I feel like I am over my head with the BMPCC

OK, I'll admit it, I'm over my head trying to shoot and grade this very flat image from the BMPCC. I would say 60% of the time I do OK but the other 40% of the shoots can be frustrating to get the look I want because of my lack of knowledge and experience with such a flat profile. I think I do pretty well with Resolve and my Canon 5D3 footage, just not that great with the BMPCC.

I am trying to do a review on it, but I feel I won't do it justice since I only have 30 days with it. I think after using this camera for 6 months I might have enough experience to do a decent review.

Does anyone know of any online courses on how to shoot with such a flat profile and grade them in within Resolve? I'm having issues with really low contrast distant landscape shots right now.

Does anyone know of any online courses on how to shoot with such a flat profile and grade them in within Resolve? I'm having issues with really low contrast distant landscape shots right now.

Have you tried using LUT's like Captain Hooks as a starting point for your grade ?

http://www.captainhook.co.nz/blackmagic ... amera-lut/

You can also create your own LUT in resolve so once you create a "look " that you like (which might take you some time to settle on and do) you can then more easily apply it to other clips....

You shouldn't underestimate how difficult and skilled the job of a colourist is. You're now getting to use tools that used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (Resolve) and had highly specialised operators with YEARS of daily experience doing this.

Even today, I'd still MUCH rather a colourist correct my work than to do it myself, even though I technically know how to do it.

Be prepared to learn a new skill. It's like learning to speak a new language. It can take years to be fluent. Don't expect the software to be able to do it all for you.

jb

Thanks John, great comments, you are right it is like trying to speak a new language compared to a baked in image from a DSLR. I have a ton to learn, which is good because I enjoy learning.

Yes I have tried the LUT you have mentioned, it does work well sometimes but not every time, I just need a lot of practice.

Keep to it dave! I have seen what you can do with 8bit dslr footage so I have faith in your ability once you get the hang of it.

Hey Dave,

I appreciate the work you do and have watched your videos. Keep up the good work .

John's advice to use Captain Hook's LUT is a good starting point, but may not be the answer to all situations. I don't own the BMPCC because I am waiting for the 4K camera, but I have graded John's BMPCC clips here: (click on "Download" and select HD.MP4 file to get an accurate look). The plant was pushed via keying in FCPX just to see what it would take to have things begin to fall apart. I love grading the BMPCC footage, if you want some coaching, I'd be happy to help.

Once you get the hang of grading the flat format you will be in love.

S

Great thread for more than the OP.
All advice and help is gratefully received.

Scott, I would really like some coaching!

How do I contact you? Perhaps a Skype or Google Hangout where I could share my screen and show you which clips are causing me problems?

I just shot some more footage after I wrote this and I began playing with many different exposure levels and watching the RGB parade in post as I shifted through the exposure levels and I graded the exposure level that was lower than I thought it would be and it came out great. Perhaps I have been over exposing all my images.

I really wish we had a waveform monitor on the camera so I could expose my shots better.

I really wish we had a waveform monitor on the camera so I could expose my shots better.

Are you using the zebras? If it shows that no highlights are clipping (that you don't want clipped), the footage should be fine to work with.

@Christian, yes I have the zebras set to 100%. Is that too high?

How do you set exposure just with Zebras as your only exposure tool?

Even with "display video" while shooting in "film" it is hard to set exposure when looking at the screen.

Yes trying to learn Resolve is a challenge to many of us.

Look here:
Antler FCP X Blackmagic Film plugin open beta

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10664&p=66628#p66628

I have used this for a project and it works very well.

Scott, I would really like some coaching!

How do I contact you? Perhaps a Skype or Google Hangout where I could share my screen and show you which clips are causing me problems?

I just shot some more footage after I wrote this and I began playing with many different exposure levels and watching the RGB parade in post as I shifted through the exposure levels and I graded the exposure level that was lower than I thought it would be and it came out great. Perhaps I have been over exposing all my images.

I really wish we had a waveform monitor on the camera so I could expose my shots better.

I PMed you, Dave.

As I said earlier, a lot of this information is valuable to other users and lurkers.

@Chrisso If you follow my site I share just about everything I learn. I am no pro so what I share might not be the best info but I do try to share as much as I can. Whatever I pick up I will add to my review of the BMPCC.

Looks like in this forum you can't post links, video, images so you will have to watch my YT, Vimeo, blog, twitter, FB accounts when it comes out.

OK, no problem. Will do.
Just handy to have questions and answers posted publicly as they are useful to others and become an archive of reference info.

Hey Dave,

as a starting point, you could send me a shot clip, where you have problems with.
I do a grading and send you the grading, so you could load it into your own Resolve like a preset, and see what I have done there, just by looking at the nodes and color wheels.

If you still have questions, we can skype.

best, Frank

Hey Dave

Thanks for this post. I'm in the same boat and it's really comforting to know one is not alone....but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Also many many thanks to those of you who are prepared to share your knowledge with us amateurs, we do appreciate it!

Chris

Hi. Another good place is Color Grading Central. Denver Riddle has a solid teaching style, I found his site really handy, he has resolve tutorials and BMCC specific tutorials, they are grist to the mill for the BMPCC
http://www.colorgradingcentral.com/blac ... ial-series

You should also look for Hurkmans book and videos.
I think they could be better starting point somewhat compared to just diving in.

Resolve is just a tool that you learn but you also need to think what is
more in to grading like technics and ways to do stuff.
I started out from Color and evolved to Resolve for the realtime performance.

Good would be if you post some stuff as videos or stills of the material that you think is problematic
so others can take a look and help.

Jesse Borkowski gives great tutorials on his youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dQyLWALOHjhBrdsPkJXbQ

Using the pocket, we're dealing with Pro Res issues at the moment, not raw.
Although the videos explaining and demonstrating Resolve are definitely going to be very helpful to me.

I too am really grateful for any knowledge shared! It keeps me on the learning path.

Thanks!



Sent from my Android Phone

Just got off an hour long Skype call where I shared my screen with @CineMusic and got some good insight.

It appears that I way over exposed the problem shot, and what we concluded was when you get the exposure dead on you have some much room with ProRes to stretch the image to your will and all the color information is there and will come screaming back if you want it to.

But when you are a stop over or under the color information is harder to get back. While ProRes is better than h.264 in my tests, it still has it's limits and exposing to the right with ProRes can be a problem. I will have to save the ETTR tests once raw comes out on this camera.

Also it appears that the Panasonic 35-100mm lens I am using is hard to manually focus compared to the Olympus I am using.

ps. I would share a link to the problem shot, but it appears I can not add links in this forum.

Thanks dave.
So does one set the camera to 'film', then set the screen to 'video' and try to set the exposure so it looks about right on the screen, making sure zebras aren't pointing to clipped highlights?

@Chris I am no expert but yes I shoot in 'film' and display in 'video'.

As for exposure I am thinking of either getting a light meter or if I am not traveling light an external monitor with a waveform. Not sure if this will work, at this point I am trying many different things.

I try to exposure by eye on the display but it is very hard to do since there is not much color information and it is very flat even in 'video' mode.

I am just learning how to use this thing with the rest of you.

Yep.
I think I would be in the same boat.
Interesting, thanks. Mine arrives on Friday.

Dave have you tried just using Premier CC (with it's Lumeteri looks) and Speedgrade.

Is there a problem with the YouTube link?

Is there a problem with the YouTube link?

I'm seeing it ok