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Filed under: Post Production •

Color Workflows With Different Video Formats

One of the most confusing issues that comes up frequently with new users of Color is how to get in and out of Color with different types of video formats. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to clear up the confusion by presenting the four main workflows Color can utilize, as well as how each format can be handled by Color.  This article relates to users of Color version 1.0.2 or later.  We’ll look at how to handle video formats captured via capture card, as well as how to work with “native” formats captured via FireWire such as DV, DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD and HDV. 

First let’s cover the terms used here:

Input format: Many formats are supported for input into Color. This does not however mean that they can be exported in the same format. This term only relates to input.

     Here’s a few examples of supported input formats:

          Uncompressed (8-bit and 10-bit)
          DV
          DVCPRO 50
          DVCPRO HD
          HDV
          XDCAM

For the full list of input formats, check out the Color User Manual.

Original format: This describes a format that can be rendered out of Color in the same format as was input into Color. This term only relates to output.

     Here’s the complete list as of Color 1.0.2:

          Uncompressed (8-bit and 10-bit)
          ProRes (SQ and HQ)
          AJA Kona RGB (if AJA Kona card is installed)
          DV
          DVCPRO 50
          DVCPRO HD
          Apple Intermediate Codec
          Apple Pixlet
          Photo JPEG

Export Format: This describes your choices of formats that can be rendered out of Color, no matter what the source format. This term only relates to output.

     Here’s the complete list as of Color 1.0.2:

          Uncompressed (8-bit and 10-bit)
          ProRes (SQ and HQ)
          AJA Kona RGB (if AJA Kona card is installed)

If you’re wondering why the “Export Format” list is shorter than the “Original Format” list, this is because you can only export in an original format if you started with that format. An “Export Format” can be used to output no matter what type of material you started with.

Now let’s look at each of the four workflows:

1) Capture Card Workflow - Original Format

This is the preferred and recommended workflow and will yield the highest quality.

1. In Final Cut Pro, capture video using a capture card using either the Apple Uncompressed codec or one of two Apple ProRes codecs.

    (alternate option: convert a sequence of clips into ProRes or Uncompressed before sending to Color)

2. In Final Cut Pro, select the sequence, then choose File > Send to > Color.

3. After grading in Color, but before rendering, go to the Setup Room > Project Settings tab.

4. In the QuickTime Export Codec pop-up, notice that the default is set to Original Format. This option will render out files in whatever format was input (in this case, the original format is the Uncompressed or ProRes codec you used to capture).  Leave this setting at its default.

5. Add the clips to Render Queue and render.

6. Go to the File menu and choose > Send To > Final Cut Pro.

Back in Final Cut Pro, a new sequence is created with the words, “from Color” in the name. This sequence will be in the exact format you began with in Final Cut Pro - same frame size, same pixel aspect ratio, same codec, etc. In the Timeline, the render bar above the clips is the standard “gray” color, indicating that the clips match the sequence settings and do not require rendering.

7. In Final Cut Pro, output the sequence to tape using your capture card.

2) Native Format Capture And Output - Original Format

Use this workflow if you captured from a native format such as DV or DVCPRO HD, sent the sequence to Color for grading, and you want to output your clips back to tape via FireWire.  There is one important note however; this particular workflow is only possible with the formats listed above under the term “Original Format”.  For example, this workflow would not be possible with HDV source material (we’ll come back to HDV in the next workflow).

1. In Final Cut Pro, capture video over FireWire (or other native option) into a native format supported as “Original Format”. In this example, we’ll use the Panasonic format DVCPRO HD 720p24.

2. In Final Cut Pro, highlight the sequence, then choose File > Send to > Color.

3. After grading in Color, but before rendering, go to the Setup Room > Project Settings tab.

4. Under QuickTime Export Codec the default is set to Original Format. This setting will render out files in whatever format was input - in this case, DVCPRO HD 720p24.  Leave this setting at the default.  This is one of the few formats that supports rendering into the same codec as the original.

Also, you can ignore to the other settings listed here.  For example, in the next screen shot notice that frame size is set to 1280x720.

For those familiar with this flavor of DVCPRO HD, you’ll know that the native frame size is actually 960x720. Once exported, the final video will have the correct frame size for DVCPRO HD at 960x720. In fact, never worry about the frame size listed here, as only the setting under the QuickTime Export Codec pop-up determines the final frame size.

5. Next, add your clips to the Render Queue and render.

6. Go to the File menu and choose > Send To > Final Cut Pro.

In Final Cut Pro, in the Sequence Settings of the new sequence sent from Color, notice that the format is the same as the one you started with - in this case, DVCPRO HD 720p24 at a frame size of 960x720.

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Thanks for this - was unsure about HDV jut because all of the hoopla around it and Color I was hearing.

Posted by  on  07/25  at  09:04 AM

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A nicely written and much needed article.

Posted by Steve Hullfish  on  07/25  at  12:40 PM

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