Color Grading LUT Basics Tutorial

New release of DaVinci Resolve 12.5.1. with lot's of changes:

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/davinci-resolve-and-fusion

Hi there pips =)

I've been trying to achieve somethin' within resolve with no good luck, maybe the cracks of the colour walls can help me out. I believe it would be easier if I explain how I already achieved this (more or less simple) effect in After Effects. So 4 layers, top to bottom layer 1 and 3 is the same and I'm using it as a matte for layer 2 and 4. Layer 1 is a luma matte, layer 3 a luma inverted. So to have and image which high lights are formed from one layer and its darks are formed from Trump followers, I mean from another layer. Result
 
In resolve I only managed to achieve this with one of the (compunded) layers and an alpha output
 

 
I'm aware I could export the matte from AE and then import and composite it inside DR with a matte node, but I would like to be able do the whole shibang and grade within same platform, you know lazyness is motor of long toe nails and most incredible achievements :P

Thanks in advance

@caveport you're absolutelly right, the Luis XiV kind of absolute. I was a bit... reticent to go into yet another platform (never used fusion before) but to my surprise the roundtrip DR - fusion is pretty straight forward and flexible enough. Also the guts of fusion look very like natron, nuke and the sort; so no sweat there. Being fusion for free seals the deal. Big thank you matte =)

 
For those interested, here's how to you send (render) a composite to fusion
 

 
And how you update (after render) in resolve
 

 
The node shape of the process
 

Case anyone need it
 

CHANGE THE FRAMERATE OF RESOLVE'S TIMELINE AFTER CREATION

 
It happens... to the best and manliest of ranging dudes, and if one has been working on a long project could turn into a nasty PITA. BlackMagic's user vasikgreif found a cumbersome yet useful way of doing this:

You need to go to your Resolve projects directory (here it's C:\Program Data\Blackmagic Design\Support\Resolve Disk Database\Resolve Projects\), and open the project directory.You'll see a bunch of folders and xml files. Now, you need to edit the XML files and search for some strings and replace these with some other values:

 
I found mine (OSX) under /Library/Application\ Support/Blackmagic\ Design/DaVinci\
Resolve/Resolve\ Disk\ Database/Resolve\ Projects/Users/panfilo/Projects/greitname
 
and there, were actually 3 xml files that needed tampering: the project one, the config one and the long alphanumerical one. It might be obvious but most text/code editors have a search & replace or find & replace funtionality which in a conjuncture such as this become handy.
 
Attaching a screengrab as I'm unable to parse some symbols through MD.

 
Then It's maybe a good idea not to extend the project's wraping and export the opium blast ASAP. Resolve needs to access (and modify) the xml files too, so it's possible that it can change its properties on its next launch... you can also leave the xmls open as long as you're still working in DR.

 
Finally before launching fireworks and kissing the turtle, double check that TL's framerate and project's framerate are same: e.g. {putting sesame st costume} WRONG
 

 
RIGHT!
 
Source: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=145

thanks to vasikgreif

Top Editing Tips

Hello,

Any tips on what is the best way to convert the gh2 avchd files to a workable codec format that Davinci can handle? I am currently converting to prores 10bit, but I would love your input on this.

Cheers!

@Pedro
Don't use

http://www.mtsconverterfree.com/

it downloads some iskysoft video converter thing.
If you're lazy and on the mac use Free AVCHD to Mov (see it in applestore). It is ffmpeg based (has it built inside the app) and is free. Interface is ugly but you've served with many many flavours. It also has proResHQ 422. Fastest is to rewrap with 16b LE pcm, works also for fcpx. You would be surprised how many expensive software converters (e.g. EditReady fuck up patched GH2 footage, either sound and/or IQ itself - aryifacts, missing audio, etc.).

You could also create a script for batch rewraping or transcoding into whatever you wish. On the mac with automator creating a service or a drag and drop app it's quite easy.

here are compiled builds 4 mac - http://www.ffmpegmac.net/

A simple workflow would be:
• Put footage to convert inside a folder, don't leave blank space in neither of them, make things easier
• Open terminal
• write cd , there's a empty space after "cd"
• then drop the folder with the footage to get the path
• press enter
• you're now on your footage folder, now paste
perl -e 'my @files=ls; foreach (@files){ print chomp($_); ffmpeg -i "$_" -map_metadata -1 -vcodec copy -acodec pcm_s16le "$_.mov"}'; find . -name '*.MTS.mov' -exec sh -c 'mv "$0" "${0%.MTS.mov}.mov"' {} \;

The reason I personally use a perl script instead of something else has to do with simplicity (one line of {2x} code) and renaiming. With a shell one'll need extra commands. Also you can follow progress of the rewraping in the terminal =)

COUPLE THINGS
Don't use "-map_metadata -1" if you want to keep video metadata, TC, etc.
This script assumes that you've got a executable ffmpeg in you bin folder - /usr/local/bin
If you instead of rewrap prefer 422 or 444, plus NR, dithering, stabilizing, etc. ffmpeg has those options too.
http://ffmpeg.org/documentation.html

PD
There's also hybrid

A final note: in my latest tests around transcoding footage for grading purposes I've found that a ffmpeg coktail mix with proRES 444 output it's as fast as say 5DtoRGB and holds extensive grading marginally better. Cheers

Why bother. Just have resolve make optimized media. Also best thing about new version is that it can use mp3 audio.

Well now we have 2 options +)
If my footage was of greater accuracy/quality I wouldn't bother either. But - and this is my particular case, ok? - I find that in the transcoding stage I'm able to paliate some of the issues and so footage gets to colour bath in better shape. Same with fcpx, it depends where do things come from (are they in shape?) and how long do they have to stand the beating. There also are deadlines and diferent storage space considerations.

Premiere & Resolve Round Trip Workflow

Guys I'm on win7 and latest resolve studio 12.54 , been working on editing a short film for about 2 weeks now, and all the sudden today I cant find the project anymore when i start resolve, Im going crazy now trying to understand how to get it back , any ideas clues or tips? I have alot of work already in project, I appreciate any help with this...i tired going into program data and to find resolve project to do restore .i find the project but it does not have a .backu file (data backup file)

also check and make sure you are working with the correct database. If you have more than one it might be connected to the wrong one.

I would also recommend exporting your project now and then for backup and saving it on another drive or system. That way, you can still have the project even if the db or your disk corrupts.

@sammy

Here's something very simple to try - simply change the name of the folder that contains the project. Be sure to make it at least one character shorter or longer than the existing name. In other words, the total number of characters should be different than the existing name.