GH4 4k proxy workflow for mac - Help!

[Peter Rzazewski]

After seeing the amazing footage from the GH4, I picked one up a couple days ago and have been trying to figure out a workflow for the 4k files. I'm used to shooting the canon 5D mark ii in MLV raw via the magic lantern, with a workflow that starts by transcoding the MLV files into DNG folders, initial grading for shadows/highlites in davinci resolve with export to 1080p, and finally finish editing and final colour in premiere pro. 

 

But with these 4K files, I don't want to output the full 4K size from davinici as the editing in premiere would be sluggish on my macbook pro 17". What I'm thinking and I'm not sure if this would work, is to export the 4K within davinci as proxies (say 720p), then cut those on the premiere pro timeline and when finished export an XML, then open the XML in davinci and pray to god it syncs properly, THEN (*sigh*) export only the required clips (essentially the new timeline from the XML) from davinci, and finally sync those newly exported 4k clips with the preimiere pro timeline created with the proxies earlier.

 

Does that make sense?

 

Is there a better method? Sometime easier? 

 

And if this method is good, are there specific settings I should be careful with?

 

Could someone kindly offer a simple step by step to simplify this? I've been looking for one online and can't find it. :(

[Peter Rzazewski]

I did find this tutorial that seems to be on track to what I'm trying to do, but as soon as I click the "default scale to frame size" within premiere settings and return to the timeline and then re-add it to the timeline (as instructed), the image then disappears from the video monitor window... here's where he mentions it: 

[nahua]

What I do is edit everything in premiere pro.  I use the scale option in the motion section of the effects for the clip, then copy it to every clip.  After the edit is done, I duplicate the timeline, select all clips and pick "remove effects" which will remove the scaling.  Then I export the XML.  Import into Davinci, set the frame size, and then scale the clips to the frame size. 

 

BTW I think you should use Davinci at the end for color correction.  I find it way more powerful than any of the tools in premiere pro.  Just my thoughts, I hope this helps!

[William Reynish]

Your workflow seems backward. Start in your editing app, then grade at the end in Resolve. As for proxies, edit with proxies and then export to resolve with the originals.

 

 

[Peter Rzazewski]

Thanks guys. I tried editing the original footage in premiere as nahua suggested but premiere ended up freezing several times. Not sure if it's because I was using an external USB 3 g-drive or what. I'm guessing it's the a combination of it being a 4k file size and a slowish drive.

 

So the next seemingly logical step is create proxies, as William suggests. I'm not sure how to do this in premiere pro, so I tried in Davinci Resolve. However, upon loading the GH4's mp4 files, I noticed that the audio was not attaching in the timeline, and upon investigation, learned that it won't because Davinci Only accepts WAV. So now I can create proxies but there's no audio attached?

 

So I tried to render out the proxies as 720p to keep size down, and it showed that it would take 8hrs to render!

 

Question 1: Is it normal for Davinci Resolve to take 8hrs to create proxies from around 1h18mins of 4k footage?

 

Question 2: Is there a faster way to create proxies? Is there an app that you could recommend? A particular workflow?

 

Question 3: How do you attach the audio to the proxies given that Davinci won't support audio in mp4 files?

 

Question 4: Nahua--what kind of drive and computer combo do you edit the 4k footage with? Maybe it's my computer/drive that's too slow?

 

Help! I have a meeting with a client to cut a first draft tomorrow and I don't even have proxies made yet! 

[nahua]

I edit on a Mac Tower w Nvidia graphics card so it will be faster than any laptop.  But I've been able to do quick edits on my Macbook Air with the GH4 4K files.  The 4K files are really not the problem, you'll get the same performance if you shot 1080P 200mbits. 

 

Like I said in my post before, I use the Final Cut Pro XML option between Premiere Pro and Resolve.  If you really want proxies, you could just render in ProRes422 Proxy at 1080P, then render, edit in Premiere Pro, replace the footage in Premiere Pro and export the XML to Resolve.  I've never done it that way, but it's worth a try.  To replace foorage in Premiere Pro, click on the footage you want in the bin, then click the timeline footage and pick replace -> footage from bin.  So you have two sets of footage - original 4K from GH4, 1080P ProRes422 Proxy.

 

I really hope this helps out!  Good luck on your project!

[Peter Rzazewski]

I edit on a Mac Tower w Nvidia graphics card so it will be faster than any laptop.  But I've been able to do quick edits on my Macbook Air with the GH4 4K files.  The 4K files are really not the problem, you'll get the same performance if you shot 1080P 200mbits. 

 

Like I said in my post before, I use the Final Cut Pro XML option between Premiere Pro and Resolve.  If you really want proxies, you could just render in ProRes422 Proxy at 1080P, then render, edit in Premiere Pro, replace the footage in Premiere Pro and export the XML to Resolve.  I've never done it that way, but it's worth a try.  To replace foorage in Premiere Pro, click on the footage you want in the bin, then click the timeline footage and pick replace -> footage from bin.  So you have two sets of footage - original 4K from GH4, 1080P ProRes422 Proxy.

 

I really hope this helps out!  Good luck on your project!

Thanks Nahua. I will try it. In the meantime, if you don't mind, what are your premiere pro sequence settings when you edit on your macbook air? I have a top of the line latest 17" macbook pro with 16gb ram and an SSD drive, so not sure why I'm stalling and you wouldn't be. Must be my settings?? 

[nahua]

I don't preview at max settings.  Since it's simple editing, I usually set it to 1080P (reduce scale of footage to 50% in Effect Controls -> Motion -> Scale).  Then I set the preview setting to 1/4, it's the pulldown menu on the window pane, bottom right of the window.  I just remember to render at max settings and not the preview setting.  It's not perfect and the detail is gone, but for quick editing it works very well.

[Petros Goritsas]

My dear colleagues,

I really need your input on the following subject.

• I own an 21.5 inch iMac since 2011( i know its been a really long time... i should upgrade...)
• Processor  2.5 ghz intel core i5
• Memory 4gb 1333 Mhz DDR3
• Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6750M 512 MB

 Now that i am shooting 4K (4096.2160) at 100mbps with GH4 , i am using the following workflow.

• Using Apple's Compressor, i transcode all the 4K MOVS to Apple Pro Res 422 (HQ) 
• Import them in FCP7 and start editing.

So far so good, but having only a 512 MB Graphics card i am now facing difficulties in the grading process.

Davinchi Resolve is constantly dropping at the 1920.1080p Apple Pro Res 422 HQ xml export from FCP7.

In addition when trying to reduce the Davinchi's timeline resolution i have to do it drastically so i can colour correct or apply any LUT.

I am trying different ways to solve this but i need your insight in this one.

Last but least, i am trying to avoid conforming all the 4K MOVS to a 1080p MOV (using a H264 codec).  

I need to find a workaround , cause of the VLOG and LUT packages i am planning to buy and explore soon enough.

Hope i can make things work with my old time iMac machine

 

Petros Goritsas