jmalmsten wrote:I also kind of find the keyframes in the color tab kind of impossible to work with in general as you can't find what parameter is in what node among the cryptically named and organized keyframe parameters. But that is a different question altogether. Just being able to copy paste things would be going a long way for me to start using the keyframing more enthusiastically.
I think you need to stop and consider how you're using nodes and keyframes. I know a lot of people (including myself) that basically only do one single thing in a node, and then when it's time to keyframe, they only keyframe that one particular node. It's not that hard. You just have to pay close attention to what's going on. It does help to identify every single node in the node tree so you can see at a glance, "ah, there's a power window in that node" or "oh, that's the node where I keyed the sky." Without that, you're going to forget, or you're going to keyframe or change the wrong thing.
It takes time to develop good habits with color and keeping track of everything you do. It doesn't happen overnight, but I'd guarantee you, by your 50th or 60th project, you'll be working much faster and much smarter than you did on project #1.
Fixed Node Trees are a good method for getting faster and being more productive with longform projects like features or episodic TV, and I couldn't work any other way. If I have to get 250-300 shots done a day, there's no other way to do it. I would point to Mixing Light and Lowepost as being good information sources on Fixed Node Trees.
Every single shot in the entire project has the exact same node structure, so if you need to do a global ripple for a targeted change -- say, going 10% brighter in overall gain -- you can select just those shots, choose "Color -> Ripple Node Changes to Selected Clips," and just those shots and that particular node will be changed. Most of the time, 80% of these nodes are bypassed, and I'm really leaning on only the first 4-5 nodes in the tree... so it looks more complicated than it really is. The moment I need (say) a window on the left, I can turn on that node, position the window, keyframe just that shot and that node as necessary, and boom -- the shot now looks better and took minimal effort. Speed is of the essence, but we also want the whole project to look good, and every scene to be consistent with the one that follows it.
Here's an example of a simple 8-node tree that I typically use with fast-turnaround reality shows or documentaries:
I've done as many as 700-800 shots in a day with that node tree, and it "can be done" (though my fingers are fairly bloody and bruised at the end of the day). The shows have aired to some acclaim, clients were happy, check cashed... all was well. I don't like to work that fast, but sometimes that's what the job entails.
For difficult material, here's an example of a more-complex 36-node setup I use for client features:
There are many, many more examples out there on the net (including a great discussion by Walter Volpatto over on Lowepost). And there are some extraordinarily complicated fixed node trees needed for some situations. The key is to have pre-labeled nodes, which allows for selective keyframing of only the single thing that needs to change in the scene. If multiple things need to change, do it to multiple nodes. It's not that hard, but it does require some thought and setup to make it happen, and to do it quickly so the clients don't get frustrated or bored. And it's particularly important with keyframing color.