Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 11, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
According to the companies, this novel workflow stands out for its speed, reliability and direct work with r3d files from the RED camera. This eliminates the conversions and processing steps otherwise required before first-light grading. With six MetaRender render farms working in parallel, real-time conversion for editing is possible at 24 frames per second.
The workflow steps are:
- After ingest into Apple XSAN, the first grading takes place in IRIDAS FrameCycler DI.
- As soon as the first settings have been edited, the colourist sends them to
the MetaRender render farm. The grades are rendered there in the background and simultaneously converted to DNxHD for offline editing in Avid Media Composer. Preparation for other editing systems, such as Final Cut Studio, is also possible.
- Editing takes place in Media Composer in the familiar, customary way.
Finally, the final grade is calculated with the MetaRender render farm and converted to Avid DNxHD.
The last step is output to an HDCAM SR tape. A tapeless, file-based delivery would also be possible as the next step.
BFS Entertainment GmbH is a dynamic company working in series, feature-film and trailer production. “Pioneer” experience in HD production now forms the solid foundation for implementing and establishing new workflows. In this field, close and reliable collaboration plays a key role for Jürgen Firsching, Managing Director of dve, and Philipp Horsch, founder and Managing Director of BFS Entertainment.
Philipp Horsch: “When we began dealing intensively with the ‘Bergwacht’ project for ZDF, we worked closely with dve to develop the post workflows using REDCam files. With FrameCycler DI and SpeedGrade from IRIDAS,
we have a solution that can process REDCam data natively. Between 130 and 220 GB of data are generated every day and must be processed on the same day.”
Jürgen Firsching adds: “This is the only way to produce the 90 minutes of dailies from it very quickly. With a direct thumbnail view, we can see the
slates directly - and decide whether that is a copy or not.” Philipp Horsch:
“We have the material natively in 4K on the timeline and send it
directly to the MetaRender render farm after the first light.”
According to the companies, at 24 frames per second using six computers, 90 minutes are processed with this procedure in two hours, from ingest to the completely rendered first-light grades for editing. At the end, when creating the files in the target folder, the assistant finds the same folder names as in the originals from the REDCam, in this workflow containing pregraded DNxHD files. “That is an incredible time saving compared with other workflows,” says Philipp Horsch, adding: “It is also one of the most reliable workflows that I have
used so far.”
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