP7-> Export an XML
Reconnect the XML to R3D files in Davinci Resolve to export a final 1080p and do final color correction?

How do I get to a 4k output for festivals? I can use premiere right?
Also, how do I go about using RedCineX what settings do I apply?

Thank you so much, reduser.

[Mark Phelan]

Matthew, sent you a PM.

In the meantime, you might try PC&E and see if they rent the rocket card. I've never rented a card from them since I have one, but they might.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

So I just shot 2 short films this past week with some friends on the Red Epic. The camera was surprisingly easy and produced beautiful images. I don't get why so many people say it is really hard to use- sure cameras have problems occasionally, but by in large, to me it felt like an ipod- with its touch screen and navigation. To me, Red is to new independents as 16mm was to the French.

Most of the people who think it's difficult or say there are problems with RED and its workflow have never actually tried it. They're just perpetuating a bunch of FUD that appeared in the early days and still won't die, even in the face of reason and fact.

Anyway, I need to know a few things:
I plan on renting a red rocket, since I know that speeds up render times and transcoding, but where can I rent one from I am Atlanta based and would only need one for about a day.

You may or may not need the Rocket. Depending on your system(s) configuration. It may be one of those things where you save your rental expense until later in the post process, use it to assist in final rendering.

This is what my workflow is going to be like, I guess (please correct me if I am wrong):

RedCineX light grade -> Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Edit in FCP7-> Export an XML
Reconnect the XML to R3D files in Davinci Resolve to export a final 1080p and do final color correction?

Er.... RedCine -> ProRes -> FCP7 is so 2009. It's hardly the best or most efficient way to go about this. Any reason you're choosing to travel that path? Those who still do are the people who are locked into their comfort zone so tightly that they can't even breathe. You're obviously not that type of person for two reasons. 1> You took a chance and shot RED on two shorts, having never done so before. 2> You're in high school, meaning you haven't been around long enough to be that entrenched into anything. ;)

How do I get to a 4k output for festivals? I can use premiere right?

4K output with the above workflow is going to be a real pain. You will have to go back to the reconnect / conform stage and attempt to re-finish your project through Resolve. If you want a 4K master (and you should, otherwise why shoot RED?), go for 4K right from the start. You should be working in 4K when you get into Resolve the first time.

You would be best to dump the whole REDCINEX -> ProRes -> FCP7 workflow and replace it with -Premiere -> XML/EDL -> Resolve. Skip the transcoding part. You can bring REDCINE-X into the picture to create look files saved as RMDs for your footage that can be loaded into Premiere. But that's all going to get discarded when you move into Resolve anyway. Which brings up the next point of discussion... Do you have a system capable of running Resolve? Do you have access to the full version of Resolve and not Resolve Lite? You need the full version to create at resolutions higher than 1080p. To effectively work in Resolve with R3D footage and finish out at 4K, you really need a fast system with fast storage, dual GPUs and a Rocket card. Anything less than that and you will feel like you're color grading a series of still shots from DSLR burst shooting.

Also, how do I go about using RedCineX what settings do I apply?

That's a whole separate discussion. There are a few tutorials floating about somewhere, but really you should just play around with the software and figure it out. There are no right or wrong answers most of the time, it's about creating a look or aesthetic that fits your vision.

[BigLu]

You really in HS?
Where are you located if your anywhere near LA
Ill help you get the files transcoded with a REDROCKET.
No charge the idea of a HS kid doing this is awesome

best of luck
Luis