Color Grading and Premiere at DVinfo.net

Jiri Fiala · August 17th, 2007, 08:30 AM

Hello, what would be the best workflow to color-grade a project from Premiere? I have access to Fusion and I am able to make some nice color in there, which I am unable to achieve in Pemiere itself.

But as it is impossible to grade whole movie with single setting, I need to know how to efficiently move the project between Premiere and Fusion, or similar FX program. Do I make the final cut (without transitions, I presume) and export scenes/cuts to image sequences? That would be a mess, wouldn`t it? Or do I color-correct the footage I am working with and then re-link it in Premiere?

Thanks for any info!

James Huenergardt · August 21st, 2007, 07:39 PM

If you had After Effects, you could open the Premiere Pro project in After Effects, do your color grading (make sure to set it up for 16bit) and then render out an uncompressed file.

You might have to render out your entire sequence as an uncompressed file or uncompressed image sequence and then import into Fusion and separate each scene out.

I don't know if Automatic Duck has anything to go from Premiere to Fusion. You might try that.

Jim

Glenn Chan · August 22nd, 2007, 12:15 AM

You could export the whole movie uncompressed. Export an EDL too: it contains timecodes where your cuts are. In AE, you can quickly split clips by entering in timecodes and using the shortcut that splits a layer.

see
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=88535

Not sure about DFusion.

Jiri Fiala · August 22nd, 2007, 09:08 AM

Thank you both. It's a pity that Adobe doesn't have have something like FCP+Color... Importing a longer project to AFX for grading results in almost unmanageable amount of layers. I will sink my teeth into that, though. Thanks again :)

Dale Stoltzfus · August 22nd, 2007, 09:53 AM

As for the "unmanageable amount of layers," use precomps. Just select several layers and press ctrl (or cmd for MAC)+Shift+C. Type a name for your precomp in the dialog box that pops up and click OK. Now all of those layers are grouped together in a sub composition (or precomp) that appears as only one layer in the master comp. The great thing is that you can still access the individual clips in the precomp and they haven't changed their timing. For example, you could organize a short movie this way: Main comp for entire movie, separate precomps for each scene, and smiler shots also in their own precomps which are located in that scene's precomp. That way you can color correct similar shots all at once by applying the effects to their precomp.

Just FYI, you can also do this using timelines in Premiere - it's a great way to stay organized and, when you bring the project into After Effects, it converts the timelines to precomps.

Jiri Fiala · August 22nd, 2007, 10:15 AM

Thanks Dale! Yes, I use nesting in Premiere all the time, thanks for bringing precomping in AFX to my attention.

Glenn Chan · August 22nd, 2007, 04:45 PM

I find it easier if you break it up into scenes, and then precomp the scenes into a master comp.

Though when you render, you render each scene individually. If you multiple computers, you can render one scene while grade another scene on your working machine.

August 17th, 2007, 08:30 AM	#1
Jiri Fiala Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brno Czech Republic Posts: 453	Color Grading and Premiere Hello, what would be the best workflow to color-grade a project from Premiere? I have access to Fusion and I am able to make some nice color in there, which I am unable to achieve in Pemiere itself. But as it is impossible to grade whole movie with single setting, I need to know how to efficiently move the project between Premiere and Fusion, or similar FX program. Do I make the final cut (without transitions, I presume) and export scenes/cuts to image sequences? That would be a mess, wouldn`t it? Or do I color-correct the footage I am working with and then re-link it in Premiere? Thanks for any info!

August 21st, 2007, 07:39 PM	#2
James Huenergardt Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA Posts: 513	If you had After Effects, you could open the Premiere Pro project in After Effects, do your color grading (make sure to set it up for 16bit) and then render out an uncompressed file. You might have to render out your entire sequence as an uncompressed file or uncompressed image sequence and then import into Fusion and separate each scene out. I don't know if Automatic Duck has anything to go from Premiere to Fusion. You might try that. Jim

August 22nd, 2007, 12:15 AM	#3
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	You could export the whole movie uncompressed. Export an EDL too: it contains timecodes where your cuts are. In AE, you can quickly split clips by entering in timecodes and using the shortcut that splits a layer. see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=88535 Not sure about DFusion.

August 22nd, 2007, 09:08 AM	#4
Jiri Fiala Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brno Czech Republic Posts: 453	Thank you both. It's a pity that Adobe doesn't have have something like FCP+Color... Importing a longer project to AFX for grading results in almost unmanageable amount of layers. I will sink my teeth into that, though. Thanks again :)

August 22nd, 2007, 09:53 AM	#5
Dale Stoltzfus Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ephrata, PA United States Posts: 257	As for the "unmanageable amount of layers," use precomps. Just select several layers and press ctrl (or cmd for MAC)+Shift+C. Type a name for your precomp in the dialog box that pops up and click OK. Now all of those layers are grouped together in a sub composition (or precomp) that appears as only one layer in the master comp. The great thing is that you can still access the individual clips in the precomp and they haven't changed their timing. For example, you could organize a short movie this way: Main comp for entire movie, separate precomps for each scene, and smiler shots also in their own precomps which are located in that scene's precomp. That way you can color correct similar shots all at once by applying the effects to their precomp. Just FYI, you can also do this using timelines in Premiere - it's a great way to stay organized and, when you bring the project into After Effects, it converts the timelines to precomps.

August 22nd, 2007, 10:15 AM	#6
Jiri Fiala Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brno Czech Republic Posts: 453	Thanks Dale! Yes, I use nesting in Premiere all the time, thanks for bringing precomping in AFX to my attention.

August 22nd, 2007, 04:45 PM	#7
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	I find it easier if you break it up into scenes, and then precomp the scenes into a master comp. Though when you render, you render each scene individually. If you multiple computers, you can render one scene while grade another scene on your working machine.