Hollywood DI in conjunction with Sony Electronics, Avid and Blackmagic Design will provide a technology preview of the Sony SR Codec workflow at the SMPTE 2011 Technical Conference and Exhibition, Oct. 24-27 at Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa in Hollywood. Incorporating many of the latest SMPTE standards, Avid Media Composer editing software and Blackmagic Design’s color correction software, DaVinci Resolve deliver the benefits of a standards-based architecture. Hollywood DI will demonstrate a cost-effective workflow for editing and coloring SR Codec digital content leveraging its FLOworks methodology.
Hollywood DI will conduct a technology preview of the interchange of SR Codec footage between Avid Media Composer and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. The demonstration footage was shot on Sony’s F65 CineAlta camera and converted to the SR Codec using the SRMASTER Recording system.
Satoshi Kanemura, vice president of Sony Electronics’ Beyond HD Solutions Group, is pleased with the way the two systems handle the SR workflow. “Sony’s new open approach to working with strategic alliances to develop software solutions that can deal easily with the SR Codec workflow is progressing well,” said Kanemura. “Our CineAlta F65 and PMW-F3 cameras are capable of recording stunning images and we are looking for ways to ensure that filmmakers, TV shows and post houses can efficiently process SR codec dailies, editorial and coloring services. Companies like Avid, Blackmagic Design and Hollywood DI are taking our SDK and SR codecs and testing them in a production environment. Already we can see that the workflows they are developing are efficient and elegant.”
Neil Smith, managing director of Hollywood DI, commented on the testing his company had conducted on the workflow between the Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve. “For a modern post house like Hollywood DI that specializes in file-based workflow for filmmakers and TV shows, it’s imperative that we find the most robust and cost-effective tools to deliver our editing, color correction and finishing services,” said Smith. “Using Avid Media Composer for editing and conforming projects in conjunction with DaVinci Resolve for color correction has proven to be a winning combination. Both systems incorporate many SMPTE standards that facilitate the open exchange of digital content between production and post systems. The two software platforms tie in with our FLOworks methodology of a ‘Flexible, Lean and Open’ workflow for digital content creation and finishing.”
Vincent Maza, worldwide marketing manager for Avid Post Production services is a strong advocate of the standards approach to technology integration. “Avid’s editing solutions are at the core of many postproduction processes and it is vital that clients are able to deal efficiently with the many digital acquisition and finishing formats,” said Maza. “Avid is a strong supporter of both the Sony technology and the wider creative community and being able to handle the F65 and F3 footage by using .mxf and AMA means that editors can quickly ingest the Sony footage and start editing almost immediately. Once the timeline is locked, editors can send an EDL or AAF to Resolve for easy conform and color correction. The SR files do not need to be duplicated saving time and disk space.”
“We are very excited to be supporting the Sony SR codec natively within Resolve and to show the seamless round tripping between Resolve, Media Composer and the Sony F65 at SMPTE,” said Peter Chamberlain, DaVinci Resolve product manager for Blackmagic Design. “The Resolve’s ability to round trip with AAF into a Media Composer also brings full featured color correction to any Media Composer editing suite, and when combined with SR codec support will create a perfect workflow for content creators.”
Peter Crithary, marketing manager, production for Sony Electronics’ Professional Solutions of America, has been working closely with Avid, Blackmagic Design and Hollywood DI to ensure that Sony’s CineAlta cameras and SR Production Platform can be easily incorporated into file-based workflows. “Digital acquisition has arrived in big way in feature and TV production,” said Crithary. “In the transition to file-based workflows for our F3 and the soon to be released F65 cameras we have listened carefully to the demands and needs of the filmmaking community. The release of our SR SDK (Software Development Kit) allows software developers like Avid and Blackmagic Design to engineer their products to take full advantage of the efficient compression algorithms of the SR Codec. Post houses like Hollywood DI are already proving that footage captured on the Sony F3 or F65 cameras can be easily ingested into an Avid and DaVinci finishing pipeline to produce beautifully graded imagery. The SMPTE supported ACES IIF protocols will allow content creators to pass image metadata from the camera all the way through the post pipeline.”
At SMPTE, Sony Electronics will be presenting a white paper entitled “New Imaging, Storage and Workflow Technologies for 4K Digital Cinematography Applications” at the technical conference program, Oct. 26 at 11:00 a.m.-12.30 p.m. in Salon #1 in the exhibition hall. AVID will be demonstrating the current version of Media Composer in booth #105. Hollywood DI will be conducting the technology preview of Avid Media Composer and Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve with footage shot on the Sony CineAlta F65RS camera in booth #116 in the exhibition hall. Sony’s PMWF3 camera and the new SR Production Platform equipment will also be available at the Hollywood DI booth.
