Can't change Color Space Override, disabled / grayed out

[MobyTrix]

I'm trying to follow the adobe-posted HDR workflow with HLG footage, setting the timeline to Rec 2100 HLG.  Unfortunately, none of the HLG footage I import is being recognized as HLG, and when I try to fix that by doing Modify -> Interpret Footage -> Color Management -> Color Space Override, the option is not available (it's grayed out).  Example:

The footage is definitely HLG footage, as mediainfo reports that both my clips (Panasonic GH5s 400mbit/s all-I, xperia 1 II) have the following properties:

Color primaries : BT.2020
Transfer characteristics : HLG
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant

Furthermore, when I play the GH5s-produced HLG file out to my OLED directly from the camera over HDMI, the TV switches into HDR HLG mode, so I'm confident at least the GH5s footage really is HLG.

When I import the adobe-provided prores HQ HLG "corner store candy" file, I do get the ability to change the color space, but since it's already recognized as HLG there's no point.  I tried converting my HLG footage into Prores HQ Rec 2100 HLG with both Media Encoder and FFMPEG, and neither produced a resultant file that was recognized as HLG or enabled the Color Space Override option.

Is this a bug in Premiere?  I've provided my video example files at https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgH_P1tOg-WGnXGwRwb6VPJddK0z?e=E71GhF if anyone would like to try to duplicate my results.  I can understand that the xperia file might be balked at, but the GH5s is a professional camera...

[MobyTrix]

Forgot to mention that I'm using v15.4.0, latest version.  Also, not that it would matter, but OS is Windows 10; video card is RTX 3080 with the latest nvidia studio driver; I also have 64G RAM with 52GB available for Adobe applications.  So I don't think my software or hardware are at fault.

[MobyGamer]

After opening a case with Adobe, I was informed that this only works with footage in the formats listed specifically here:  https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/hdr-workflows.html#

So I guess I'll have to invest in an Atomos Ninja V if I want to try to make HDR video in the future, as the existing support is very oddly limited to only Prores HQ and Sony XAVC.

This was not a satisfactory result.  If Adobe wants to be taken seriously and stop losing share to Davinci Resolve, they need to step this up.

[MobyTrix]

After opening a case with Adobe, I was informed that this only works with footage in the formats listed specifically here:  https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/hdr-workflows.html#

So I guess I'll have to invest in an Atomos Ninja V if I want to try to make HDR video in the future, as the existing support is very oddly limited to only Prores HQ and Sony XAVC.

This was not a satisfactory result.  If Adobe wants to be taken seriously and stop losing share to Davinci Resolve, they need to step this up.

[R Neil Haugen]

Yes, at the moment full HDR work is only possible with a few format/codec combinations. My guess is that the first few they've brought in were chosen because they had probably "Hollywood" clients using those and needed support.

They have a significant and nearly separate group working with major features facilities. Which has led to quite a few of the big improvements such as Productions ... which even in my one-person shop has been a HUGE improvement in my workflow.

But it isn't just a wide dynamic range problem, which is what HDR is. There's also a lot of cameras that shoot in a wider color gamut, and so it's best to have full control over how to fit that wider gamut into even Rec.709. And of course, it makes correction/grading of a sequence so much faster, accurate, and easy if you have full control of matching camera gamuts.

I work some in Resolve of course, and realistically I dislike the UI restrictions and the way they lock down hardware. My full Elements panel is mostly locked out in Resolve, over half the controls are blank at any one time. And the user has no choice or capability to change anything. Well, they want me to buy a BlackMagic control of course ... that is their business model. Cheap software (relatively) to get you hooked in so you buy their hardware.

One of the big advantages of Resolve at this time is the ability to set say a working gamut for a timeline such as say RedWideGamut. And you can run a transform on all other camera clips on that timeline to RWG ... which is handy because by matching color gamut, the color correction controls all work more similarly clip to clip.

I've been pushing for that within PrPro, and expect that at some point, we'll get the full wide-gamut selection ability. I wish it was sooner than later, of course. There has been some buzz about their having expanded parts of their development team, and I hope that one of the expanded areas is color.

Lastly ... Patrick Palmer is the head of all video apps as a senior program manager. (Which is still under their Marketing & Experience people of course ... sigh.) Patrick got into the business when he and then-partner Lynn created Iridas, one of the first grading applications made. Which Adobe bought and renamed SpeedGrade, which Patrick ran for a few years. Then Adobe killed SpeedGrade (and yea, I howled about that everywhere ... ) and Patrick was off on other projects.

But he got brought back as head of all video apps. I know him some, and his heart is still in color. So I have hopes.

And I'm realistic always. Currently, the capabilities for wide DR work are pretty specialized, and if you don't have the right specific workflow, will not work for you. That needs to change quickly.

Neil

[MobyTrix]

I'll continue to shoot in 10-bit vlog and maybe, once Adobe adds better HDR support, I'll go back and revisit those products and re-grade them.

Off-topic, but I'm curious how Productions have helped you, as a one-person shop.  I looked at Productions briefly and didn't see the value for one-person shops.

[R Neil Haugen]

How does Productions help?

Oh my ... I don't know if you understand the completely changed workflow that is needed for Productions. You make a Production folder, which is a real folder on disc. Within that folder you add subfolders within the Production for say separate clients or project types.

Within the subfolders, you can make other subfolders for various project parts ... and within those subfolders, make project files as you would have made bins in stand-alone work.

So you would have say a subfolder for X client,  and in that subfolder you could have a project for the media, a project for the sequences, and a project for extra assets. This way each project file is fast and low-overhead.

Within a Production, projects do not duplicate the metadata within them when you say use media or sequences from a different project. They refer to the metadata from that project instead. So your Sequence project does not load into cache every metadata bit from every clip in the project on opening because that meta is in the media project file ... and the sequence project file only accesses what it needs.

And you can have your own b-roll, audio, and graphics assets in their own projects. Reuse them in any other project within the Production. When you've added say b-roll from your b-roll subfolders & project files, they don't even need to be 'open' when you're working in another project.

Yes, I like having all my b-roll, audio assets, graphic creations, template sequences, everything available instanly in any project.

Fast and easy to work. All my clients and projects organized within my year's Production.

Neil