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Author Topic: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing  (Read 11131 times)

fredjeang

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Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« on: May 14, 2011, 06:28:26 pm »

Here: http://www.assimilateinc.com/products-overview

The interesting thing is that the "light"version of Scratch (lab) costs 5000 $ or 3540 euros...he he he!
10 times less than the 80MP Phase back!!!!



The workflow and environement is very similar. As an Autodesk user I feel at home. It should not be too hard to adapt the workflow,
at least easier than the codec indigestions.

There is a big full version of Scratch at 18.000 $

Scratch goes on Mac and PC and supports
ProRes, DNxHD, RedCode RAW (r3d,HDRx), ArriRAW, Phantom, SI-2K, DSLR, P2 AVC-Intra & AVCHD etc...

Keeping numbers in the reasonable, Scratch lab is a bargain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAcEuk8Fzs etc...

Look how the design is similar to autodesk. I attach a screenshot of my computer while working with the veterant Combustion to compare and I was very surprise to notice how close
is the design spirit.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2011, 09:55:35 am by fredjeang »
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Sareesh Sudhakaran

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2011, 09:29:59 am »

Da Vinci is available as a stand alone software only version for Mac users.
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fredjeang

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2011, 03:10:54 pm »

I've talked today with some color and fx gurus and it seems that Assimilate Scratch is difficult to learn. They told me "very high learning curve level" or "unfriendly but very powerfull"
So as the Autodesk products by the way. There is an adaptation a little difficult.
http://www.vimeo.com/assimilateinc

All I can tell you, having watch the Scratch tutorials with interest is that is is VERY close to the Autodesk workflow.

The Da.Vinci option on Mac is great for the incredible price of 1000 euros ??!! the light version will be free.
Da.Vinci was about to colapse and been rescued. They had to understand that the 4000euros/hour on 200.000 euros solutions (at least) belongs to another time.

Softwares are more and more capable and cheaper.

I'm very interested in multiplatform softwares for obvious reasons.

I'm hearing many Mac users here that wanted to switch to PC decided to give it a last chance because of Smoke and Da.Vinci.

I have a serious doubt though about what the new Da.,Vinci price means. We normally do not live in a world where 1000 euros = to 5000 in terms of products.
I wonder what does it mean in practise. Haven't seen the Da.Vinci specifications and where is the expected "but".

I've also seen some Da.Vinci operators now working (and enjoying) with cheap Adobe After effects softwares for color grading, using it for pro documentaries etc...
I personally don't feel at home with After effects, I have one that hardly use but indeed it is a good tool.

It's like everything, in the right hands it will bloody work for most applications.


« Last Edit: May 16, 2011, 04:50:43 pm by fredjeang »
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Sareesh Sudhakaran

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2011, 10:37:43 pm »

I've talked today with some color and fx gurus and it seems that Assimilate Scratch is difficult to learn.

No such thing. I know people who are quite happy using Scratch. If you want to learn it, you will.

Quote
I personally don't feel at home with After effects, I have one that hardly use but indeed it is a good tool.

It's like everything, in the right hands it will bloody work for most applications.

I can guarantee that the color tools in AE can match any grading software out there. More expensive grading programs only make it faster, not better.
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fredjeang

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2011, 06:09:52 am »

No such thing. I know people who are quite happy using Scratch. If you want to learn it, you will.

I can guarantee that the color tools in AE can match any grading software out there. More expensive grading programs only make it faster, not better.
Those are my thoughts too.
Basically some colorists have been talking to in private yesterday, told me that they found the Scrach interface a bit messy and pretty hard to master but not everybody feels the same.
I'm very interested in Scrach because Autodesk is not develloping any more Combustion, they concentrate logically on Smoke. I probably want a 100% PC configuration but softwares that are multiplatforms for strategical reasons and Scrach is high on my list.
I do not feel the same "hostile" learning curve some people described me because it is dead close to Autodesk, but it is true that softwares like Smoke or Scrach can at first give that feeling.

Your absolutly right about the After Effects comment.
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fredjeang

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 07:54:36 am »

Got more infos about Scratch as I'm evaluating it and started to work with it.

It is a good software, not difficult at all in the learning curve.
How good? personaly I prefer the Autodesk products but Smoke is on Mac...

- Scratch is extremely good-compatible with RED files, I think they cared a lot on that point.
I read here and there that it has the best RED's compatibility, I'm not sure I'd go that far but it's very good with RED datas.

- very well designed for conforming

- efficient color grading tools in real time, specially IMO for secondary color correct

- efficient automatized tasks

-3D, stereo

Tracker, Keying IMO are not as top as Autodesk.

The are differences between both Assimilate and Autodesk in the interface design approach. Autodesk is more "rigid", germanic. Scratch is
probably designed for a different kind of artists, I think younguer users.

But Scratch is well priced and is a good point.

Ideally I would have decided to go Quantel Pablo in Windows but budgets are talking.

To me, Scratch makes the workflow really easy and is a time saver while efficient for a reasonable price.
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ChristopherBarrett

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2011, 06:40:14 pm »

I recently toured Light Iron Digital during the "Advanced Post Production" section of Reducation.  LI, who graded Social Network, Atlas Shrugged and Pirates IV work on the Pablo which is a $300,000 investment.  Michael Cioni, who founded the company, highly recommended for us mere mortals to look into DaVinci Resolve.  I think my new workflow is going to be PP CS5 -> Resolve.  Both are very Red friendly, inexpensive and powerful.  Well, powerful enough for me.  

Here's the teaser for our new short by the way :)
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fredjeang

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Re: Assimilate Scratch consideration for finishing
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2011, 04:30:05 am »

I recently toured Light Iron Digital during the "Advanced Post Production" section of Reducation.  LI, who graded Social Network, Atlas Shrugged and Pirates IV work on the Pablo which is a $300,000 investment.  Michael Cioni, who founded the company, highly recommended for us mere mortals to look into DaVinci Resolve.  I think my new workflow is going to be PP CS5 -> Resolve.  Both are very Red friendly, inexpensive and powerful.  Well, powerful enough for me.  

Here's the teaser for our new short by the way :)
Congrats for the teaser. It gave me the desire to see the movie.

I agree with Resolve, highly recommended, to take into consideration with their new prices politics. I think there are 2 very interesting softwares for grading at a good price, DaVinci and Scratch. Both are very good with Red (we also shouldn't forget that Scratch was the most Red files integrated at the beginning, in fact the only one for a time, and where working hand-in-hands with Red company). It's more than enough for 99% of the projects.

For the ones on Mac, I strongly recommend to give a serious look at Smoke. The reason is that Smoke is in fact a sort of all-in-one application. Not really hyper specialized in anything but highly featured in everything. What it does it does it really well and the fact is that it does a lot of things. The cost is way more affordable than a Flame unit for ex (costs a MF back), and once you learn the workflow you are trained in most Autodesk applications, without talking about the absolute compatibility with their others products highly present in the cine industry.
Really, Smoke is putting me a mess in my workstation because it's time for me to upgrade the computers and I'm thinking if I should not come back Mac just because of Smoke. I won't even have to deal with naughty FCP, you don't need it anymore with the Autodesk application. So I'm thinking, and thinking, and thinking...without being able to decide...my life would have been much more simple without Smoke!

It's to the point that I've been following discutions on Creative Cow and Red users forum and many Smoke users stopped using FCP but edit now directly in Smoke, from the beginning to the finishing, specially the Red users.

To me there are really 4 softwares that I could call "bang-for-the-buck" wich are Smoke, Scratch, DaVinci, Nuke. I don't mention After Effects because IMO, being a very good software, it is a layer based and not a nodal based, and very plug-in dependant. But the price of Adobe is really unbeatable. IMO, for a commercial studio with some reputation, like some of this forum members, AE could be used to not occupate more powerfull units with peripherical tasks but there is no question that if there is volume and-or time and 4K is important, the solutions are in those 10.000 / 30.000 € units.

I agree that Premiere is very friendly user, and that can be really important. Autodesk is not friendly user, or more exactly, it is very complex and the learning curve is serious. I must confess that the fact that I don't have family obligations allows me to dedicate more time in the learning (sacrifying many pleasures) but I'm aware that it can be a real barrier for a lot of people with less time available and it could simply be out of question unless they want a divorce or overstress healph problems. So friendly-user, intuitive, not absorbing software is indeed an important factor.

I can't comment on the DaVinci interface in use, but Scratch is very user-friendly I must say. Probably one of the best thought interface I've ever experienced for the task involved.  In fact, some people in the industry warned me about the complexity (more exactly the mess) of Scratch but better trying always by one self and listen only the most experienced people because indeed everyone has an idea about everything. I didn't experienced this "unfriendly learning curve", on the contrary. Michael Cioni's advice is obviously a reliable source and his DaVinci's advice has to be taken seriously. I think he is a member of Red users.

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/China-post-production-digital-intermediates-workflow

Anyway, what is sure is that you can't go wrong with DaVinci and I think the workflow you decided is consistent and will really work brillantly except if you are going or planning to do a lot of 3D or FX (like for advertising spots) wich in those cases most will delegate anyway to fx studio.

http://aimediaserver4.com/studiodaily/videoplayer/?src=ai4/scratch/scratch.swf&width=475&height=307


« Last Edit: June 07, 2011, 04:10:03 pm by fredjeang »
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