Davinci Resolve to PR / AE workflow

[cam3LD]

I know this isn't the ideal way to do things - but here's the situation and I need a solution.

Editor built it in PR

XML and footage to colorist

VFX transitions and clean up in AE

Timeline was short so had to work at the same time as colorist.

Ideally, I'd like the colorist to export every single clip in Resolve with LUTs applied while ignoring the cut points - so that clips can easily be replaced in AE and I won't have time issues. I need the full clips not the cut clips from the timeline because transitions use footage beyond cuts. I'm not a Resolve guy and I'm looking for a solution to bring that footage into AE. I guess worst case scenario the colorist will need to apply LUTs and export every single clip individually?

Ugh.

Ideas?

[Rick Gerard]

For most of my production work I bring the raw clips into AE to do the VFX that cannot be done in Premiere Pro. These clips are brought in without any color correction and my DI (digital intermediates) are rendered without color correction. If I'm working in raw I do all the effects in raw so the color grading is all done in PPro (Lumetri for the latest version).

If I generate a DI inside PPro it always is rendered to a 10 bit or better production format with color correction added so I match the look inside AE while doing the composite. This is the unusual workflow because most of the time color correction wipes out some of the data that a could be used in the raw files to help me do a seamless composite.

The last option, which is only occasionally used, is that a LUT is applied to a clip in AE that matches the LUT used in Premiere. I'm on the latest version so I am using Lumetri instead of Resolve but you could do the same. Then the LUT is turned off and on during production so I can see how things are looking. I render a 10 bit or better DI without the LUT applied so that when the project goes back to color grading the original LUT can be applied.

I hope this makes sense.

[cam3LD]

Rick:

Yeah that's the IDEAL workflow.

The workflow I'm looking for needs to be AE / PR VFX happening simultaneously with color work in Resolve from a colorist. The best solution so far has been to make timelines for every single clip in Resolve, keep the timelines the same length as the source clips (not the I/O cut), and then render.

From there it's about replacing files in AE / PR. Since you can't really automate the Resolve export of full clips, there's room for human error (I.e. accidentally clipping a few frames), and it's really time consuming. Since we've already done it once now, we won't have to do it again - but it's extremely frustrating to work that "manual" for such a high-level process. It would seem to me that there would be a simpler workflow that allows for simultaneous work between AE / PR and Resolve that doesn't include XMLs (AE, embedded comps won't accept when in tandem with PR).

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Cam3LD,

So are you looking for a feature request? Please let us know what you wish to see precisely so we can see if what you want is feasible.

Thanks,
Kevin

[cam3LD]

Hey Kevin - would be awesome to have a simple round trip between Resolve and AE (and PR for that matter).

[Kevin-Monahan]

Here you go, Cam3LD: After Effects: Hot (447 ideas) – Adobe video & audio apps

[frankiedl]

Hello Kevin,

A read davinci project would come in handy or a good bridge system. I know you guys have your own color correction software and that migh go against company policies but making your products universal also makes them essential.

Cheers!

frankie

[Kevin-Monahan]

Frankie, request that here: After Effects: Hot (447 ideas) – Adobe video & audio apps

[trashcaneron]

Worth throwing an update here as it still comes up for me pretty regularly. There are many many ways to Roundtrip, work simultaenously between After Effects and Premiere, but this is the one I like most. Worth mentioning that this should only happen after picture lock (ideally, but rarely!)

What I've done for the last few years is:

1. Edit the video in Premiere (ideally it's done in Resolve so you can skip some steps, but most folks are still on the Premiere train).
2. Duplicate your sequence - 1) Original Edit 2) Resolve / AE Sequence
3. Prepare the timeline for an XML export, clean it up massively.
4. Remove any and all LUTs, color work, transitions. You can refer back to the OG edit later if you need reference. 
5. Nest all the clips at their full length.
6. Mark the in / out of all the clips within their nest. 
7. Identify the VFX clips.
8. Duplicate the VFX nested clips as unique sequences from the other nests.
9. Within these VFX specific sequences, duplicate the footage.
10. Create a dynamic link between that duplicated footage, and turn the visibility off. Eventually you'll put your AE renders in this VFX nest as the top layer. 
11. Turn the visibility off for all the VFX sequences in the master sequence - easiest to keep them all on one layer.
12. Import project into Resolve. Keep the clips at the original length. 
13. Color work and AE work can happen simultaenously! As CUBE files come in, apply them in PR for the non-VFX clips and apply them in AE for the VFX clips. 
14. If Davinci work has to happen and it needs to get baked (I.e., power windows), then just render the clip at full length in Davinci and relink to the new render in Premiere. You have to do this one clip at a time unforunately. This is the biggest time suck, I've found. 

Anyone have a better version of this? So complicated, but it works.