DIGITAL WORKFLOW
The Essential Reference Guide for Filmmakers
WHAT IS A DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE?
COMPARING DI TO THE TRADITIONAL LAB
Traditional
DI
Conforming
Use a film cut list or EDL
Eliminated
Visual Effects
Printed onto film, then
cut and matched to the
rest of the film
Created at a workstation
then seamlessly
integrated
Color Timing/Color
Correction
Primary colors adjusted,
usually several times
Individual colors and
objects can be selected
and reviewed real time
Output
Master positive, then
duplicate negative, then
release print
The final digital
intermediate is used to
render a digital master
BENEFITS OF DI
BENEFITS OF DI
DI process is non-linear
A DI is a series of digital files that can be sorted,
indexed, tagged, viewed and manipulated in any
order
This allows you to access any point in the project
quickly and easily
BENEFITS OF DI
Full editorial control
Auto-conform from an updated EDL
Make manual edits to the DI by duplicating, moving,
replacing or removing frames
Adjust the timing of cuts and transitions
Last minute changes are possible due to the
flexibility
BENEFITS OF DI
Digital color grading
Provides unprecedented control over your work
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Creating a look or mood
Manipulating colors and objects in a scene
Painting, retouching and fixing images
Emulating lighting
Emulating camera filters and lab processing techniques
BENEFITS OF DI
Computer-generated effects
Better interchangeability with computer-generated
material
Effects shots can be fed into the DI pipeline at
various stages for feedback and approval
The completed files are color graded and integrated
into the DI
BENEFITS OF DI
Visual effects and transitions
Wipes, fades and dissolves
Cropping, resizing and repositioning images
Freeze-frames
Titles and text
BENEFITS OF DI
Image restoration and repair
Scratch and dirt removal
Digital painting and retouching
Image sharpening and blurring
Reduction or increase in grain
BENEFITS OF DI
Instant feedback
The DI environment is interactive
Ability to view changes as they are made
Instant feedback provides greater freedom
BENEFITS OF DI
Preserve the original camera negative
The DI helps to protect the original negative
The neg only has to be scanned once
The intact, uncut original negative can be archived
POST HOUSE CONTACTS
Account Executive / Bidding Producer
Producer / Scheduler
Post-Production Supervisor / Digital Effects
Supervisor
Editor
Colorist
POST HOUSE CONTACTS
Account Executive / Bidding Producer
Producer / Scheduler
Post-Production Supervisor / Digital Effects
Supervisor
Editor
Colorist
POST HOUSE CONTACTS
Account Executive / Bidding Producer
Producer / Scheduler
Post-Production Supervisor / Digital Effects
Supervisor
Editor
Colorist
POST HOUSE CONTACTS
Account Executive / Bidding Producer
Producer / Scheduler
Post-production Supervisor / Digital Effects
Supervisor
Editor
Colorist
POST HOUSE CONTACTS
Account Executive / Bidding Producer
Producer / Scheduler
Post-Production Supervisor / Digital Effects
Supervisor
Editor
Colorist
INPUT: DATA TRANSFER
INPUT: DIGITIZATION
FILM SCANNING
RGB COLOR SPACE
COLOR CHANNELS
SCAN RESOLUTION
SCAN RESOLUTION CONSIDERATIONS
Some considerations when deciding on scan
resolutions are:
The principal output medium
The look of the production
Budget
The most popular scan resolutions are 2K and 4K.
2K = 2048 pixels wide, 12MB
4K = 4096 pixels wide, 48MB
DYNAMIC RANGE
DPX Files
COLOR MANAGEMENT
Two main goals
All displays must provide consistent color
What is seen on the displays is faithfully reproduced at
final output
CALIBRATION
Each device in post-production must be calibrated to
ensure that all devices display the same image:
Film Scanners
Monitors
Digital Projectors
Film Recorder Calibration
LOOK-UP TABLES
Look-up tables (LUTs) are used to adjust and accurately
display the target output.
1-Dimensional Lookup Table
3-Dimensional Lookup table
LUTs provide feedback in real time and are used to
implement:
Calibration corrections
Color corrections
Specific looks
Color space conversions
IMAGE PROCESSING
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
IMAGE PROCESSING
Editing
Digital Effects
Color Correction
Dust Busting
Sound Editing
Conforming
Digital Retouching
Color Grading
Masks
Metadata
Special Effects
Computer Generated
Material
Film Recording
Video Mastering
OUTPUT
Digital Master
Video Output
Film Output
Digital Cinema
DIGITAL MASTER
Film for release printing
Digital cinema
HD
SD
Blu-Ray
DVD
Content for the Web
VIDEO OUTPUT
Frame Rate
Color Space
Aspect Ratio
ASPECT RATIO
FILM OUTPUT
DIGITAL CINEMA
CONCLUSION
QUESTIONS?
