Davinci Resolve Notes

Create Project => Settings => Use Square; 4K UHD format;
Use blackmagic conversion software for downgrading resolution;
Workflow:
- Create folders daywise. e.g. day1, day2, etc. Put all clips there; Note that for 4K raw, every clip is a subfolder.
- Run conversion software; Same filenames are maintained.
- Import the smaller sized (720p) clips to Avid; Full clips to resolve;
- Work on grading and editing independently. Get EDL file from Avid.
- Apply EDL file to resolve; Timeline with same name as EDL file gets created. Subsequent EDL file apply on top of it.
- If you create fresh project and apply EDL, you can import clips that are only used in EDL, but you would not have all color grading-- may have to redo it ?

4K raw converter to smaller res: cineform.com gopro-cineform converter (torrent chingliu)

Cinema 4D is good for VFX/CG purposes where you can fit 3D objects. Adobe after effects does not support 3D object placing.

FAQ

What is difference between primaries vs Log ?

Primaries for first level of color correction; Log for second finer level. Both are independently applied -- You need to reset both if you reset. For Log, you can provide your own range of what is 'shadow/mid/highlight'. Log control is more useful for all 'film mode' shots (raw or prores).
Primaries use the terminlogy: Lift / Gamma / Gain Log uses the terminology shadow / mids / highlights.

Should I apply 3DLut first or last ?

Apply last. Take a grey shades shot first for color correction. Use your waveforms and remove all the tints. Then apply 3D Lut with last node.

* Also note that the order of correction is (1)Bring shadow down to 0% in waveform. (2) Increase Highlights to touch 100% ; (3) Now bring Mids to almost fix at 50%.

Color correction vs grading ?

Correction is when you remove tints -- using grey area should be with exact similar RGB values. Grading is when you apply better contrast and creative effects.

How to bring focus to face ?

Put round mark on face -- Saturate it; Select invert -- Desaturate it; Motion track; After that, go to individual frames during motion track and you can "adjust" the motion track shapes. Motion track involves 3 things: (1) style (2) Invert 3. Mask.

Green Matt Resolve Steps

Use Qualifier. Use highlight visualizer to see what is selected. Use Invert Selection to have background as black.
Fine tune: Adjus thresholds in Qualifier tab to get cleanest matt. Use blur radius to soften edges.
Create Alpha output:
- Right click on node tree and (i) Add Alpha Output: Vertical bar appears at right side bottom.
- Connet output triangle from node to that bar.

Notes: See also In/Out ratio for edge control. Make it -100 to get background to choke-in to image. Garbage mask. 4. Use Powerwindow (oval) to create garbage mask.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fkXde6bUOw

To apply one node grade to multiple clips, select destination clips. Go to source clip and middle click on it.

The udemy course is the best.

Davinci light is good enough. Only missing is 4K output and some 3D motion plugins, multiple GPUs support which we dont need.
you can have nodes per clip or timeline.
From https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17616

c:/Davinci/cache; recordings; c:/users/thava; g:/nyshots/marine-park;ship-park-AM; G:/Kerala; D:

warez-bb.org saphhire, redgiant, boris

HLG vs VLOG-L

See https://www.reddit.com/r/colorists/comments/akcj48/question_about_hlg_vs_vlogl/

Term Comments

HDR High Dynamic Range (display) SDR Standard Dynamic Range. (Including UHD displays) HLG Hybrid Log Gamma (Developed by BBC for HDR TV) VLOG

Rec-709 LUT mainly limits your working colors to limited set of colors, automatically takes care your darks and highlights are not clipped.
If you color grade any log images so that you limit your working colors and none clipped, you don't have to apply LUT, so to say.
HLG format is mainly meant to be mastered using HDR reference monitors which are expensive.
VLOG is for more traditional color grading workflow. HLG is for ready to go output for HDR displays.
If you shoot in rec2020 or rec2100 you can grade for HDR easily too.

* Rec709 looks best on SDR displays. HLG output looks good on HDR displays. Rather confusingly, HDR has come to mean three quite different things:

HDR in photography also refers to the use of multiple exposures merged together to capture a wider dynamic range than is usually possible.
Requirement for HDR is the images with 10 bits.
Dolby Vision cinemas are 4k, HDR and WCG. (Wider color Gamut)
4k Increases size by 400% offers little improvement for domestic use where as HDR increases only 20% data offers huge improvement.
Red came up with IPB2 (or something) colorspace which is good.