DaVinci Resolve Collaborative Workflow on Disney+'s "Safety": A Post-Tech Engineer's Perspective
Summary:
This masterclass features Daria Fissoun, a colorist, compositor, and post-tech engineer, discussing the use of DaVinci Resolve in film post-production, with a focus on the Disney+ film "Safety".
- The presentation covers using DaVinci Resolve’s collaborative mode in a feature film project.
- The workflow is applicable across applications and goes over general film workflows.
- The discussion includes digital asset management, dailies processing, editing, audio, VFX, color grading and final deliverables.
- The collaborative mode feature allows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously, improving communication and efficiency.
- A Q&A session answers questions about color grading, software recommendations, and workflow preferences.
Daria Fissoun presenting on DaVinci Resolve workflow [ 00:05:20 ]
Introduction [00:02:29]
- Athanasius Camarezzos from SAE Athens introduces Daria Fissoun, a colorist, compositor, master trainer, and author of Blackmagic Design's official curriculum.
Project: Disney+'s "Safety" [00:05:22]
- The project started filming in 2019.
- The film is based on a true story about a young man who got a scholarship at Clemson University in Atlanta, but has to take care of his younger brother on campus.
- The producers aimed to change the workflow and incorporate DaVinci Resolve for everything to stay within one software.
- The producers worked with raw media directly, avoiding transcoding into lower-quality video.
- The team experimented and learned as they progressed.
The Pipeline [00:07:01]
- The challenge was using DaVinci Resolve for the entire pipeline.
- Digital Asset Management (DAM) cart (also known as DIT cart):
- Processes dailies.
- Dailies are then used for editing, audio, VFX, and color grading.
- Final deliverables are then produced for Disney+.
- The speed in editing raw media is faster compared to transcoding it into a smaller dailies file.
- Working directly in raw saves money, with potential savings ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 per film by not having dailies generated by an external company.
- Staying in collaborative mode improves team communication.
- Better visualization of the final product is an added benefit.
DAM Cart [00:10:41]
- The digital asset management cart was on set every day to:
- Monitor footage being captured
- Provide video assist.
- Apply preliminary grades.
- Generate LUTs.
- Enter metadata.
- Sync audio.
- Continuously back up media.
- The DAM operator did all of this inside of a Resolve project.
- The operator shared the project file with the team to restore everything that was created.
Dailies [00:13:42]
- Dailies:
- The team transcoded and made proxies for the producers, director, executive producers, and any interested party wanting to see rushes.
- The team also created proxies for their own use.
- Ensured accurate sound sync.
- Checked the clapper.
- Applied Mike's (the DAM operator) LUTs.
- Transcoded into a format acceptable for viewing, such as H.264.
Linear Tape-Open Backup [00:15:56]
- Linear Tape-Open (LTO) backup:
- Long shelf life (up to 30 years).
- Large storage capacity (12 TB for LTO8).
- Fast transfer speeds.
- Generational.
Cloning [00:20:18]
- Cloning is bit-by-bit replica.
- Generates checksum report (like MD5).
Editing [00:25:00]
- Scene stills:
- Every scene had a representative image with scene number, interior/exterior, day/night, and a brief description.
- These stills were printed out and put on a wall.
- Bin structure or hierarchy for organization.
- Templates for the editor with things like leaders were built.
- The team designed preliminary sound and assembled temporary visual effects.
Temp Audio [00:28:09]
- Assembled using Fairlight:
- Used popular music tracks so the audio engineer/composer could have an idea of how the film should sound/feel.
- Built foley.
- Performed dialogue sweetening.
Temp VFX [00:30:19]
- Created graphics and titles, fixed production errors, composited.
- Removed visible booms and equipment, watched for crew members in reflective surfaces.
- Used Fusion.
Color Grading [00:35:17]
- Primary color correction and secondary grading.
- Grades for SDR and HDR displays.
COVID Adjustments [00:45:45]
- Due to COVID-19, the team had to quickly reshuffle their layout.
- Editors connected via virtual machines.
- Producers and directors stopped coming to editorial, but they were still watching the movie in virtual screening rooms.
- Test audiences also watched remotely.
Trailer [00:47:57]
- A trailer for "Safety" is played.
Q&A [00:50:22]
- Can a great color grade be done without the tools that Blackmagic says?
- Which free version of Resolve is the best to use?
- Is it fine to transfer Premiere project into Resolve to color grade?
- Are log profiles really inferior to raw footage?
- What video editing software do you advise someone learn?
"Swiss Knife" vs. "Overlord" [01:03:16]
- Debate: Is it better to be a master of all trades or a master of one?
- Daria believes that you will naturally become a master of one trade.
Blackmagic Design Workshop [01:11:14]
- Blackmagic offers free workshops.
- Email learning at blackmagicdesign.com to be added to the mailing list.