GH2 Workflowfor web video on PC with Premiere and Resolve

-Tom-

-Tom-

Active member
This is my workflow, if anyone knows/uses more efficient one, please chime in

PC, Windows 7, Premiere CS5.5, Resolve 10

  1. Import footage
  2. 5D2RGB batch the footage to ProRes 422 HQ 709 Broadcast Range MOV
  3. Edit the entire footage in Premiere, with audio
  4. Effects or titles via dynamic link
  5. Export the video-only footage for Resolve, Animation codec MOV
  6. Grade in Resolve
  7. Export from Resolve to QuickTime MPEG4 MOV
  8. Adjust the graded footage in Premiere, export with audio to h264

I'm sure that I'm doing some bad steps here, most likely with MOV conversions...so with my current setup, what would be the most efficient lossless way to make the footage rountrip Premiere > Resolve > Premiere


By the way I've tried to export AAF from Premiere, both regular and legacy, and Resolve gives me "The selected CompositeMob index is out of bound" error. XML doesn't show up.

Also, what are the differences in Resolve between these export settings?

GC86z5S.jpg
 
Personally, for both the Premiere > Resolve and Resolve > Premiere steps, I'd use DNxHD (or maybe UtVideo), especially for the Resolve > Premiere step, where you're doing a lossy encode followed by another lossy encode right now.
 
IronicCatfish said:
Personally, for both the Premiere > Resolve and Resolve > Premiere steps, I'd use DNxHD (or maybe UtVideo), especially for the Resolve > Premiere step, where you're doing a lossy encode followed by another lossy encode right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah I knew the double MOV conversion can't be good no matter what codec I choose...

I tried to convert to DNxHD but one strange thing happens. When I transcode the original MTS file to DNxHD 10 bit, 709 Broadcast Range MOV, the footage looks flat as it should when it's imported in Premiere. But the problem is the exported footage from Premiere.

If I export XML file and import it in Resolve - I can clearly see more saturated colors, more blacks. It's not a big difference, but it's big enough to notice and I don't want any color shifts before I start to grade. So I tried to export a DNx file, 1080p 23.976 175 10 bit, Alpha none, Color Levels 709. And the footage is shifted the same way, colors bit more saturated. more blacks etc.

But If I choose the same DNx settings with Color Levels RGB - the footage is identical to original MTS? I don't get it...I transcoded the original MTS file to 709, why is DNx 709 shifting and RGB isn't?


EDIT: I just exported the ProRes footage from Resolve to H264 for quick check...and it looks very very close to original MTS. Now I'm more confused. When I'm in Resolve the footage clearly looks shifted, more blacks and bit more saturation...and when I export it, it looks as it should look - untouched.
 
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I would suggest moving from Resolve over to SpeedGrade. The work flow then becomes:

1. Import into PP and edit.
2. Direct Link to SpeegGrade and color.
3. Direct Link back to PP and export.

No conversions until the final export. Very efficient. Very high quality.
 
Jim Simon said:
I would suggest moving from Resolve over to SpeedGrade. The work flow then becomes:

1. Import into PP and edit.
2. Direct Link to SpeegGrade and color.
3. Direct Link back to PP and export.

No conversions until the final export. Very efficient. Very high quality.
Click to expand...

I will consider switching after I make sure there's no other way.

Resolve is free, SpeedGrade isn't, and I think Resolve is much better. The only thing I need to figure out is the most efficient workflow.
 
But If I choose the same DNx settings with Color Levels RGB - the footage is identical to original MTS? I don't get it...I transcoded the original MTS file to 709, why is DNx 709 shifting and RGB isn't?


EDIT: I just exported the ProRes footage from Resolve to H264 for quick check...and it looks very very close to original MTS. Now I'm more confused. When I'm in Resolve the footage clearly looks shifted, more blacks and bit more saturation...and when I export it, it looks as it should look - untouched.
Click to expand...

I'd suspect this is down to how both Resolve and Premiere are interpreting the colourspace of the footage. You can see the same effect by playing a file in VLC versus a system-native player (Windows Media Player, etc) some times.
 
I tried to clip the levels and the result I get is the same image I get when I import ProRes in Resolve...

IKVJUyN.png
 
I'm not sure if this helps, but the GH2 I believe outputs 16-255 (rather than the more usual 0-255 or 16-235).

For that reason, I never seem to be able to transcode it to Cineform CFHD without the range changing a little (regardless of whether I select RGB or Rec709.)
 
Well now I've tried to take MTS file from camera and export it in Premiere to DNx for grading in Resolve, but Resolve won't read. Don't know why.

I found a codec that seems to work both in Premiere and Resolve - YUV 422 10bit. I guess it'll be ok using that one, since I don't see DNx or ProRes in my Resolve export settings.
 
-Tom- said:
Resolve is free, SpeedGrade isn't
Click to expand...

SpeedGrade is included in the CC subscription. It is very much improved over 5.5.

I've never used Resolve, so I can't comment on it's abilities. But...the work flow with SG simply can't be beat!
 
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