DI Comes Of Age

Hi all.

Seems like DI finally took off this summer, especially in LA. Technique did "Sea Biscuit" and "Pirates..." e-film did a great number of shows, we did "Underworld" and have just contracted "Wicker Park" (Peter Sova).

For many good reasons the preferred route seems to be :

3perf, dual framing for 1:78 and a scope "slice", HD dailies and DI finish with multiple IN negs.

For some reason some DoP's have a negative view of the Hd rushes thing.

My view is that as HD rushes can capture the whole latitude of the neg. (as opposed to optical) they provide the DoP with much more information about what the neg. really holds, all of which can be utilized in the DI process. Also, from HD dailies you can actually see slight focusing problems as opposed to SD dailies and can screen all or selected shots while optical normally only allows for something like 10% of the shots.

For preview screenings the HD dailies are "godsend" as a reasonable quality HD projected preview (with a rough tape-tape grade) can give the producers a better idea of what the audience will (or might) think of the film.

Kris Kolodziejski,
DFL.

Kris Kolodziejski wrote :

>Seems like DI finally took off this summer, especially in LA. Technique >did "Sea Biscuit" and "Pirates..." e-film did a great number of shows, we >did "Underworld" and have just contracted "Wicker Park" (Peter Sova)

It's getting more exciting all the time. I just saw the Kodak TCS box which has me all worked up.

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/newsletters/inCamera/ april2003/telecineP.shtml

Good for DI, good for dailies, good for any transfer. It will really change the way that we work in wonderful ways.

Best,

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

Anders Uhl wrote:

>Nice looking black Box as black boxes go, but the article doesn't really >give a clue as to where it fits in the film/telecine process and how it will >lower costs increase quality or any of that...

Ask your Kodak rep for the demo DVD that explains how this color management fits with the Video transfer process.

Sebastien Laffoux
ARRI Canada Ltd

>And it's getting more exciting all the time. I just saw the Kodak TCS box >which has me all worked up.

Hi Anders!

So, rather than "pick and choose" "ND grads" with power windows, one has the negative's full pallet of tones available, irrespective of subject/object place in the frame ?

Sam Wells

Sam Wells wrote:

>So, rather than "pick and choose" "ND grads" with power windows, one >has the negative's full pallet of tones available, irrespective of >subject/object place in the frame ?

Yes! That's the idea. You actually get to see what you shot. We can finally work with subtlety and nuance previously impossible in video transfers.

Best,

Anders Uhl

Mark Smith wrote :

>Nice looking black Box as black boxes go, but the article doesn't really >give a clue as to where it fits in the film/telecine process and how it will >lower costs increase quality or any of that...

Yes! You should be all a flutter.

I'm sure someone at Kodak will correct me if I'm off on any of these points:

It treats the telecine as a flat scanner ie. - it scans the image very "flat" (low contrast) and then lays the characteristic curve of the stock that you used (the telecine is calibrated for the specific stock) over it, snapping the contrast into place. Apparently it can tell you specific information - like being a stop under or over, etc.

You'll get more accurate transfers. Dailies will be useful. Transfers will be faster and you'll be able to work more creatively with the colorist and spend less time finding "the look". Of course it will be embarrassing for some to see what they actually shot! The tonal separation possible with this system is said to be impossible to achieve without it. I really think it's big news.

Typically Kodak won't give the hype it deserves. They probably cured the common cold years ago and just never told anyone about it.

Best,

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

>Typically Kodak won't give the hype it deserves. They probably cured >the common cold years ago and just never told anyone about it.

Well, they did help create the gelatin capsule that allowed Vitamin E to be more easily taken without resorting to a spoonful of cod liver oil...

David Mullen
Cinematographer / L.A.

>Of course it will be embarrassing for some to see what they actually shot

I would LOVE to get that kind of feedback! For the low-budget stuff I do, the film goes off to the lab and I only ever get to see a "best light" transfer...I know I could sure benefit from a system that would give me some meaningful (and hopefully consistent) exposure information.

George Hupka
Director/DP
Downstream Pictures
Saskatoon, Canada

This link may be of interest as well :

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/news/newTCSP.shtml

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products/telecine2003.shtml

Anders Uhl
cinematographer
ICG, New York

Anders Uhl wrote :

>It treats the telecine as a flat scanner ie. - it scans the image very "flat" >(low contrast) and then lays the characteristic curve of the stock that you >used (the telecine is calibrated for the specific stock) over it, snapping >the contrast into place

Any one in NYC currently using it or have it installed. Care to name names?

I'm interested.

Mark Smith

Mark Smith wrote :

>Any one in NYC currently using it or have it installed. Care to name >names?

TCS NY - the new Technicolor Digital facility, I think that's the only one so far.

Best,

Anders Uhl
cinematographer
ICG, New York

Anders Uhl wrote :

>TCS NY -the new Technicolor Digital facility, I think that's the only one >so far.

That's good news. is it the kind of thing that you have to book with a room?

I am having some unsupervised transfers done there for a low budget project wonder if they use it?

Mark Smith