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Workflow with DNG files in Resolve and Premiere

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Jul 4, 2017
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Usually I am processing my DNG files from the Cine SSD in Resolve with 422HQ which works fine but results in a huge final file. When decoding directly in Resolve into H.264 the video quality is still ok but the file dimensions are still to big. I am basically using Resolve as a colorgrading software.

So the final cut should be done in Premiere. But there is a big " but" in this. Working with the 422HQ file in Premiere, decoding it into H.264 seems to be preposterous. Trying to convert to H.265 which is supported by Adobe works, but takes ages to be done although the quality is still suitable.

Is there any reasonable possibility to shrink those 422HQ files into a handsome size?
Any secrets in here I should know?
 
Hey Kornbert, I'm not sure if this will help, but I'm going to throw it out there as maybe a reference or Plan B kind of thing. What I'm in the process of doing is simultaneously shooting DNG to SSD and 4K H264 to SD, then on the computer, renaming the H264 files to match the first part of the DNG filenames (in my case, "A###_C00##", which I believe is the default). I then will do my edits with the H264 files, and when I get to my final timeline(s), I'll replace the H264 files with their corresponding DNG files.

I've done everything up to the last step, and was actually on this site to inquire if anyone else had successfully done this - pointed in-camera H264 "proxies" to DNG master files. With my videos being fairly short, and lacking in any audio but a soundtrack, I'm using DVR as my NLE. At the very least, I feel you would save a ton of processing time, at the expense of greater storage space used (though you could set the SD to record at a lower resolution and cut that amt down), and you might have to manually replace clips, if your software won't automatically swap source clip files.

Any thoughts on this YOU have, I'd love to hear them.
 
No, I was just using the SD card's H264 files as my proxies, and hoping I'd have an automated replace option, without transcoding. Am I being naive? Is that not how Resolve works?
 
Follow-up: I was able to get through my H264 footage pretty fast and compile a stringout of the best (sections of) clips, but when telling Resolve to Force Conform to Selected Media (that being the corresponding ProRes or DNG file), the in/out points didn't carry over. So I was able to generate dailies quickly, and saved myself a lot of processing time, but now I've got to go back and reenter in/out points for 40ish clips. I imagine I could use this again in the future, but more likely, I'm going to just have one computer processing out proxies so I only have to select and trim once.

FWIW.
 
2nd followup: This workflow works, and if you've only got one section of footage per clip, you can use the Conform Lock with Media Pool Clip option (in timeline) to replace H264 clips with ProRes or DNG, and the in/outs and color grades do carry over. HOWEVER, 1) the I2's SSD starts ~15 frames behind the SD (whether ProRes or DNG), which is something to keep in mind, even if it's often irrelevant if you start rolling 1 sec before "Action" begins; and 2) if you have more than one section in your timeline pulled from a single clip, you'll have to manually sync the 2nd, 3rd, etc. Overall, I think the smarter workflow is to generate proxies/optimized media from ProRes/DNGs, but I can also see limited cases where this alternative could be useful.
 

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