Re: Worlflow question / was DS Compression question

[Tony Quinsee-Jover <tony(at)hdheaven.co.uk>]

Hi Rick,

If I'm offlining a project with loads of rushes as you describe, then I'd
pull all that footage in at 10:1 or more usually 20:1 compressed. 
Once we're close to an online cut (minus effects) or at least a final
shot selection, then I'll recapture those clips uncompressed 10
bit.  I don't mess with effects at all while the footage is
compressed; I wait until we have lovely pristine shots.

If I'm offlining a commercial with only one 30 minute rushes tape, then
I'll skip the compressed stage and simply purge "Except for Current
Sequence" when I'm done.

We charge our DS out at full DS rate (or whatever cheaper rate the client
has 'negotiated' with us) and never have a separate offline rate if that
offline is being done on DS.  If someone wants several days' cheap
offline then we'd do that on an Xpress Pro, but we'd still avoid as far
as possible offering any effects whilst at that offline stage. They
always need to be re-done, even if only slightly, with the uncompressed
clips, and I'd rather charge "messin' about with effects" at DS
rate than offline rate ;-)

When you say "Most of my clients enjoy knowing that they can try a
bazillion options at a reduced "creative off-line" rate",
I'm not at all surprised; clients always like it when they can get
something at a better rate.  Everyone's situation is different, but
for us we have a 'cheap-n-cheerful cut-rate we'll do it cheaper than
anyone else' house just down the road from us and we have no wish to
compete with them.  That's why we specifically aim for the top-end
of the market.  We're less busy that way, but the work we do is
good, and we get a good rate for it.

As a general rule of thumb, we mostly have three scenarios:

        

1. Offline
done elsewhere, we do conforming/onlining/grading/effects/graphics. Both
shortform and longform.

        

2.
Offline/online all done on DS - generally only for commercials or
conference inserts, ie shortform

        

3. Offline
done on Xpress Pro, everything else on DS - generally longform

Whichever of the above routes we take, final output will always be from
10 bit uncompressed rushes.

Make sense?

Regards,
Tone :)



At 13:13 03/08/2005, you wrote:

In a message dated 8/2/2005 2:27:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tony(at)hdheaven.co.uk writes:

However, here at HD Heaven one of our selling points has always been that

"Unlike lesser outfits, we don't online at 8 bit compressed. We're

strictly 10 bit uncompressed, keeping your footage all pristine".

Hey Tone, I am just a tad curious about your above quote.  I understand that with
the cost storage so cheap these days, it might make sense to stay uncompressed for
both SD and HD work.  HOWEVER, many of my clients still incorporate a tried and true
workflow model whereby they have their initial film transfer done as "dailies" or "one-lights" and after final approved ruff cuts, we then transfer selects only.  Case in point, on a current SD project that I am cutting they shot almost 40,000 feet of film which equated to about 6 hours of raw footage. (24 fps and some over cranked stuff)  The one-lights weren't that great looking anyway, so I am working at 5:1 compression to save storage space as I am juggling a couple of other projects as well.
 
Just curious, would you still work uncompressed 10bit during the above scenario?
 
Also, how do your deal with the concept of "off-line" and "on-line"?
Do you simply have one rate for "on-line" or do you still do "off-line" and simply let
your clients enjoy pristine uncompressed. 
 
Most of my clients enjoy knowing that they can try a bazillion options at a reduced "creative off-line" rate and then only pay full boat when we are "on-line" which is where final color-correction, titling and fixes occur.
 
So general question to group:  ( sounds like many of you are conforming final shows and
projects from other off-line boxes so this may not apply to you )
 
For those doing "creative off-line" and "on-line" on the same DS, how do you handle this?
Is the concept of "off-line" becoming extinct?
 
Thanks, Rick at nakedeye