Earlier than you dive into this text on RED workflows, you may need to try this text on Shooting Raw.
Taking pictures at a 4K or greater decision is usually a life-saver within the edit. Adjusting shot framing or creating protection that wasn’t recorded on set can save a scene from the chopping room flooring.
However capturing at excessive resolutions can create massive and processor-intensive media recordsdata. And this implies figuring out methods to deal with the fabric within the edit is a should for fulfillment in publish.
On this article, you’ll learn to design the optimum RED 4K workflows. Whether or not your venture is a function movie, brief movie, or business.
What to Know About RED Cameras Earlier than the Edit
There are a number of RED workflows. However it’s your venture that can dictate the optimum methodology for pace and adaptability.
Keep in mind to at all times hold the massive image in thoughts when designing your RED workflows.
When you perceive the transferring elements of working with high-resolution RED footage, take into account how altering one element may have an effect on one other.
Decision and Side Ratio
Greater tends to be higher when it comes to decision. However due to the present limitations of know-how, there’s some extent of diminishing returns. Taking pictures in 4K or 5K quite than 2K can will let you blow up a medium shot to create an in depth up within the edit, however the advantages from bumping your body measurement as much as 6K or 8K for the standard narrative or business venture probably gained’t outweigh the drag on edit pace and efficiency.
Most TVs, displays, and projectors nonetheless max-out at a 4K decision. So except you propose to go loopy with creating your individual protection within the edit, 8K is probably going overkill.
Regardless, you need to use the identical course of to design your RED workflows for 4K, 8K, or any resolutions in between.
RED Coloration House/Gamma House
Whereas it’s probably not essential for an editor to grasp the total vary of those digicam settings, it’s important to have an idea of what your footage will look like straight out of the camera.
Coloration house and gamma house are usually chosen by the Director of Images (DP). They’re used to interpret the RAW picture information for monitoring in-camera. These settings are sometimes used as a place to begin for shade grading within the edit as nicely.
For instance, the DP could set REDGamma4 because the gamma house in-camera. It will assist give the footage a watchable search for monitoring on set and for modifying in publish.
Nonetheless, for shade correction, you or your colorist could need to change your gamma house to REDLogFilm. As it will will let you convey out extra dynamic vary in your footage.
However, in case you’re receiving REDLogFilm footage straight from the digicam, you’ll very probably need to not less than add a LUT or primary shade correction on your dailies or offline edit as a result of the picture will look very flat and desaturated.
For comparability
Right here’s the identical R3D file, first as REDGamma4, then as REDLogFilm.
All of those shade settings are embedded as metadata. don’t really have an effect on the recorded information of the R3D file. They are often set in-camera after which modified in REDCINE-X Professional, Resolve. Or by accessing the RED metadata in your NLE. (You’ll learn to entry these settings in Premiere and FCP X beneath).
The one time they’ll’t be modified is when you’ve baked a sure look into transcoded media since you’ll lose entry to the RED metadata settings in case you cease working in R3D recordsdata.
Have the discuss
Speak to your DP earlier than the shoot and ensure you perceive what to anticipate from the footage. Then, determine whether or not you’ll have to make any shade changes earlier than transcoding proxies, creating dailies, or starting the edit.
If doable, get entry to or request footage from a digicam take a look at before-hand. And ensure to run by means of your RED workflow.
In-Digicam Proxies
RED cameras all have the flexibility to concurrently document in-camera proxy recordsdata alongside the RAW media. You may document to a variety of ProRes flavors, consists of the edit-friendly ProRes LT. This will will let you fully bypass transcoding your media earlier than you edit.
Do not forget that the gamma setting you select in digicam (described above) shall be baked into your in-camera proxy recordsdata. It gained’t reset even in case you change the related R3D file’s metadata settings.
Examine in with the DP about formatting the RED digicam mags (primarily, the reminiscence playing cards) as nicely. In the event that they’re formatted as FAT32, your proxy clips will span (document as a number of recordsdata) in case you shoot an extended take.
Whereas most NLEs can mix spanned R3D recordsdata with no drawback, spanned ProRes clips will every import individually. This isn’t best for many proxy workflows.
So long as the digicam’s firmware is contemporary, the DP can format the RED mags as UDF as a substitute of FAT32. Which fixes the difficulty of spanned proxy recordsdata, however is a reasonably current change, so double-check earlier than capturing begins.
For those who do end up with spanned proxies that you should sew collectively, check out the foolclip app and browse by means of this reduser forum thread for extra assist.
Drive House/Velocity
If there’s one factor RAW RED recordsdata aren’t, it’s small. Use these simple formulas to ensure you have sufficient drive house on your projected quantity of media, backups, and for the edit itself, earlier than you begin working.
When selecting a drive pace, step again and take into account your total workflow. If you find yourself going with a proxy workflow, then your edit will zip together with transportable bus-powered drives (no separate energy cable required).
However in case you’re sticking with the RAW media, you’ll need higher-speed drives to maintain your laptop from lagging.
RED {Hardware}
RED makes two totally different PCI-based playing cards, the RED ROCKET-X and RED ROCKET which may drastically enhance modifying speeds in case you’re planning to edit the native R3D recordsdata.
Nonetheless, these playing cards are solely helpful in case you’re modifying on a desktop setup that may accommodate them. Additionally, at $6,750 retail, they don’t come low cost.
Integration with NLEs
Each Premiere Professional and FCP X have built-in instruments or plugins constructed only for modifying RED footage natively.
RED Media in Premiere
Premiere comes put in with built-in native RED assist. All you need to do is begin importing footage.
When importing, I like to recommend utilizing the media browser tab quite than the usual file and import course of.
Within the media browser, you’ll be able to apply a listing viewer filter to solely see RED media recordsdata, which is helpful for filtering out all these extraneous recordsdata and folders that sit alongside and home your media.
You need to use this filter for a lot of different digicam file buildings too!
Publish-import
When you’ve imported your RED footage, you’ll be able to instantly entry and alter the RED RAW metadata.
Double click on a file to load it up into the supply window. Then click on the results management tab, after which navigate over to the grasp clip tab.
Within the grasp clip tab, you’ll be able to alter all the RAW metadata settings. This consists of a variety of shade settings (full with curves), debayer settings, and Pink Rocket settings.
Take a minute to discover these instruments. They offer you a large amount of management over the look of your footage, proper within Premiere.
One other nice function is the flexibility to save lots of to and cargo from RMD recordsdata. RMD recordsdata are non-destructive metadata recordsdata that retailer any shade changes you make. And they are often saved alongside your RED RAW recordsdata.
They’re readable throughout totally different software program and may be trashed or saved over as wanted. For instance, you can also make changes to your clip inside Premiere and select save to RMD. For those who later open up that clip in Resolve or REDCINE-X Professional, your saved shade changes will load together with the media.
It really works the identical in reverse. You may open your media in Resolve or REDCINE-X Professional, make your changes and save them as RMD recordsdata. Then hop again over to Premiere and easily click on “reload from RMD” to learn the brand new shade metadata immediately.
One other function constructed into Premiere for RED footage is the flexibility to regulate playback high quality. From full decision, all the best way right down to 1/16 decision. You may alter this high quality independently in each the supply and program displays.
Appears acquainted?
You’re probably already accustomed to this device. It’s out there no matter what footage you’re utilizing in your venture (although typically solely up by means of ¼). However since you’re working with RED recordsdata natively, which use the GPU (OpenCL and CUDA) for debayering, you’ll at all times have the utmost high quality playback efficiency.
For those who’re recording in-camera proxies, then Premiere Pro’s proxy workflow is a match made in heaven for a high-resolution RED workflow.
You may both import the in-camera proxies and begin modifying immediately. Or you’ll be able to hyperlink the proxies to their matching high-resolution RAW recordsdata. It will allow you to change between the 2 for a mixed offline/on-line workflow.
Keep in mind to make use of warning when adjusting the RED RAW metadata in a proxy workflow.
Changes to the metadata — like altering the gamma house — gained’t carry over to in-camera proxies however will be utilized to all your timeline exports so long as the total decision media is on the market.
Equally, in case you plan to create proxies in Premiere, make any metadata changes BEFORE you create your proxies. This bakes in these changes.
RED Media in FCP X
Although not fairly as strong as Premiere’s workflow, FCP X’s proxy workflow can be an important alternative for RED media.
Earlier than you’ll be able to import RED footage into FCP X, you’ll have to obtain and set up the RED Apple Workflow Installer then set up the plugin. Then you’ll be able to import your RED media identical to some other recordsdata.
Nonetheless, in case you plan to regulate the RED RAW metadata after you import, make sure that to deselect the “Create optimized media” and “Create proxy media” choices, as a result of any transcoding finished throughout import shall be discarded in case you alter the RAW settings. That is FCP X’s means of constructing certain the high-resolution media and transcoded media keep the identical shade profiles and metadata.
An instance
For instance, in case you alter the gamma house in your RED metadata midway by means of a venture, the corresponding proxy file that you simply created on import gained’t visually match, since a distinct gamma house was baked into it. You may, after all, recreate proxy or optimized media later in case you determine to vary the RAW settings.
To view and edit the metadata, open the file inspector (⌘4) and click on on the information tab.
For those who scroll right down to the underside, you’ll be able to click on modify RED RAW settings to make your changes.
For those who select a distinct RED clip in your browser, the parameters routinely replace to replicate the chosen clip. You don’t need to reopen the settings window.
The modifications you make on this window will routinely be saved as an exterior RMD file alongside your media. CAUTION: For those who’ve beforehand created an RMD file from one other utility like Resolve or REDCINE-X Professional, adjusting these settings in FCP X will override it.
You may as well choose the playback high quality for RED media beneath the View menu in this system monitor.
For those who don’t have a Pink Rocket card, higher efficiency is quarter decision and prime quality is full decision. For those who do have a Pink Rocket card, then prime quality is full decision and higher efficiency is half decision.
(Be aware: To allow a Pink Rocket in Closing Reduce Professional, you need to go to your MacOS system preferences. Choose Redcode, and allow Rocket for FCP X.)
Blackmagic’s Davinci Resolve
With its present releases, Resolve goals to step up as a full-fledged NLE, and it’s undoubtedly price a point out.
Resolve has the benefit of being a particularly well-liked alternative for shade correction. So you’ll be able to edit and shade right your RAW RED footage in Resolve, bypassing a conventional on-line. All whereas having considerably extra superior shade instruments than some other NLE.
Like FCP X, Resolve additionally has the flexibility to create and handle what it calls “optimized media”. This improves efficiency when modifying with high-resolution media.
To generate optimized media, merely proper click on in your clips and select Generate Optimized Media from the content material menu.
As soon as generated, you’ll be able to change between your RAW and optimized media. Simply choose the “Use Optimized Media If Accessible” possibility beneath the Playback menu.
Similar to in FCP X, do not forget that in case you generate optimized media after which change the RAW shade settings in your RED media (reminiscent of doing work within the Coloration tab), Resolve will discard the generated media as a result of its shade profile gained’t match the corresponding RAW file and also you’ll need to re-create it.
Customized decision settings
With Resolve you’ll be able to customise the decision and format settings for optimized media within the Grasp Settings Panel.
Simply be careful for the “select routinely” possibility, which relies in your timeline settings. With this selection chosen, Resolve will solely generate optimized media in case your supply media is larger than the decision of your timeline. For instance, when you’ve got 4K RED supply media, however have a 1080 timeline, then Resolve will generate half-resolution media.
In the identical 1080 timeline, 8K supply media will generate quarter-resolution optimized media. Basically, Resolve will generate optimized media that’s as near your set timeline decision as doable.
In case your laptop can playback RAW media with out optimizationbut struggles with results, Resolve’s proxy possibility could assist.
This function doesn’t generate new media. It improves efficiency by reducing the playback decision to media with grades or results utilized.
Selecting decision choices
You may select between half and quarter decision choices beneath the Playback menu.
Do not forget that Resolve remains to be new to the NLE sport. So it may not have all of the modifying options you’re used to.
I like to recommend totally testing playback on the pc you plan to make use of earlier than committing to a Resolve edit.
I’ve personally discovered that playback efficiency shouldn’t be as clean as different NLEs. And even decrease decision media can stutter and drop frames.
For a deep dive into how Resolve capabilities as an NLE, try The Pros and Cons of Cutting a Film in DaVinci Resolve.
REDCINE-X Professional
REDCINE-X Professional is RED’s publish software program that permits you to view, alter, frivolously edit, and transcode your R3D media.
Personally, I discover DaVinci Resolve to be a way more strong utility that’s equal to REDCINE-X.
The one function I’ve present in REDCINE-X Professional and never in Resolve is the flexibility to export trimmed R3D recordsdata (with none transcoding or processing of the pictures), which may be helpful in some VFX workflows.
Each REDCINE-X Pro and DaVinci Resolve are free downloads, so there’s no hurt in trying out each.
Characteristic, Brief, and Industrial Excessive-Decision RED Workflows
Characteristic Movie
For a function movie capturing on a RED at 4K or above, it nearly at all times is sensible to plan an offline edit with proxy media, adopted by a web-based again to the digicam originals.
Periodic sluggishness places a critical damper on a months-long venture with a two-hour timeline.
Plus, you’ll probably get uninterested in watching your timeline at a decrease decision simply to maintain it taking part in again easily.
In fact, when you’ve got a really high-powered laptop or RED {hardware}, and are chopping on the decrease finish, like 4K, you could really feel that the time spent transcoding isn’t essential.
Nonetheless, you’ll probably discover it a trouble to at all times need to be linked to your RAW media. And it could be troublesome to share media between a number of collaborators or distant edit. R3D recordsdata are at all times massive, and on a function movie, the storage can actually add up.
Utilizing proxies will will let you retailer your offline venture on a conveyable drive. They’ll dramatically improve playback efficiency and modifying pace. And so they may even provide the possibility of routinely syncing all your media with a single click on.
You gained’t have entry to the RED metadata in your NLE in the course of the offline edit, however with the choice so as to add a LUT to your footage both in-camera or in Resolve, you shouldn’t want these options till you’re prepared for the net.
Transcode or in-camera?
So, in case you’re going to make use of proxies for the edit, must you transcode them your self, or reap the benefits of RED’s in-camera proxy recording function?
It will depend on your total workflow. I’ll nearly at all times select to reap the benefits of utilizing Resolve to sync an entire day’s worth of media in one click. For many function movie initiatives, syncing in Resolve merely saves time and frustration.
If you should add a LUT to your footage, import the RAW recordsdata into Resolve, sync and add your LUT, then transcode out to your most popular proxy format.
For those who don’t want so as to add a LUT, then I’d think about using RED’s in-camera proxies. You’ll have small, light-weight recordsdata that may simply be uploaded to a dailies server like Frame.io for a distant workflow AND you’ll be able to nonetheless use Resolve to batch-sync, for the reason that in-camera proxies will retain any scratch audio or jam-synced timecode.
Saving time
It could appear counterintuitive to export a second set of (synced) ProRes proxies, however the time saved auto-syncing is important, and Resolve can export to the identical codec and body measurement extremely quick.
For a whole walkthrough of a digital dailies supply, try 3 Real-world Examples of a Remote Dailies Workflow.
You may additionally take into account in-camera proxies in case you’re a fan of third-party syncing apps like PluralEyes. Or, you’ll be able to after all select to sync the proxy media in your NLE of alternative (and if it’s Premiere, you need to use the “connect proxies” function to flip between your offline and on-line media – simply make sure that to connect your proxies BEFORE syncing your clips).
This workflow may be helpful when preserving sound metadata is important, as syncing in Resolve can take away a few of that info from the clips.
Brief Movie RED Workflows
For a brief narrative, doc, or company venture, you could end up caught between transcoding to proxy media or modifying natively – and so they’re each legitimate decisions.
Once more, take into account the scope of your workflow as a complete. How a lot media is there? Is it a single digicam shoot, or do you’ve footage from a number of cameras to ingest?
I’ve discovered that for brief or medium size initiatives, the native proxy workflows in Premiere Professional, FCP X, and Resolve are all nice choices. Every permits you to toggle between excessive decision and proxy media immediately.
And since you’ll be syncing a lot much less footage than you’ll for a feature-length venture, having the ability to skip the net turns into an important asset, particularly in case you plan to do your shade right in your NLE.
Premiere will get a bonus level since you’ll be capable to reap the benefits of RED’s in-camera proxies by “attaching” them to their matching 4K media.
Toggling
In FCP X and Resolve, you’ll be able to obtain the identical click-of-a-button toggle between excessive decision and proxy media, however you’ll need to let the software program transcode the proxies for you.
I not too long ago reduce a brief narrative shot in 5K in FCP X and used its proxy workflow. I ingested the RAW media utilizing the RED plugin, advised FCP X to get to work producing proxies, and instantly started labeling, organizing, and syncing my footage.
The proxies transcoded within the background, leaving me with loads of processing energy to get the edit began. As soon as they had been completed, I used to be capable of change over to proxy mode and actually dive in.
By benefiting from Premiere or FCP X’s proxy workflows, you’ll at all times have entry to the RAW media, which implies you’ll be able to alter the RED metadata when it’s time to “on-line” your venture through the use of third-party packages like Resolve or REDCINE-X Professional to make changes that’ll carry over into the NLE. And naturally, in case you’re chopping Resolve, you’ll have entry to a complete host of specialised shade instruments proper within the software program itself.
If combing your offline-online workflow isn’t a priority on your venture or you understand you’re going ship your edit out for the ultimate shade grade, then auto-syncing and transcoding in Resolve (as described above) stays an important cost-effective time saver.
Industrial Workflow
For initiatives beneath 5 minutes, 4K RED footage can actually shine.
With little or no sync-dialogue, there’s no have to convey the media into third-party software program. As an alternative, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of modifying the RAW media in both Premiere, FCP X, or Resolve.
In case your timeline is brief sufficient and you’ve got a excessive powered laptop, you’ll be able to alter the playback high quality as wanted whilst you edit.
Even so, I like to recommend concurrently capturing in-camera proxies, if doable. It doesn’t value something however a small quantity of drive house, and also you’ll have all of the choices within the edit. Plus, the proxies you’ll be creating whereas capturing can be utilized as client-ready dailies.
Since business and company work usually tends to incorporate extra graphics, modifying with the RAW media, or gaining access to it in the course of the edit, is particularly helpful for collaborating with graphic designers and VFX artists as a result of you’ll be able to create full decision exports proper out of your timeline.
Accessing the unique media allows you to carry out vital shade correction work. With out having to go away your NLE. (Particularly in case you’re chopping in Resolve.)
Chopping on set
I not too long ago edited a business that required extraordinarily exact framing in an effort to pull off the idea. We determined that I might reduce in real-time on set. Simply to ensure we had our pictures earlier than transferring on to the subsequent arrange.
We shot in 5K on an Epic Dragon and concurrently recorded HD in-camera proxies. After every card dump, I instantly pulled the proxies into Premiere whereas the RAW media was being backed up. I then rapidly edited the pictures into the timeline. And I later used Premiere’s “reconnect full-resolution media” choice to hyperlink again to the RAW footage.
The shoot and edit went off with out a hitch. We had been capable of transfer on from every shot with full confidence.
Begin Chopping!
Working with excessive decision RED footage could also be intimidating the primary time. However it’s actually versatile media that may match easily into publish workflows and elevate the look of your venture.
Needless to say any RED workflows shall be a piece in progress and don’t be afraid to experiment. Simply ensure you get your fingers on some footage to check all of it out.
Able to get began? Head over to RED’s web site to download some sample footage and tell us the way it goes!
