4K to 2K to HDCAM SR

Hi guys,
I would like to have a bit of information about the workflow i should use for a project filmed in 4K with the RED.

We want to color this short film in COLOR. I think we can't work in 4K format in COLOR so we will have to downscale it to 2K to work in COLOR with the footage ( im not sure if im right about the 4K in COLOR). After the step of colorisation we will output on HDCAM SR.

Basically i want to know the best way to downscale my 4K to 2K to work in COLOR and the necessary steps ( if there are) to output the final result on HDCAM SR tape.

Thx.

I'm not a Color expert, so I can't comment on the best way, but here are some ways.

You could use built-in R3D support. You'd have to read up on it, because I'm not familiar with it.

You could use Red Rushes to convert your R3D files to image sequences that Color supports: probably DPX or 16-bit TIFF.

You could use Red Rushes to convert to ProRes 4444, with basically no loss of latitude in theory. (ProRes 4444 is 12-bit, just like R3D.)

You could use Red Rushes to convert to ProRes 422, giving up some latitude when you go from 12-bit to 10-bit.

Any one of those can scale your footage.

If you want to take an offline cut ? an EDL or XML ? and use it to conform your high-resolution media in Color, and you probably do, then there are various workflows for that. Crimson Workflow is one tool for doing that; Monkey Extract is another. You'd have to do some reading up on both of those and on Red offline-online workflow in general.

The better question, though, is why you'd use 2K as an intermediate step if you're doing an HD finish? If you're only finishing in HD, just drop everything down to HD and finish in HD. Less complexity. (This doesn't apply, of course, if you want a 2K master for later film-out.)

If you have Final Cut Studio 3 with Color 1.5- then you can grade in 4K with Color. Which I highly recommend...

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]