Blackmagic Forum

Hi all

I have a workflow question. How do you guys actually work with the new color checker feature in Resolve?

Here's why I ask:

If I have an XML/EDL that I ingest, once I relink the footage, I can start grading. So far, so good. The color checker is usually at the clapper stage of the footage, which is to say in the first few frames of the clips. These frames are never in the edit, so I can't see or access them on the ingested timeline.

Now, I can of course take each clip on a separate/new time line, look for the color checker there and then copy the correction node over to the real timeline. This is however a very sucky workflow. It would be easier if I could scrub for the frame to get the color checker info from in the "real edit" directly, but that doesn't seem possible.

What am I missing?

I would create a different timeline before starting grading the xml. A Master timeline or any kind of timleine where you drag in 1-click all the shots randomly from your media pool using their full length.
I would use "remote grading" then, so you can quickly go shot by shot using the match color and all the changes will be applied to you xml based timeline. Then you can start grading.
Could that work for you?

Hi there,
You may want to have a look there :
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33727&p=200310&hilit=x+rite#p200310

Walter Cavatoi wrote:I would create a different timeline before starting grading the xml. A Master timeline or any kind of timleine where you drag in 1-click all the shots randomly from your media pool using their full length.
I would use "remote grading" then, so you can quickly go shot by shot using the match color and all the changes will be applied to you xml based timeline. Then you can start grading.
Could that work for you?

Thx! That's pretty much what I'm doing now (but the remote grading tip is great).

Remo Pini wrote:If I have an XML/EDL that I ingest, once I relink the footage, I can start grading. So far, so good. The color checker is usually at the clapper stage of the footage, which is to say in the first few frames of the clips. These frames are never in the edit, so I can't see or access them on the ingested timeline.

If the original camera files are used for the final color correction, in theory the final colorist could check the color chart on the unedited camera files and use them as a general guide. In truth, it's not necessary if the colorist understands what camera was used and knows from the filmmakers what the shots are supposed to look like.

It's for this reason that I always ask for an edited reference file of the locked picture edit so I know what the editor and director have been staring at for the past few weeks or months. If I see a ballpark of what they expect, I can get there in the final. If this is a sophisticated production with specific LUTs and complex looks, that will take more time but can still be done provided the post sups have done all their homework and coordinated the CDLs.