FCPX (10.1.4) and LUT Utility and Neat Video Pro noise reduction

Got myself the LUT Utility from Color Grading Central and its working great... With (most) global adjustments to the image.

Qualifier, Power Windows... do not play nice.

What works:
- Color Match
- Color Wheels
- Primaries
- RGB Mixer
- Curves

What is ignored - as one would expect:
- Sizing
- Data Burn-in

What does not work (screws the LUT):
- Qualifier
- Power Windows
- Blur


Well it makes perfect sense since LUTs are mathematical transforms of the color space.

We are used to so making many tweaks to the image at once that it blurs boundaries.  Wouldn't it be nice if they all followed?

Anyway, make sure to disable all no-go adjustments in Resolve before exporting your LUT. And if your image looks funky... Well you know where to look.

---

Here is something else:

I also use Neat Video Noise Reduction Pro plug-in for FCPX, and when I do it must be above LUT Utility in the list of Effects.

If LUT utility is applied first, I can't select a noise profile in the Option window of Neat, the window is empty - all black or all white, no image.

I suppose it's good practice to always put LUT Utility at the top of the list of effects.

Red Giant Universe 1.3.1 crashes FCPX 10.1.4

Red Giant Universe craps FCPX out!

Knoll Light Factory EZ, be damned!  As soon as I hoover over the lame demo plug-in - shit it's just too easy!  Sure as crap FCPX gives me the dreaded beach-ball of death!

I'm Uninstalling this stupid package right now, (Universe 1.3.1 if u need to know.)

Sorry Red Giant, fix this please!

Sony A7s footage import in Avid MC, FCPX, Resolve, Adobe

Avid MC 8.3 doesn't like the Mp4 (AVC) files created by the Sony A7s.

I can actually AMA link, but there is no image, and Avid gives me a "Wrong Format" instead of an image.  Now, the AVCHD .MTS footage from the A7s imports just fine in Avid.

FCPX 10.1.3 and 10.1.4 import the Mp4s, BUT IGNORES THE TIMECODE!
Here is a frame grab of the import window, All clips start at TC 00:00:00:00

Resolve Lite 11.1.2 imports them, BUT IGNORES TIMECODE as well.  ;((

Adobe (CC 2014) Premiere, After Effects and Adobe Media Encoder imports them just fine WITH Time Code.


Adobe has the upper hand here people...

Apple, BMD, Avid please make the A7s AVC files recognized properly!



Notes:
I have the latest XAVC Sony Plug-in installed for Avid: PDZK-MA2_v3.32  PDZK-MA2_v3.40
I have the latest XAVC Sony Plug-in installed for FCPX: PDZK-LT2_1.2.1


What's your experience with A7s footage?  Leave comments!

Avid MC 8.3 gives me a "Wrong Format" error when AMA linking A7s Mp4 footage

--- Update 1/25/2015 ---

All right, as of Jan 30, 2015 there is now a (SUPPOSEDLY) MC 8.3 compatible Plug-in which is PDZK-MA2_v3.40, available here: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/pdzk-ma2

But first, uninstall the old v3.32, on Mac: 
1) Navigate to <SYSTEM DRIVE>/Library/Application Support/Avid/AVX2_Plug-ins/AMA/
2) Delete the MVP_SonyXDCAMEX.avx and SonyXDCAM.avx files
3) Empty the Trash to completely erase the files from the system.

Then Install v3.40.

In MC's Console ama_listplugins it shows the following:
MVP_MSP_SonyXDCAMEX_64bit Sony Corporation 1.9001
SonyXDCAM_64bit Sony Corporation 3.4000.0.381

And... IT STILL DOES NOT WORK, STILL GIVES THE WRONG FORMAT!

In Console, I get the following:

------ AMA Link To File(s) ------

The video track contains non-trivial edit list(s).Forcing sample provider mode for video.

Color transfer characteristics information unavailable

Color primaries information unavailable

And If I select the accompanying XML file to the MP4. I get an error message:
Unable to link to file or volume.
You may need to Download & install the AMA plug-in from the Avid AMA website.

Great!  What a great compatibility!  I'm not the only one.
http://community.avid.com/forums/p/131877/752994.aspx


--- Old article below ---

I have Sony's PDZK-MA2_v3.32 plug-in installed.

In MC's Console ama_listplugins it shows the following:

MVP_MSP_SonyXDCAMEX_64bit Sony Corporation 1.9001

SonyXDCAM_64bit Sony Corporation 3.3200.0.287

I can import the Mp4 footage, but I cannot open it.

How To Update to Avid Media Composer 8.3 from 8.1 for Perpetual Licensees Without Dongle.

Update (2-23-15):

Avid has a new article about updating Media Composer. Read it here:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/faq/Media-Composer-Software-Born-On-Date-Licensing-FAQ/


Old rant and how-to (12-30-14) below:

Of course Avid has to make things complicated for you.

The Application Manager is of no help whatsoever.  It will display confusing messages as you try to read info / update either Application Manager or Media Composer itself.

At first there is no Update available for MC, then if you check the info under App Manager you get cryptic message: no need to update if you plan to update MC...

Well... How?  If you update App Manager, then there is an Update button that shows for MC, but it is not working!  Avid tells you that you need to buy or subscribe and that no Update is available to you.  Great.



So for you mindful users wanting to update to MC 8.3 from MC 8.1, in case you are a Perpetual Licensee, with a Yearly Plan Subscription and do not use a dongle, do this:

1 (one) De-Activate and Re-Activate Media Composer from the Licensing tab in Application Manager.  (No idea why Avid wants you to do this, but just to be safe.)

2 (two) In your web browser, log-in into your Avid User Account, go to My Products and Subscriptions.

3 (three) Click on Products Details and Download Links "Show"  (Why Avid has to hide the good stuff under irate pull-down menus like "Show" / "Show Info" / "More Info" / "Details" ... Is beyond me. Usually it's hiding three lines of important info that would be just fine being displayed right there in plain sight, that would make the experience much more straightforward.

4 (four) Download the Media Composer 8.3 installer.

5 (five) Open and Install Media Composer from the installer.

6 (six) Restart your computer.

7 (seven) Check that Application Manager and Avid Media Composer are current. Yeah!


Now go edit some 4k stuff!

Software Frame Rate Conversion 23.976 to 25

There is a variety of ways to achieve frame rate conversion.  Using Hardware boxes like Terranex, Alchemist PhC, or... Software that's available to you.

And there are two ways to tackle it, you can either:

1) maintain the duration (= modify the number of frames) which has the effect that the footage will play at the same speed in the new 25 fps frame rate. This process is slower, takes more processing time,

or

2) reduce the duration (= maintain the same number of frames) which has the effect of speeding-up the footage in the new 25fps frame rate. This process is faster since no new frames are created.


Below are a few examples using different Software.  As a general rule, use the best settings possible and the best codec/export settings, knowing that highest quality equals longer render times. Run tests.


1) Maintain duration (plays at same speed) 

Compressor:
Use Apple Settings QT ProRes with pass through audio as a starting point.
Go to Inspector, Encoder, Video Format Select Frame Rate 25, make sure AR is correct. Verify your media source, check your Geometry tab, set Frame Size 1920x1080 and Pixel Aspect Square if necessary (Open Preview Window and look at the results)  Something is set wrong in the AR or Geometry if you are getting a squeezed or stretched image.
Go to Frame Control. turn Controls ON, select Rate Conversion: Best (You might see ghosting with the other settings, test on a short clip.)

After Effects:
import your footage, right-click / New comp from selection.
Go to: Composition / Settings, change Frame Rate to 25. Click OK.
In the Composition window, enable Frame Blending, set Layer / Frame Blending to Pixel Motion.
Optional: add Force Motion Blur to taste.

FCPX:
Import your footage.
File / New Project, set Frame Rate at 25
Drag your footage into the Project Timeline
Select the clip, Go to the Inspector /Video /Rate Conform, Select Frame Sampling = Optical Flow (best.)



2) Reduce duration (plays faster)

Cinema Tools
This one is probably the easiest of the bunch, but USE THIS ON A DUPLICATE FILE as it will modify the QT and not create a new one -- no rendering needed.  Open Clip, click Conform, Select Conform to 25, Click Conform. 

Compressor: 
Use Apple Settings QT ProRes with pass through audio as a starting point.
Go to Inspector, Encoder, Video Format Select Frame Rate 25, make sure AR is correct. Verify your media source, check you Geometry tab, set Frame Size 1920x1080 and Pixel Aspect Square if necessary (Open Preview Window and look at the results)  Something is set wrong in the AR or Geometry if you are getting a squeezed or stretched image.
Go to Frame Control. Click so Source Frames play at... Select 23.976 @ 25.

After Effects:
import your footage, right-click / interpret footage / Main
conform frame rate to 25, click OK, Export.

FCPX:
Import your footage.
File / New Project, set Frame Rate at 25
Drag your footage into the Project Timeline
Select the clip, Go to the Speed button, select Automatic Speed.

Our first DCP Digital Cinema Package... it's a success !

We got selected as one of the guest films for the Real Experimental Film Series at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills, and we needed a DCP, pronto!

I started researching DCPs a couple years back when I worked as a post-producer on an other indy feature, but the tests weren't conclusive, so I didn't get to make the actual DCP for it.

It was time to dive again into DCP waters. I tested a few new encoding apps, Wraptor for AME, DCP-o-matic, EasyDCP plug-in for Resolve.  But at the end of the day, I went back to FinalDCP. I retested the entire workflow, and talked to a couple of colleagues just to make sure I got everything right.

I elected to make a flat, Interop DCP and I set the Jpeg2000 bitrate at around 150Mbps. Since our master was HD, I selected to pad the image, without resizing.

I had previously prepped an LCR mix from the stereo mix stems, so I encoded in 5.1 with empty LFE, Ls, and Rs tracks.

It took 16 long hours to encode, but it went steadily. The software converted from the 23.976fps of the ProRes QT HD Master to the 24fps of the DCP  which probably added to the render time.  The conversion was perfect, no skipping frames or stuttering.

I QC the package on the computer using the DCP Player app, and all was fine! Image checked, sound checked.

I then formatted a WD portable drive to Linux Ext3, using an old MacBook with Ubuntu, and I copied the DCP from the Mac HFS drive to the Linux drive on the same MacBook.

The drive was sent to the theater for ingest. I got to check the film a couple days before the show... and the movie played beautifully! Yes!


On screening night the movie looked and sounded great on the big screen, with cast and crew and an audience, powerful stuff!  The director was thrilled, and so was I.

It's a success!