Workflow for MLV->Prores444->Resolve with film LUTs and Log?

Started by TKez, October 17, 2014, 03:42:07 AM

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TKez

I realise that DNG is the best way to go for MLV but for the scope of what I'd like to do, the 1000s of files and disk space is overkill.

I really just want as much sensor info as possible, squeezed into a tidy Prores4444 file that is easy to work with, doesn't suffer the drawbacks of H.264 compression, and allows me some extra headroom for compressing highlights in a more aesthetically pleasing way.

I also realise that full manual grading is the ultimate, but for my needs, I'd like to start with some film stock emulation LUTs in Resolve and tweak from there.
I'd like to be able to use the Resolve film emulation, and/or the ones found here http://juanmelara.com.au/print-film-emulation-luts-for-download/

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best way to do this with regard to tone mapping / log gamma etc?

There seems to be a lot of options between exporting from MLRawViewer and input and output LUTs in Resolve, and the naming convention doesn't seem universal.

Some examples:
MLRawview -> Prores Linear -> Resolve -> input LUT 'Linear to DCI' - > output LUT 'DCI-P3 Kodak2383'
MLRawview -> Prores rec709 -> Resolve -> input LUT 'none' - > output LUT 'Rec709 Kodak2383'

Now the LUTs linked above say the only requirement is that the input be in 'LOG' format, but there are so many LOGs!

Eg.
MLRawview -> Prores Log -> Resolve -> input LUT 'none' - > output LUT 'LC3DL_Kodak 2383' ... the gamma is way too high, so 'log' from MLRawView is obviously not the Log he is talking about (by the screenshots I think its from RED).

If I instead use his input LUT (Video2Log_HR_150) like this, 

MLRawview -> Prores sRGB -> Resolve -> input LUT 'Video2Log_HR_150' - > output LUT 'LC3DL_Kodak 2383 ...

...the gamma looks about right, but going through LUT transfers 3 times doesn't seem very purist :)

To try and understand conventions better, how do the curves relate?

MLRawViewer has things like, Log, HDR, sLog, sLog2, C.Log, Log.C etc
Resolve has things like DCI, 'Canon Log', Cineon etc.

There's also the visionLog LUT which seems like it would be a good choice to squeeze MLV into prores, but how does that fit into the workflow via MLRawViewer and Resolve?

Anyone gone down this path already with some insight?

baldavenger

Wouldn't cineon be the best option to choose?  It's industry log standard and Davinci was been designed to work with it since its inception.
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TKez

QuoteWouldn't cineon be the best option to choose?  It's industry log standard and Davinci was been designed to work with it since its inception.

haha well that' sorta of what I'm asking. Thanks for the tip!
Although the the film stock LUTs I was referring to list either DCI, rec709 or in the case of the link just 'log' which according to his screenshots would be log as it comes from the RED.

So If I go to Cineon, i need to get to one of those eventually before the film stock LUT.

And in terms of MLRawViewer, would c.log refer to this Cineon Log? or Canon Log, or Something else entirely?