HDR on Youtube - next big thing? Requirements?

[markr041]

2 hours ago, jonpais said:

The second half of Alexis van Hurkman’s article explores the creative possibilities of HDR.

http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?p=3548

Terrific. Wonderful illustrations with paintings.

[Axel]

2 hours ago, jonpais said:

The second half of Alexis van Hurkman’s article explores the creative possibilities of HDR.

http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?p=3548

There:

Quote

I think we’ve become a bit too obsessed with treating the colorist’s ability to guide the eye using digital relighting and vignetting as a “bulls-eye” targeting technique, giving the viewer only a single clear region of the image to focus on. I suspect that to utilize HDR most effectively, we need to reconsider the notion of guiding the viewer’s eye through the scene, providing a path from one part of the image to another that encourages the viewer to explore the frame, rather than simply having the viewer obsess over just one element within it. In this way, HDR-strength highlights can be used to provide a roadmap through the image.

SDR, to put it that way, has to compose an image with rough strokes. Shades, lights and colors are there, but the differentiation is too weak to be subtle and seductive. Vignettes, sDoF, background motion blur and *more cuts* are used instead.

With HDR (and of course UHD), the viewer's gaze can linger. The take can last longer, it can be a wider shot, containing more detail. The rarer the cuts, the more powerful they are. They become lean-forward, hold-your-breath moments. 

Yes, I can see how HDR may change the way films are made. These are creative possibilities indeed. Not yet explored, and there's a lot to learn.

[jonpais]

Soon we’ll be seeing the market flooded with cheap monitors like this one billed as HDR. Hint: if it costs $500, it probably isn’t ready for the big time.

[jonpais]

A viewer of my YT channel asked why I needed to grade my HLG footage. Wasn’t it meant to be delivered live? I said maybe the cameras at the stadium were hooked up to a van where technicians operated color panels with thousands of controls. To my surprise, I wasn’t far off. Here’s a bts look at DirecTV’s HDR production. 

 

[jonpais]

Late Q2 or early Q3. Sony and Panasonic each have a 5% stake in JOLED, who make the panel for this monitor. 2018, still no OLED monitors on sale to the general public. The 22” Asus will probably go for thousands even though a top of the line 55” OLED TV sells for $1,500. It’s got USB-C ports, which is phenomenal, but dollars to donuts not Thunderbolt.

 

[Matthew Hartman]

I can see why ppl would be attracted to HDR technology. Colors pop like no one's business. It creates a rich viewing experience, as opposed to simply watching something. And I'm all about the tech and propelling the industry forward and questioning those old conventions that were perpetrated on misconceptions. 

That being said, I'm on the fence. Is it possible to create a film that's so vivid and rich in detail and color that it takes your audience right out of the story?

I'm not sold yet that this is a good platform for narrative work. For advertising, it can't come soon enough. This is going to make product shots absolutely pop and scream "buy me immediately". 

[jonpais]

@Matthew Hartman The colors can be as subtle or as saturated as you like. Chef’s Table on Netflix is an example of HDR used to great effect for documentary work.

[Matthew Hartman]

16 minutes ago, jonpais said:

@Matthew Hartman The colors can be as subtle or as saturated as you like. Chef’s Table on Netflix is an example of HDR used to great effect for documentary work.

Good to know. I'm still getting aquainted with this format. You've elightened the subject a few times, much appreciated. 

[jonpais]

Thank you.

[kidzrevil]

I’ve been working on a HDR workflow for slog3 & slog2 in ACES. I’ve been doing my research and totally get how Sony was able to get HLG out of an 8 bit image. Luminance mapping is amazing

[Matthew Hartman]

2 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

I’ve been working on a HDR workflow for slog3 & slog2 in ACES. I’ve been doing my research and totally get how Sony was able to get HLG out of an 8 bit image. Luminance mapping is amazing

Can you break this down for me or point me in a general direction? 

[Axel]

4 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

I’ve been working on a HDR workflow for slog3 & slog2 in ACES. I’ve been doing my research and totally get how Sony was able to get HLG out of an 8 bit image. Luminance mapping is amazing

 

1 hour ago, Matthew Hartman said:

Can you break this down for me or point me in a general direction? 

Very interested too, since I have Sony.

[kidzrevil]

@Matthew Hartman sure ! The aces and davinci resolve color management allow you to convert slog2 to HLG in floating point. SLOG already has the Dynamic Range for HDR it just has to be luminance mapped on output. You can youtube plenty of documentation on luminance mapping to HDR and nits 

[Vesku]

The next step for realistic and life like videos is 60P HDR. Many current cameras can shoot HLG with 24P or 30P. I use mostly 4k 60P SDR with my GH5 because the motion is so much smoother. When I shoot/watch with proper settings it looks almost like HDR but with better motion.

[markr041]

9 hours ago, Vesku said:

The next step for realistic and life like videos is 60P HDR. Many current cameras can shoot HLG with 24P or 30P. I use mostly 4k 60P SDR with my GH5 because the motion is so much smoother. When I shoot/watch with proper settings it looks almost like HDR but with better motion.

Here is the "next step":

60P, 4K, HDR (HLG). There are a few color errors (I made), so I may redo this.

But no, no matter how nice the SDR video you make with the GH5 it is not even close to HDR. HDR is stunningly different for almost all scenes anyone shoots.

[markr041]

You cannot replace videos on YouTube, so here is the corrected replacement, with the other deleted, still 60P, 4K, HDR (HLG).: 

 

[Axel]

Meanwhile on Germany's huge slashCAM forum. Started a controversial HDR thread there - the first one, apart from one guy who asked how best to achieve a working Youtube upload. Very few fans there as well. The usual suspects, like here. Said HDR would change the way films were lit and framed (finally understanding the vanHurkman thoughts). Was baracked. HDR was for nature docs and candy ads, not suitable for serious storytelling. Wrote, what about *light*? There is no light in SDR, only it's faint reflection. Answer (by a pro DoP): that's enough, brightness is relative. HDR is a gimmick like 3D was, and it will disappear just the same, get over it ...

Another article in the news section: UHD TVs bigger than 50" came to 40% of all houses in Germany in 2017, AUO announces 8k TVs for 2018 and projects 10% market share within two years ...

[jonpais]

I recall - it seems like ages ago now - going to the home of the chairman of the photography dept. at my college. I think I was there to ask him to write a letter of recommendation for admission to university. He led me into his basement, where he proudly displayed his elaborate setup for making digital prints. I remember thinking at the time that this was an abomination - what did this have to do with the true art of photography? And even though I Ioved traditional photography, my real passion was historical printing processes and gravure printmaking -  coating fine watercolor paper with light sensitive emulsions, making 8X10 negatives or positives, drawing with pastel on gum bichromate prints, toning cyanotypes, spending hours preparing copper plates, shelves full of chemicals - digital just seemed hopelessly sterile. I actually felt a twinge of sadness for my old professor - how had he fallen so far? How times change!

[jonpais]

@Axel Opas Kino. ?

[Axel]

7 hours ago, jonpais said:

@Axel Opas Kino. ?

Do you speak german?