Over the past year one of my quests has been working out a reliable 4K backup and
prep workflow. With different camera formats it is quite hard to come up with a
single solution so you have to be armed with a few “plans’ to make it work.
My list keeps changing but I have found some really interesting products out there
that can make life a little easier. First and foremost, nothing really comes for free
so be prepared to spend some money!
Managing data on set or after a shoot can be a very time consuming and
cumbersome experience for all moviemakers. Depending on the client you serve,
the choice of equipment and software is a factor that will affect your workflow. The
important thing is to get it right first time, no mistakes, no losing data or
“accidentally’ deleting camera cards.
Everybody, it seems, is shooting 4K to get the best acquisition possible. Managing
any media, let alone 4K media, can be a bit of a nightmare if you don’t have the
right toolset. There are a number of really great tools out there (and yes despite
what I said earlier some of them are free) to make life easier for you but the
starting point is a good computer.
Portable or not?
While having a powerful workstation is great, the reality is that most freelancers
need to be portable. A good laptop with maxed out RAM, SSD to boot your OS and
programmes from, two BUS-powered external hard drives, and a good pair of
headphones make for a great starting point. With kit like this, you’re able to work
from almost anywhere and work on anything from Canon DSLRs to the ARRI ALEXA,
provided you have the software to process the data.
Personally I prefer the desktop type approach and, although I hate to admit it,
Apple has made the choice easy.
Currently, Apple sells two desktop solutions to benefit a wide variety of consumers
and professionals alike but their newly released iMac 27′ is just the ticket for me.
The iMac has a random-access memory (RAM) expansion ceiling of 32GB, but what
it lacks in RAM it makes up for in numerous other categories. Running the fastest
CPU in the world for most single-threaded tasks, a Core i7-4097K, the iMac
performance exceeds that of the cylindrical Mac Pro model. The inclusion of a built-
in 27′ 5K monitor makes it a fantastic choice for transcoding, photo editing and
colour grading for 10- and 12-bit 4K/UHD footage. If you need to put a lot of
computing power towards large-scale video editing and VFX creation, if you require
a series of monitors and many thunderbolt drives, then the new Mac Pro is likely
your best option and quite frankly not that much more in cost.
The first step is to get the media from the camera cards to reliable hard drives. It’s
preferable to have at least two copies (from the location) and to make the copies
using software that verifies the backup. This is a process often handled on location
under less than ideal conditions and there are a number of applications to help
accomplish this task.
Adobe Prelude and ShotPut Pro from Imagine Products are two examples, but for
me the best is Red Giant Offload. It uses a really simple interface permitting one
source and two target locations and it has the sole purpose of safely transferring
and checking media with no other frills.
In terms of hard drives the debate will always be SSD versus hard disk and budget
will always be a factor but I like the simplicity of DROBO Data Solution products.
The Drobo Mini is extremely reliable, easy to use and good value for money.
Transcode or not?
To streamline the process of interchanging files between applications, it is best to
transcode to one of several common media formats. You also want every file to
have unique file names, reel IDs and timecode, so with multiple camera sources I
transcode everything.
The easiest common media format is QuickTime, using the MOV wrapper and
encoded using either Avid DNxHD, Sony XDCAM, Panasonic AVC-Intra or Apple
ProRes codecs. These files are readable in most applications running on Mac or PC.
My preference is to first convert all files into QuickTime using one of these codecs if
they originated as something else. That’s because the file is relatively flexible at
that point and doesn’t require a rigid external folder structure.
Of course, there are dedicated batch encoders like Apple Compressor, Sorenson
Squeeze, Telestream Episode and Adobe Media Encoder. But my tool of choice for
transcoding is Blackmagic Designs Da Vinci Lite (free!) which has the ability to
apply LUTs, change file names and export to multiple targets in batches and for any
files with timecode and reel issues (and there will be) a great asset to own is
VideoToolSheds QtChange.
With the practice of shooting footage with a flat-looking log gamma profile, many
directors like the ability to see the final, adjusted look on location. This often
involves some on-site colour grading to create a temporary look. Several
applications are available that will do the job, including DaVinci Resolve Lite,
Pomfort Silverstack and RED Redcine-X Pro.
Some new applications specifically designed for the field use include Red Giant’s
BulletProof and Catalyst Browse/Prepare from Sony Creative Software. Catalyst
Browse is free and designed for all Sony cameras, whereas Catalyst Prepare is a
paid application that covers Sony cameras and other brands, including Canon and
GoPro. Depending on the application, these tools may be used to add colour
correction, organise media, transcode file formats, and even prepare simple rough
assemblies of selected footage.
Getting the 4K content off the set and into the edit suite is easier with the correct
tools and a clear idea of how you are going to handle the workflow. 4K is here
today and here to stay so get working with it!
