RED Camera & FCP Workflow
Posted by admin | Filed under Film, Production, Video
I cut my first project shot on RED recently. Undoubtedly, the footage looks great. But, the process isn’t without its drawbacks.
The main issue that we faced was processing the massive amount of data the you get with the native R3D video files that the RED camera produces. It didn’t help that we were editing on my Dual Core iMac! Ideally we’d be using an 8 Core PowerMac with 16GB RAM, 512mb of vRAM etc, etc. Even then you could do with more power and we didn’t even have that so processing the amount of information in the video files was the first hurdle.
The recommended Final Cut Studio workflow is to do an offline edit with 1) the Proxies that the RED camera creates (which is dead fast because you can just import the Proxies like any other video files) or 2) transcode to one of the Apple Pro Res codecs and offline that way. Once you have done your edit you then reconform to the native R3D files and grade in Color. Then output at Pro Res 4444 and go back to FCP for your final output.
Sounds simple enough…….or not. But, when we tried to use the Proxies I had to set the timeline playback quality to “Low” which didn’t give us enough quality to do the edit. When we upped the quality the playback stalled. So, instead we went for the transcode option. As the director had opted for shooting everything at 120 fps we had about 3.5 hours of footage. We tried Redrushes and an app called Clipfinder but for some reason the RED Space colour data was lost during transcode so the offline would’ve looked nothing like the the final edit. We tried loads of variations of the settings and still no proper colour! In the end we used Log & Transfer in FCP……and it took about 20 hours to convert the files to Pro Res 422 Proxy!! Lame.
Anyway, once we had the offline files the edit was easy. The playback quality was fine. As it was at 2k resolution the picture looked good even at the Pro Res 422 Proxy quality because the timeline viewer was never more than 50% frame size. The iMac didn’t stall at all and we could do as much time-remapping as we wanted without any trouble.
Offline complete we reconformed to R3D and exported to Color. The good thing about grading in Color with R3D files is that you can tweak the actual RED Space colour data that is saved in the files so you get loads more freedom to mess about. Grade done, we rendered as Pro Res 4444 and went back to FCP to add graphics done in After Effects and the score from Soundtrack Pro.
The workflow is logical when you get your head around it and grading is an absolute dream using the R3D files. But, the transcode process is way too long to make it feasible to do quick turnaround jobs on your average home system. I guess this is to be expected but when you can edit full HD 1080P without a problem you’d expect to be able to fly through 2k files easily enough – not the case. Should’ve gone for the Quad Core! I’ve got the footage to play with now so I’ll be doing more tests.
You can get all the codecs and plug-ins from the RED website. You also get detailed instructions on various workflows with those files.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Posted by admin | Filed under Art, Film, Music, Social Networking
These guys are awesome. Proper summer tunes. Can’t wait for the BBQs to start.
They’re making a 12 part collection of videos that will add up to a feature length musical film (see here). Who says music can’t be art in today’s world of talent show charts? No-one probably but here’s proof that it can and is.
Amazing tune…
New Showreel
Posted by admin | Filed under Social Networking
My new showreel can be viewed at www.tomwalshmedia.co.uk/showreel
New work includes a commercial for Samsung and a live Myspace shoot and edit for Bullet For My Valentine at Islington O2 Academy.
Soap Box Derby!
Posted by admin | Filed under Production
I had the privilege of doing some location editing at the Hoar Cross Charity Soap Box Downhill just before the New Year.
32 teams with a home made kart each. The idea is to get down the hill as fast as possible. Check out the photos. Some of the karts were amazing.
It was pretty cold though, no snow at the time but I didn’t envy the cameramen on top of the scaffolding! Unlucky.
EELS
Posted by admin | Filed under Art, Music
I’ve had a revelation this year. Back in the Spring a friend leant me a book called “Things The Grandchildren Should Know” by Mark Oliver Everett, aka E from the American alternative rock band EELS (for those of you who don’t know). I read it in a week and frankly it has changed my life. Here’s why…
When I was at university in Sheffield in the late 90′s I listened to EELS. I had their first 2 albums and almost went to see them live at The Octagon or someplace similar but for lack of funds. A couple of their songs have consistently made it onto compilation CDs and playlists of mine over the years too. I even bought an EELS album about a couple of years ago and quite got into it. However, I’ve never really considered myself a huge fan, nor gone to the trouble to really explore their music fully or see them live. Why? I don’t know. I never really got it. Well, now I know the reason. Because I wasn’t meant to until now.
The book is an autobiographical account of E’s life up to the release of Blinking Lights And Other Revelations and the tour that followed. In it, he tells, in a very matter of fact way, the harrowing story of how he saw his entire family die over the years; went through fits of depression and anguish; lost friends to terrorists, disease and drugs and still managed to come out on top by turning that pain into music. One reviewer said “Blinking Lights is a manual for mining grace from the ashes of crushing despair”. They were right.
After reading the book I now understand the music. It is pure release. Therapy. A transformation of pain into beauty. If you ever wondered what artists and musicians mean when they talk about their art being their therapy, well read the book and listen to the albums. Then read the book again. You’ll see what I mean. Before I read the book I didn’t understand where the music came from. It was quirky and honest but once you get under the skin of the music they become more than just songs, they become stories and feelings.
Needless to say I bought the entire back catalogue and have barely a day has passed since the spring without me listening to EELS at some point. In the age of pop nonsense it is liberating to know that somewhere out there, there is a man making music from the heart for those who will listen.
If you’re curious, then check them out. You won’t regret it!
Avid VS. Final Cut Pro
Posted by admin | Filed under Art, Film, TV, Video
Well, here we stand on the brink – 10 years since the dawn of the new millenium and the question still remains. Avid or Final Cut Pro? Well, here’s my take…
Six years ago I trained up on Avid Xpress DV and at the time I thought it was amazing. I was pretty green and thought that it was the best thing I could ever use. I would walk around knowing I was the shit just because I was working in the profession using an Avid system. And I got pretty good, well, fast at least. I’m not sure how much I understood about editing at the time. The key commands and short cuts just seemed to work for me and I took to it like a duck pate to french toast. It was reliable (except for that is was running on PC) and it would make short work of the real-time effects.
Then the reality kicked in. Final Cut started coming into its own and could be purchased for much less – the world was moving forward. So the company I was with switched over. Great! I was then tasked with learning how to edit again. Just as I’d gotten comfortable with the technical aspect of Avid, I had to do it all over again with FCP. I was not a happy bunny. And I had a hard time making the switch for a while but eventually it all clicked. It all made sense in a way that Avid never did.
So, five years or so later here I sit with my new FCP 7 and all things being equal I wouldn’t touch an Avid again because I am firmly in the camp that thinks that FCP as a user experience far outshines Avid in every aspect. It’s intuitive, logical, quick, runs natively on Mac and most importantly for me, references its media.
But, the more work & research I’ve done over the years the more I’ve realised there is a need for Avid editors as much as FCP editors. So I bought a copy of Media Composer and got back up to speed. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. The user experience isn’t as bad as I remember and the native short cuts and key commands mean I don’t have to think about what buttons to push. It’s got its quirks but so has FCP. Nothing’s perfect.
Having trained on Avid I have always used the Avid short cuts even when using FCP. I actually carry a USB around with my settings on so that whichever edit suite I am working on, be it Avid or FCP, I can have them to hand. But they are based on the original Avid controls.
Here’s some facts. Star Trek, Transformers, Lost, Fringe, The Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace & Slumdog Millionaire are/were all edited on Avid.
Here’s some more facts. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Tetro, Everybody Hates Chris & X-Files: I Want To Believe are/were all edited in Final Cut Pro. Not to mention the Coen Brothers and South Park use the Final Cut Studio series (Color & Motion) for other aspects of their film-making.
So my conclusion is this. You want to be an editor? Well, you’d better learn how to use Avid and Final Cut Pro. They are both part of the industry we occupy and neither is going anywhere. The actual point is this – the software is immaterial. The edit is what matters. If you can become proficient to the point that you don’t have to think about the interface you’re using, then the creativity will just flow and you can concentrate solely on being an editor. It’s taken me a long time to realise that (or at least verbalise it). Imagine trying to hike up a mountain while having to concentrate on how to actually use your legs! Fuck that shit!
Have a great Christmas! x
Posted by admin | Filed under Social Networking
I’ve gone and done it. Given in to the “next big thing” in social networking…..again!
Hey ho, never mind. Let’s have some fun anyway. Follow me!
Design Classics 6 – Mitsubishi Delica
Posted by admin | Filed under Design
The 80s sci-fi inspired Mitsubishi Delica.
The Delica was first introduced in Japan back in 1968. First designed as a pick-up it soon developed into a van and then recreational vehicle for Japan’s growing family market. Over the years it has undergone many transformations. The models I have picked out here are from around the late 80′s/early 90′s. Marketed in the West as the L300 rather than the Delica it gained popularity because of its awesome looks and 4×4 capabilities. For me it is a work of art, it reminds me of my childhood – that time when car makers were designing vehicles that looked like they were out of 80′s sci-fi films.
Unfortunately the L300 is no longer in production and neither is the L400 which is the model you will see around your neighbourhood. So, you can only pick these beauties up second hand or import them from Japan as tey don’t sell them directly to the UK market. Don’t ask me why.
The best thing about the Deilca is not its looks on the outside although they are unparalleled. The real design masterpiece is the interior. You’ve got all the mod-cons – air con, electric sunroof and windows – but you also have the option to rotate the rear “captains” chairs so you can face each other in the back or make the whole rear section into a double bed! Some models also have glass roofs with electric blinds which of course require a futuristic control panel.
All in all an absolute design classic and worthy of a mention in my humble blog.
For more information on owning a Delica follow the links below:
Battlestar Galactica – The Plan
Posted by admin | Filed under Art, Film, TV
Well, it’s finally over. The re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica is complete. 5 seasons of pure joy and I now feel a bit empty and emotionally drained.
Those of you who have been fortunate enough to watch it will understand when I say it is possibly the best show ever made. Not because I am particularly into sci-fi or action but because it transcends all of that genre based bullshit and cuts right to the heart of the matter – it is a story about people; relationships – it is an incredible story that just happens to be set in space.
The writing is second to none, the acting is first rate, the sfx are awesome and the editing is mind blowing. Hats off to Andy Seklir and his team for the editing work they did on the show.
So the next thing on the slate is Caprica (set 58 years before BSG and before the Cylon attacks) and the TV movie The Plan (consisting of newly filmed material and compilation of clips from the TV show and mini-series, it reveals the Cylons‘ plan.). So watch out for them! Spread the word and watch these shows, they will change your life!)
Here’s a a clip of the writers and actors talking about all three projects. Enjoy. x
Polymath Live Extravaganza
Posted by admin | Filed under Design, Music, Video
Last year I set out on a mission. A mission to create a live show to knock the socks off the local music fans. I’d set up a band called Polymath the previous November and we’d had some interest but were fed up of playing shitty venues across the country and wanted to do fewer shows but make them more impressive. So we came up with the Live Extravaganza.
The idea hinged upon collaboration with other artists in a show that had music, art, video and animation. We collaborated with live art company The Mischief Makers, animator Lateral Lines and eclectic musos The Dust Collectors. We rehearsed and prepared for months and when the night came – a barmy sunny May evening – it went down a storm. Everyone who came loved the show, it was a huge success.
The show was a huge undertaking. We had cinema screen projections, professional live sound provided by Audiorent (highly recommended), set design, costumes and make-up. All of this had to be sorted within budget and on time. It was pretty intense but the rewards far outweighed any stress!
