This IS the Avid L2: Re: [Avid-L2] Re: Avid 4K workflow with new Panasonic Varicam 4K vs. Arri?

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Re: [Avid-L2] Re: Avid 4K workflow with new Panasonic Varicam 4K vs. Arri?

Thanks this is important info. So you say, "This footage looks great, plays great. However, it will not render, transcode export or mixdown." Now why would I need to do any of those things for my network delivery? I should tell the DP to go ahead and shoot with this new camera after all it's only important that it plays great in the media composer interface. For network delivery will just shoot the final time line off my GUI with somebodies 4K iPhone and send that in as the master.

Here is a bit of info from the workflow guide at the Panasonic Site:

Editing

Partner	Product Name	AVC-I 4K422 AVC-I 2K422	AVC-I 4K444	AVC-I 4K-LT	AVC-I 2K444 AVC-I 444 (HD)	AVC-I 422
Adobe	Premiere Pro CC	v2014.1	v2015	**	v2015	v2015
Avid	Media Composer + P2 Plugin Ex	v8.4 ^*1 + v4.4	v8.4 + v4.4	v8.4 + v4.4	v8.4 + v4.4	v8.4.3 + v4.5
Apple	Final Cut Pro X	v10.2.1	v10.2.2		v10.2.2
GrassValley	EDIUS Pro	v7.4 ^*1	v7.5	v7.5	v7.5	**

*1: Supports AVC-Intra4K422 Export.
** P2 Viewer Plus ver 2.3.20 allows conversion of AVC-Intra files to DPX file (10bit) which allows import of unsupported format.

WORKFLOW | VariCam 35 | VariCam | Panasonic


			WORKFLOW \| VariCam 35 \| VariCam \| Panasonic Varicam 35 has three unique features to accelerate post workflow.
			View on pro-av.panasonic.net	Preview by Yahoo

---In avid-l2@yahoogroups.com, <curtisn@...> wrote :

I was given footage from V35, shot at 120 fps. It AMA'd in with the PanasonicP2 MVP_MSP Plug-In, and the video column indicating AVC-Intra4K_422_LT.

The Panasonic P2 Viewer software indicates that the codec is AVC-Intra4K_LT_4096x2160 / 29.97PN.

This footage looks great, plays great. However, it will not render, transcode export or mixdown in MC 8.5.0 (Win7 / ISIS5K). I have yet to find a direct solution. I'm rinsing it through Resolve to DNxHR, which works very nicely.

Avid TS is stumped, offering only to go back to 8.4.x, which improved nothing. We tried local storage, too. I did upload a few clips to them, so maybe they'll find what they need and put a fix into 8.5.1.

Curtis Nichols

PCS Production Co.

Irving, TX.

On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 4:35 PM, bigfish@... [Avid-L2] <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

So it seems these cameras will do various flavors of AVC-Intra as well as ProRes HQ and 4:4:4:4. Curious would the ProRes be likely to be more space efficient than the AVC-Intra. I'd doubt it but if they shoot ProRes then I would assume that would ama easily. Is Avid supporting the AVC-Intra Class 100/Class 200 or 4:4:4? I'm pretty sure AVC-Intra 100 is ama able but I'm not familiar with the other flavors. Given one of the cameras has a P2 express slot would that mean it's some form of P2 format? Man I just love new cameras and formats. It makes me feel so unaware of production. I guess at my age it's time for another Codec Colonoscopy.

Here's what I've found in a quick google search:

VariCam 35 Key Features:
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Ready
S35MM 4096 X 2160 Advanced MOS Imager
Native ISOs of 800 and 5000
14+ Stops of Latitude
Variable Frame Rate — 1 to 120 fps in 4K
Dual Recorder
Records simultaneous 4K/ 2K/Proxy, or UHD/HD/Proxy + Raw to Codex (option)
Apple ProRes 4:4:4:4 and ProRes HQ Built-in
AVC-Intra Codecs — Class 100 / Class 200 / Class 4:4:4
2-piece Modular Design (docks to AU-VREC1G recording module)
Codex V-Raw Recorder now available for uncompressed full-frame RAW recording at 120fps

Or more likely:

VariCam LT's Key Features:
Utilizes the same Super 35mm 4K native sensor and superb imaging capabilities as the VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price.
14+ stops of dynamic range in V-Log, plus the renowned VariCam image quality and color science.
Dual native 800/5000 ISO imager. With ISO5000, you see more detail than the human eye at low light levels (without adding noise).
Image handling in multiple formats ranging from 4K, UHD, 2K, HD and HD ProRes, all fully capable of High Dynamic Range (HDR) capture.
New Codecs: AVC-Intra2K-LT and AVC-Intra-LT for capturing frame rates up to 240fps.
EF mount accommodates a wide choice of lenses for smaller cameras; can be switched out to a robust standard 35mm PL mount.
XpressP2 card slot recording for all formats including high frame rate and HD/2K/UHD and 4K recording; SD slot for high-resolution proxy recording as well ad proxy files for offline edit/color grading.

---In avid-l2@yahoogroups.com, <bigfish@...> wrote :

As anticipated we will be doing a 4K delivery in the near future. My understanding is we will be delivering a 4K master file and an normal HD master file. I am assuming the 4K will be UHD quad 4K if you will. We have a well established workflow with Arri Alexa and Amira multicamera shoots. With this experience under our belt of course the DP wants to shoot our first 4K project with a new Panny Varicam 4K model. I'm not sure of the exact camera number but I'm told they can't even seem to find 7 of them for the shoot. I don't have many specifics as to why the DP thinks the Panny is a good way to go. My gut says if the camera is this new there probably isn't an ama plug in for Avid yet but does anybody know if there is?

Given our previous use of Arri cameras I had planned to use Avid 8.3.1 or later, we have a current support so I can run anything, and ama link to the 4K and do a transcode to DNX 175X first baking in the Arri to 709 LUT then transcode that to DNX 36 for offline. We have no 4K infrastructure in place so I would then color correct the DNX 175X media for online and when that was all approved and QC'd I'd ama link back to the 4K media and bake out a 4K version. From what I've read here title tool will be a bit of a problem so I guess we will have to use New Blue Titler. Fortunately these projects have very little in the way of titles.

Now if there is no ama plug in for the Panny my workflow is out the window. Is it going to be more practical to take the 4K and first transcode to Avid's DNXhr resolution and then transcode from there to HD DNX 175X and DNX 36? I seem to recall reading here people were having problems transcoding from the DNXhr resolutions to the more standard HD resolutions. Perhaps I'm mis remembering the thread regarding this but I'd appreciate any experience or suggestions.

Can anyone think of a reason a DP would decide to use the Panny over an Arris. These are long one hour plus take shows so maybe there is media storage concerns too. In the past when we first started shooting with the Arris they would record to a special Codex format to allow for the long takes. This then turned into a long process of converting the Codex to DPX and then running that through Resolve to get HD media. I'm assuming a hour plus long take on an arri camera shooting 4K would probably need something special like the Codex format to record it. We now shoot the the Arris to ProRes .movs and don't have the storage problems but I'd guess with 4K that might create an issue. Mr. Oliver what's your take on Arri vs. Panny? I know you have done a lot of Arri work.

John Moore Barking Trout Productions Studio City, CA bigfish@...