vfx

VFX footage input/output /  by Xuan Prada

This is a very quick and dirty explanation of how the footage and specially colour is managed in a VFX facility.

Shooting camera to Lab
The RAW material recorded on-set goes to the lab. In the lab it is converted to .dpx which is the standard film format. Sometimes the might use exr but it's not that common.
A lot of movies are still being filmed with film cameras, in those cases the lab will scan the negatives and convert them to .dpx to be used along the pipeline.

Shooting camera to Dailies
The RAW material recorded on-set goes to dailies. The cinematographer, DP, or DI applies a primary LUT or color grading to be used along the project.
Original scans with LUT applied are converted to low quality scans and .mov files are generated for distribution.

Dailies to Editorial
Editorial department receive the low quality scans (Quicktimes) with the LUT applied.
They use these files to make the initial cuts and bidding.

Editorial to VFX
VFX facilities receive the low quality scans (Quictimes) with LUT applied. They use these files for bidding.
Later on they will use them as reference for color grading.

Lab to VFX
Lab provides high quality scans to the VFX facility. This is pretty much RAW material and the LUT needs to be applied.
The VFX facility will have to apply the LUT's film to the work done by scratch by them.
When the VFX work is done, the VFX facility renders out exr files.

VFX to DI
DI will do the final grading to match the Editorial Quicktimes.

VFX/DI to Editorial
High quality material produced by the VFX facility goes to Editorial to be inserted in the cuts.

The basic practical workflow would be.

  • Read raw scan data.
  • Read Quicktime scan data.
  • Dpx scans usually are in LOG color space.
  • Exr scans usually are in LIN color space.
  • Apply LUT and other color grading to the RAW scans to match the Quicktime scans.
  • Render out to Editorial using the same color space used for bringing in footage.
  • Render out Quicktimes using the same color space used for viewing. If wathcing for excample in sRGB you will have to bake the LUT.
  • Good Quicktime settings: Colorspace sRGB, Codec Avid Dnx HD, 23.98 frames, depth million of colors, RGB levels, no alpha, 1080p/23.976 Dnx HD 36 8bit

Upcoming VFX films /  by Xuan Prada

2014

  • Deliver Us From Evil  07/02/2014
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes  07/11/2014
  • I Origins  07/18/14
  • Mood Indigo  07/18/14
  • Hercules  07/25/2014
  • Lucy  07/25/2014
  • Guardians of the Galaxy  08/01/2014
  • Into the Storm  08/08/2014
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  08/08/2014
  • James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D  08/08/2014
  • The Giver  08/15/2014
  • As Above, So Below  08/15/2014
  • Ragnarok  08/15/2014
  • Sin City: A Dame to Kill For  08/22/2014
  • The Congress  08/29/2014
  • The Zero Theorem  09/19/14
  • The Maze Runner  09/19/2014
  • The Boxtrolls  09/26/2014
  • Gone Girl  10/03/2014
  • Left Behind  10/03/2014
  • The Interview  10/10/2014
  • Birdman  10/17/14
  • Dracula Untold  10/17/2014
  • Kingsman: The Secret Service  10/24/2014
  • Horns  10/31/14
  • Interstellar  11/07/2014
  • Fury  11/14/2014
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I  11/21/2014
  • The Imitation Game  11/21/2014
  • The Pyramid  12/09/2014
  • Exodus: Gods and Kings  12/12/2014
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies  12/17/2014
  • Annie  12/19/14
  • Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb  12/19/2014
  • Into the Woods  12/25/2014
  • Paddington  12/25/2014
  • Unbroken  12/25/2014
  • Harbinger Down  2014
  • Space Station 76  2014

 2015

  • Kitchen Sink  01/09/2015
  • Inherent Vice  01/09/2015
  • The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  01/16/2015
  • Cyber  01/16/2015
  • Ex Machina  01/23/2015
  • Black Sea  01/23/2015
  • Seventh Son  02/06/2015
  • Jupiter Ascending  02/06/2015
  • Poltergeist  02/13/2015
  • Selfless  02/27/2015
  • Chappie  03/06/2015
  • Heart of the Sea  03/13/2015
  • Cinderella  03/15/2015
  • Insurgent  03/20/2015
  • Fast and Furious 7  04/10/2015
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron  05/01/2015
  • Mad Max: Fury Road  05/15/2015
  • Pixels  05/15/2015
  • Tomorrowland  05/22/2015
  • Untitled Cameron Crowe Project  05/29/2015
  • San Andreas  06/05/2015
  • Jurassic World  06/12/2015
  • The Fantastic Four  06/19/2015
  • Ted 2  06/26/2015
  • Terminator: Genesis  07/01/2015
  • Pan  07/17/15
  • Ant-Man  07/17/2015
  • Victor Frankenstein  10/02/15
  • The Walk  10/02/15
  • The Jungle Book  10/09/15
  • Crimson Peak  10/16/2015
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  11/20/2015
  • Star Wars: Episode VII  12/18/2015
  • The Lobster  2015

2016

  • Gods of Egypt  02/12/2016
  • Warcraft  03/11/2016
  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice  05/06/2016
  • Captain America 3  05/06/2016
  • The Sinster Six  11/11/2016
  • Avatar 2  December 2016