On-set media management creates effortless dailies deliverables

Recognising that seamless workflows are critical for commercial and creative success in the movie industry, FilmLight is showing an innovative new collaboration with Codex at NAB2014. The new solution allows every variant of dailies to be created in a single, largely automated process, with an initial Baselight grade forming the foundation of the final look.

On stand C6048 Codex will create a real-world implementation, with a small set and a digital lab in a truck. Live camera signals will be processed using Baselight FLIP, FilmLight’s real-time image processor, which forms the first stage in creating the final grade: FLIP shares the Baselight Linked Grade (BLG) file format with the entire Baselight product range and the metadata created at this stage is carried all the way through to finishing – providing an important link between the cinematographer on-set and the colourist.

New at NAB, Baselight grades can now be rendered and viewed directly on the Codex Vault. During production the live camera image is graded using the full Baselight toolset available in FLIP. Grading metadata created on FLIP is then transferred to Codex Vault, an on- or near-set media management system that generates all necessary dailies deliverables (including Avid MXF and Apple QuickTime), including sync sound and optional burn-ins.

Grading metadata can also be shared with Baselight Editions and Baselight finishing systems using the OpenEXR-based BLG file format. “The Baselight Linked Grade offers a solution that goes way beyond colour,” said Wolfgang Lempp, CEO of FilmLight. “It allows a more efficient and fully integrated editorial workflow with grading decisions passed seamlessly from FLIP on-set to Baselight Editions in editorial and VFX, and then onto a full Baselight system for finishing.”

FilmLight is also launching Baselight Dailies, an exciting new addition to FilmLight’s colour range designed for mobile post-production on location. This software-based solution runs on standard Mac hardware, and provides the same grades, filters and transforms found in the full Baselight grading system. It manages dailies processing from ingest and review through to colour, syncing, and the generation of material for editorial, VFX and other deliverables. This allows an on-set colourist to apply the core colour science and initial grade to the material, to be developed in the final grading suite. It is also part of an integrated end-to-end FilmLight workflow with total support for Baselight finishing systems, Baselight Editions and other FilmLight products.

Baselight DAILIES

“As movies and top-end television productions become more complex and ambitious, the time taken from camera to screen becomes ever-more important,” Lempp continued. “Getting dailies to editorial, with a good idea of the final look, is vital. So, too, is getting the raw camera output and metadata to the post house.

“Through this collaboration with Codex we make all of that happen, offering the richest toolset for users along the way,” he added. “This joint venture is a great example of how, by working together, we can take away layers of time-consuming technical work while enhancing the creative control.”

The digital dailies presentation will take place on the Codex booth at NAB2014, C6048. Baselight can also be seen in collaborative presentations with Dolby (SU1702), The Foundry (SL6329) and Sony (C11001) at NAB.

About Codex

Codex high-performance digital workflow tools are employed by independent and Hollywood motion pictures, high-end TV and commercials productions shooting worldwide. Designed for filmmakers by filmmakers, the company’s renowned product portfolio includes easy-to-use recorders and media processing systems that streamline the transfer of digital files and images from camera through to post production. They also include leading-edge tools for colour, dailies creation, archiving, review and digital asset management. Codex is a privately-held company, headquartered in London, UK, with offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, Beijing and Wellington, plus sales partners worldwide. Codex research and development continues to raise the bar for digital productions, combining the latest electronics and industrial design with trailblazing toolsets and capabilities for media and entertainment creation. For more information, visit www.codexdigital.com