Ridiculous file sizes for Graded clips.

[jkim3381]

This weekend. I just shot some footage with the Flatt Picture style for grading in post. I noticed that after I graded footage using Magic bullet looks, the file sizes became ridiculously huge. For example, I graded a 26mb file and it ended as a 500mb file. A 1:30 minute clip ended up as a 80GB file! Am I doing something wrong with the grading process.

[David Jimerson]

Doesn't have anything to do with grading. It has to do with the codec and bitrate you're rendering to.

Sounds like you're rendering uncompressed. That will give you huge files.

[jkim3381]

I've been told that dv codec is the best setting. Do you know how to change settings in after effects for rendering to dv codec?

[kylevant]

I've been told that dv codec is the best setting. Do you know how to change settings in after effects for rendering to dv codec?

DV codec is for SD video only. We'd need to know more info on your workflow to suggest a codec.

[TheDingo]

Also keep in mind that there are "production" CODECs that preserve the maximum amount of information from your video files. These type of CODECs use very low compression so your file sizes will be quite large.

And then there are "delivery" CODECs that use very high compression and create small files. These CODECs are used to create the finished files that would be used for playback.

[jkim3381]

Ok. I forgot that I actually transcoded the native files to ProRes. I'll just grade the the h.264 stuff first. Thanks

[David Jimerson]

It doesn't matter what codec you start with -- the file sizes you get after rendering depend only on the settings you use to render.