RGB 4:4:4 Cutting Edge Technology

1
RGB 444 Cutting Edge Technology

• A PRACTICAL NEW
• BUSINESS MODEL

Juan Carlos Astoquillca Director of Engineering
2
Addressing the Issue

• Will it be required to entirely redesign to a
  data-centric industry in order to move up to the
  new high-end of post production ?
• or
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can an existing facility with a 422 High
  Definition infrastructure be upgraded to RGB
  444 10-bit real time video, to accomplish
  comparable and expected results ?

3
Points to think about

• RGB 444 Workflow
• Competitive with 2K data workflows for D.I.
• Repurposes existing 422 infrastructures.
• Cost effective and efficient means of improving
  Digital Mastering Throughput.
• Highest quality video archiving and mastering.
• Perfect for composite effects.
• Efficient format conversion for distribution.

4
Points to think about

• RGB 444 Workflow
• With 2K workflows acknowledged as viable for
  major motion pictures, RGB will open doors for
  facilities not currently equipped to compete in a
  2K data infrastructure.

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What is RGB 444?

• Its SMPTE standard
• 372M Dual link HDSDI
• Link A 422 (G,1/2R, 1/2B) and
• Link B 022 (0, 1/2R, 1/2B) 10bit

Full band Y
Half band Pr
422
Half band Pb
Full band R
444
Full band G
Full band B
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Typical 422 Infrastructure
Color Grading
Film Transfer
Uncompressed Data
Deliverable HD Master Tape
MTI DRS
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RGB 444 Infrastructure
Film Transfer
Color Grading
Uncompressed Data
Link A
Link A
Link B
Link B
Link A
Link B
Deliverable SRW Master Tape
MTI DRS
Link A
Link B
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RGB 444 HD DAILIES
SR HD Dailies
SD Dailies
Color Grading
Film Transfer
Link A
Link A
Link B
Link B
Link B
AES
SDI/AES IN
SDI/AES OUT
30 NDF TC OUT
Aaton Keylink
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RGB 444 HD DAILIES
Digitizing Station
SD OUT
ALE FILE
HD Previews
Projector
HD CLONE
Production
DUB
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Control Dailies Flow Diagram
KeyKode
reader
Color
HD RGB
4

4

4
Corrector
Dual Link
Telecine Control
GigE SW
MTI Data Base
Server
Ingest WS
SRW Master Tape
CONTROL STORAGE
Picture Ingest Workstation
MODULE
8
hrs
4

4

4
HD
,
8
hrs SD
HD RGB
4

4

4
One HD
4

4

4
write
/
One HD
Dual Link
4

4

4
read
Dual
2
Gb
One SD write
/
Three SD reads
fiber
channel
One
8
channel audio write
One
8
channel audio read
SD Out
(
clean
)
Three
4
channel audio reads
SD Out
(
w
/
burns
)
Dual
2
Gb
fiber
Separate audio outputs
channel
ALL write
/
reads performed
HD and
2
SD
(
total
8
ch
.)
concurrently
A
/
D
Converter

Audio
Deck

If needed
Legend
Video
Network Connection
Audio
For Audio File Ingest
Dual ch
.
2
Gb FC
Note

A KVM switch is recommended
100
BaseT
for viewing and operation from any
location
GigE
KeyKode
CONTROL Dailies
4

4

4
Two Workstation
System
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First RGB 444 Project

• HD Dailies at Valkieser Capital Images, Amsterdam
• In the period from June till September 2004, they
  did the dailies scanning for the feature film
  Deuce Bigalow 2.
• The client wanted to have the dailies transferred
  to HD using the Sony SRW-5000 HDcam SR and they
  also wanted a DVcam copy of it.
• They were going to use the HD tapes for dailies
  viewing in our HD theater and later on for
  conforming the master for test viewings.
• The DVcam tapes were going to be used for
  offline editing.
• The feature was shot on 35mm _at_24fps
• The equipment we used was
• -
  ITK Millennium telecine
• -
  daVinci 2K color corrector
• -
  Aaton Keylink IP keykode reader with
• 
  insta-sync for sync sound
• -
  Sony SRW-5000 HDcam SR recorder
• -
  2 Sony DSR-1800 DVCAM recorders
• -
  2 Avid adrenaline systems connected to
• 
  Avid unity storage .

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• Workflow Diagram

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Current Projects

• Studio Features using SR
• (partial client list)
• Paramount Pictures
• My Friend Irma Goes West
• Believe Film Productions
• Believe In Me
• Revolutions Studios
• Benchwarmers
• 
  (continue)

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Current Projects

• Studio Features using SR
• (partial client list)
• Sony Pictures
• Spiderman 2.5 (the extended version).
• HBO Films
• The Notorious Bettie Page
• 
  

(continue)
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Current Projects

• Studio Features using SR
• (partial list clients)
• Electric Entertainment
• Flyboys
• The second film production company ever to
  work with Genesis camera and SRW-1.
• GEP was instrumental in the development and
  evaluation of RGB 444 workflow.
• Production currently underway in London.
• 
  

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Current Projects

• Electric Entertainment
• Flyboys. Clips
• 
  

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Client Observation

• Electric Entertainment Flyboys Productions
• Hi Juan Carlos,While we have only
  just begun working on the Visual Effects for
  "Flyboys" we have already had very good luck in
  terms of the material. We have used the data
  directly from an SR5000 deck through a
  Clipster.Currently we have purchased an IO
  board, which we are using to go straight from the
  SR5000 into a BASELIGHT system, which is housed
  at our Visual effects facility (Double Negative).
  Everything is pretty much as it would be coming
  from film. We are using the data with standard
  compression for Green screen compositing with
  great results.The only possible negative is the
  relative scarcity of the SR decks. We keep
  running into the "no one wants to be the first to
  invest" syndrome. This makes it difficult and
  more costly to work however hopefully our
  experience will encourage the facilities to buy
  the HD 444 decks.ThanksMark FrancoVisual
  Effect Supervisor / Producer
  Date 6/28/05
• 
  

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• Youve Got to Be Careful If You Dont Know Where
  Youre Going Because You Might Not Get There.
• Yogi Berra

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Film and Data Comparison

• Statement You can post produce feature films for
  theatrical release utilizing RGB 444 as a
  viable alternative at a substantially lower cost
  to the studio and post facility.
• Purpose of test To visually see a projection
  that shows the comparison between a traditional
  film resolution scan of 2K with the same film
  transferred in RGB 444.

(continue)
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Film and Data Comparison

• Test parameters A single piece of film is
  scanned in 2K resolution with nominal settings.
  Then, the same piece of film is transfer in RGB
  444 again using nominal settings. Both signals
  will be recorded
• Conclusion The primary reason for utilizing a
  workflow that follow the RGB 444 path is the
  affordability factor. The subjective quality
  gained used in the traditional 2K process

(continue)
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Film and Data Workflow
4K DataCine
2K Storage
Link A
2K
RGB 444 SOURCE
Data
SRW Master Tape
Link A
Link B
Film Transfer
Color Grading
Link A
DVI
Link B
JVC Projector
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Alternative 2K Workflow with RGB 444
RGB 444
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Film and Data Comparison

• Two clips
• - 2K scan
• - RGB 444 transfer
• 
  

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Conclusions
Test for Yourself
YOUR PROOF WILL BE IN YOUR PICTURES
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• If You Ask Me a Question I Dont Know, Im Not
  Going to Answer
• Yogi Berra
• If I Dont know the Answer I know someone Who
  Does.

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• Thank You
• Juan Carlos Astoquillca
• Director of Engineering
• jcarlos_at_gepartners.com
• www.gepartners.com