Color correction w Proxy or Native

Report · Jul 26, 2017

Hi,

with Premiere Pro 17, is color correction to be done with Proxy files or or should color correction be done after relink to native files?

Thanks

Micah

Report · Jul 26, 2017

If you are using the PrPro generated proxies via the ingestion process, there isn't any issue. The proxies are only used for playback purposes, and any changes are applied to the project as of specific clips, not whether it's utilizing original or proxy media at the moment. So it will display any color work no matter whether the icon is set at the moment for playing back original or proxy media.

As with only one exception (that being if the original media disappears from disc) ... exports are always from the original media, no matter whether you're 'seeing' original or proxy.

Neil

edit: With the PrPro generated proxies, there's no linking/delinking for any practical purpose. Unless something odd happens.

Report · Jul 26, 2017

The proxies are only used for playback purposes...no matter whether you're 'seeing' original or proxy.

If the Proxy is what is being used as "Playback" Neil...is it reliable enough visually and as flexible as the original file (eg 4:4:4) as opposed to the proxy for grading purposes.

There is a huge difference in grading 4:0:0 t, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 media by virtue of color sampling etc.

Comes back to best practice...time proven. Grade the original. IMHO

Report · Jul 27, 2017

No question, in 'general', that's a good practice. If you've got the gear for it, certainly.

Most of the colorist's I know use proxy media liberally for general playback, as usually grading controls are 'touched' while it's paused anyway. When they have the original media selected. And once they've got a section pretty far along, they'll render that if they want to see playback at full res. Early on in the grading process, they're mostly comparing "stills" of various scenes anyway.

So ... it's one of those "depends" things ... the project, the workflow one is comfortable with, the gear, the media ...

Neil

Report · Jul 28, 2017

Could one not make a custom preset with a lower resolution and in the meantime maintaining the origial sampling?

Togling between original and proxies I dont see any diffence in the scopes.

Report · Jul 28, 2017

I use the Cineform presets for proxies ... the built-in ones work fine. And you are most correct, they display the same frames in the original and proxy media as identical in the scopes. As I learned to do, for color corrections I work mostly by adjusting while viewing the scopes, with a quick glance at media now & then. And looking at the media is primarily spent thinking of ... does it need more of this, or less of that & that? But the changes are then made viewing the scopes.

To check for induced noise or artifacting I'll go to 100% and move frame-to-frame manually through a bit of original media.

And of course, for general playback to see if it "works" for viewing, the proxy media works fine.

I do know for many, they somehow need to see original media and don't watch the scopes much. Not my way of working, but to each their own.

Neil

Report · Jul 28, 2017

If the Proxy is what is being used as "Playback" Neil...is it reliable enough visually and as flexible as the original file

That depends on the Proxy format used. I'm a big proponent of using only Cineform proxies. They're 10 bit 4:2:2 files and likely higher quality than most of the original media used by PP editors. So the proxies won't be a limiting factor here.

Those using higher quality media are likely sending it off to a colorist anyway.

When I was shooting H.264, I used proxies from Ingest all the way to export, where PP is smart enough to use the originals. It's an excellent work flow.

Report · Jul 27, 2017

Thank you!