tape to tape

[Daniel Madsen]

for those of you who have experience doing tape to tape color correction- what software is used and what are the typical costs and advantages over those in fcp and avid?

 

 

thanks

[David Mullen ASC]

Generally I've used a DaVinci or Pogle suite and the prices are similar to telecine suite prices. The advantage is that it is a sophisticated real-time corrector (no waiting for rendering) that can do things like Power Windows, sometimes more advanced things like keying, with scopes and waveforms in the room to make sure all the levels are legal, etc. Plus you're working with an experienced colorist and looking at a large, calibrated monitor (usually CRT).

 

I find trying to do a final color-correction on a computer editing system to be an exercise in frustration, but it is possible. But the clunkiness, the speed of the renders, after awhile, causes you to not fix or try as many little things as you'd like.

 

Plus sometimes I'm working in rooms without calibrated monitors, scopes, and waveforms. I did a small color-correction of an HD project on some editor's system as a favor to a friend (I didn't shoot the piece and the original DP was not available) -- after spending all night on the thing, watching on a computer screen, when they took the master over to EFILM to be filmed-out, they found that the color levels were all wrong when looking at a calibrated HD monitor and had to redo the color-correction all over again.

 

So it's not really the software so much as the experience of a colorist and the surrounding elements that allow you to know exactly what you are doing. One could certainly set-up an editing suite to make all of this possible and get good at self color-correcting though.

[Bryan Jacobson]

A colorist I know here in town went from from a Y-front/da Vinci to a Lustre (Discreet). From what I heard it seems to be a reliable software based CC. It also has track balls and the whole nine. Neat set up capable of 4K. Plus 99 power windows vs. da Vinci 2K which has up to 8 or 10 I think depending on the tier. da Vinci answered with "resolve" but I have not heard much on that. I think Data based final color corrections will take over at some point as soon as the houses that have not gotten there yet streamline their workflow.

 

Danielle

I see so many limitations with FCP CC-but when it's all you got I've found I'm happy to have it :-) I am not as familiar with Avid CC.

 

David I agree that no type of system can replace an experienced colorist, I'm sure people will continue to try though because of it's cost.