RED IPP2 Colour Grading in DaVinci Resolve

[@Reelisations]

To everyone who commented on this video since it was first posted - my sincere apologies for the radio silence. It wasn’t intentional. I assumed that KZbin would send me notifications whenever a new comment needed approval. So I just assumed that, since I didn’t hear from KZbin, there had been no comments posted. Then I opened the KZbin Studio app after some time had passed and realised - to my great horror - that there were 3 YEARS worth of comments that had been withheld. So, so sorry to everyone who thought they had been ignored. It was just me being a noob video poster. 🤦🏻‍♂ So I’m going to do my best to start responding to every comment that had a question in it. It will take me some time, but I’ll do my best to get through them all. I don’t know if the original commenters will even get to see these responses, but regardless, I hope the replies will help someone out there. Quick caveat - DaVinci Resolve has changed quite a bit since the video was first posted. I was originally demonstrating version 15. At the time of the writing of this comment, we are waiting for version 18 to come out of beta. Many important aspects, including the way Resolve Color Management (RCM) behaves, has changed dramatically over the years. I will do my best to address these changes in the comments whenever appropriate. Quick one regarding RCM - in the original video I posted above, RCM had issues compressing the highlights when transforming for SDR (standard dynamic range), e.g. Rec 709. In recent years, RCM has had fewer & fewer issues with this. In version 17, highlight compression is actually beautifully handled. So you're less likely to ever see the overexposure and clipping I experienced in this demo today.

[@riversheppherd121]

Fantastic video! I was very captivated. Usually I am so bored watching tutorials

[@Reelisations]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@edwardcryer]

Ian this is information gold... make more of these!!!!

[@Reelisations]

Hi Ed, thank you so much. You are very kind. =) I'd certainly like to. Will speak to our sponsors to see whether we can make that happen. =)

[@manuelsweingarten]

Many thanks for this video! There are so many ways to grade red footage, and often enough you dont know where to start

[@Reelisations]

It's actually gotten easier in recently years, so I'm glad about that. =)

[@rawfilm7467]

Hi, great content! What's the best way to shoot you a PM?

[@Reelisations]

You can drop me a message via my portfolio page here: ian31446.wixsite.com/website

[@offroutetv5816]

Which would be the best method if your timeline contains footage from another camera? Thanks!

[@Reelisations]

This is a great and interesting question. Theoretically speaking, the best way to solve this problem is by using ACES (Academy Color Encoding System). It's the 4th method of grading RED footage that I didn't mention in the video because of duration. And partially because it's not prevalent in my part of the world. Through ACES' use of IDTs (Input Device Transforms), what SHOULD happen is that every camera's footage returns to a scene-referred, linear state. In other words, there should be few differences between the look of the various cameras shooting the same scene at the same time. If differences do exist, they are probably due to one or more of the following: • limitations in the dynamic range of a given camera, which might result in clipping of whites or loss of detail in the shadows • differences in the amount of light reaching the sensor, e.g. aperture setting, T-stop vs f-stop, etc. • differences in the sensitivity of each sensor • differences in the lenses used on each camera body, e.g. contrast, colour differences due to coating, etc. However, regardless of the above, ACES should still make it easier to match the cameras during the colour grade. However, if you're not comfortable delving into ACES, then I think Method 3 - Resolve Color Management (RCM) - is another way to get a relatively good starting point. To be honest, though, most of the Colourists I work with just do it manually while grading from Log. It's a lot harder, but most of them are really talented at matching shots by hand.

[@justacarcrash]

Hey thank you for the upload! I'm grading RED footage for the first time and really needed some help.

[@Reelisations]

No worries!

[@jameshia1918]

As always, great stuff Ian!

[@Reelisations]

Thanks, James. We need to work together again at some point. =D

[@crushedrgb]

Thanks for the tips!

[@Reelisations]

🙂

[@bobbypitts]

I can modify raw settings in FCPX, where I change to REDWIDEGamutRGB & Log 3G10, but from there what LUT do I use? Can I download one? Also, there is no "project settings" place where I can change IPP2 (although I filmed it as IPP2, but would like to adjust the highlight roll-off and contrast...) Any thoughts? Or is FCPx not capable... Thanks for the video, sir!

[@Reelisations]

Unfortunately I'm not qualified to answer FCP X questions, so I don't know if there's any way to adjust the Output Tone Map or Highlight Roll-Off within that app. Sorry about that. However, if you're still looking for the LUTs that allow you to achieve the Output Tone Map and Highlight Roll-Off you require (when grading from Log), they can be found here: www.red.com/download/ipp2-output-presets

[@dougoke9066]

exactly the info I was looking for to transcode RED IPP2 to Avid MXF using Resolve. Thanks!!

[@Reelisations]

Glad I could help!

[@noahyes]

this video seems to be exactly what i need, so thanks for that, but ive noticed theres usually something difficult to follow in these videos, and often at the very beginning. ive never seen a cursor disappear so fast as when he says "go to project setting here" and bam the cursor disappears and i have no idea where the project settings are and im going to have to research that before i can continue the video.

[@Reelisations]

Sorry about that. There was a brief circle that appeared when I clicked on the icon, but it happened fairly quickly. For your reference, the Project Settings are accessed when you click on the gear icon at the lower-right-hand corner of the DaVinci Resolve interface. It's at the edge of the screen.

[@dubstepzsi]

Hi Thanks for your video this is helping me a lot with my new client who i am grading ( will start tomorrow ) a short movie for them shot on RED IPP2 colour profile however they are wanting a 4K DCI Scope export is there any settings i need to change for this so the colours are correct on export before i start grading?

[@Reelisations]

Sorry for the super-late response. As I mentioned in the pinned post above, I hadn't realised the comments were being withheld. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Hmmm. The thing is that 4K DCI Scope is a description of aspect ratio, and doesn't directly affect colour. Perhaps you could clarify if you actually mean that your clients want to grade for cinema, i.e. DCI-P3 colour space? Or UHD TV, i.e. Rec 2020 colour space? If all you need to do is grade for Rec 709 while achieving 4K DCI Scope, then you just need to make sure you choose the correct Timeline Resolution in the Project Settings.

[@thetravelshooters]

this is so helpful. thank you.

[@Reelisations]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JacobVossFilms]

This is great man, thanks!

[@Reelisations]

Hope it helps! =)

[@Chris-py3ec]

Yes please make more videos... this is incredibly informative

[@Reelisations]

Will certainly try to. =)

[@whitepaper731]

hi friend,please upload that source image for learning purpose.....please

[@Reelisations]

Unfortunately I don't have a way to share that shot of the cave, but you can find other great examples of RED footage here: www.red.com/sample-r3d-files

[@RussellCane]

Very usefull. Please do more!

[@Reelisations]

Trying to! 😛

[@ReubenEvans]

You are a gifted teacher. Great stuff.

[@Reelisations]

You are very kind. Thank you. =)

[@melvinvanderstylen]

Thanks a bunch. Very helpful!

[@Reelisations]

You're welcome!

[@monikworks2784]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS VALUABLE PIECE OF TEACHING

[@Reelisations]

So nice of you to say that. =)

[@sheldonnorton9035]

Thanks very much

[@Reelisations]

You are most welcome. =)

[@SpectrumpicturesLK]

we want more videos

[@Reelisations]

🙂

[@michalguzikfilms]

Holy smokes this white background HDR intro burnt my pupils 😂 Great vid!

[@Reelisations]

Lol. 😛

[@boyangeorgiev]

Thank you!

[@Reelisations]

You're welcome!

[@archigroup7751]

super thanks

[@Reelisations]

You're welcome. =)

[@tomboherget1643]

Sorry, but have you checked Method 3 with Skintones and a color checker? I just tried with official demo footage from RED and in Rec2020 and it looks way off. Link to the footage is here: downloads.red.com/sample-r3d-files/weapon-standard-6k-ff-24fps.zip Method 1 works fine. I also found that color pipeline is identical if set to Rec709/Bt1886 and RedGamma4/DragonColor2.

[@Reelisations]

Sorry for the super-late reply. As I mentioned in the pinned post above, I hadn't realised the comments were being withheld. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I don't use the Color Match function often, but when I did it with the footage you suggested while having RCM on, I could achieve an acceptable result. Having said that, I'm using DaVinci Resolve 17 in the year 2022, so it could very well be that something changed in the interim. As for your finding: "I also found that color pipeline is identical if set to Rec709/Bt1886 and RedGamma4/DragonColor2." Hmmm. That's rather strange. I just tested it, and the rendition & saturation of the colours differs between the two. Highlight handling in IPP2 should also be better. Perhaps you can elaborate on what you meant by that last comment? =)

[@sisterbrothers1677]

This would be a good video in English. I need an ELI5 version.

[@Reelisations]

If there's any concept that's unclear, do let me know, and I'll do my best to explain it simply in my replies here. =)

[@crazyloco77]

So, which of the 3 methods is your favorite and why?

[@Reelisations]

Hmmm. That's a great question. I used to favour grading from Log, but because RCM has gotten even better in recent years, I find myself inclined to use that more often. It gives me more time to focus on the creative aspects rather than spending time to balance the shots. I also like the fact that RCM gives me the flexibility to repurpose my colour grade for other colour spaces. However, because I direct more often than I colour grade, most of the Colourists I work with still prefer starting from Log. Which is even easier now, since the default starting point for RED footage in post-production (in the newer firmwares) is Log anyway. =)

[@EYECRAFTVideo]

Great Video - MOre Video:-)

[@Reelisations]

Thank you. =)

[@chamathhasanka1626]

thankz

[@Reelisations]

No worries. =)

[@BayAreaDhillon]

Do I have to learn this if I buy a RED ? Lmao

[@Reelisations]

Actually, things are quite a bit easier now, tbh. =) For both Premiere and Resolve, RED made it standard (in the newer firmwares) that the clips will open in REDWideGamutRGB and Log3G10. In other words, Log is the default state now. You can still apply Methods 1 and 3 should you want to, but most professional Colourists are comfortable starting from the Log state right away. =)