Cineon
 

Can someone explain to me in layman's terms what cineon is. I am completely clueless. Thanks.

Mitch

Cineon is the Kodak file format for digitized, 35mm motion picture film .

One image file per frame.
Each pixel is 10 bit log scale in depth to account for the dynamic range of film. (8 bit digital video has a dynamic range where, if the darkest black is "1", then the brightest white is "256". For a Cineon file, if black is "1", the white reference that is the top of the video range is around 750, then there is still room for "over brights" as high as a little over "1000")

Pixel resolutions are generally 2k ("ful apature = 2048 x 1556) but many big studio films are scanned at 4k (full aperature = 4096x3112)

That's the "in a nutshell" version anyway.
Hope this helps.
Have fun.

What are the options for converting 25p/16:9/SD/720-576 to Cineon?

I'm an indy filmmaker who's shot a feature carefully on 25p/16:9/SD/720-576 video so that he may transfer to 35mm.

Research has encouraged me to use Cinesite but they don't do direct from video. They do Cineon/DPX 10bit/log file format at HD, 2k or 4k.

So how do I get from Video to Cineon? Is it better to pay a house - or buy my own equipment? I have a system at home already which I'm onlining on... could I use or upgrade that?

Please advise. Thanks.

I think you need some more advanced software. Perhaps FCP HD
can output cineon? Packages like combustion or digital fusion will
support it I'd guess. The question is of price. Perhaps it may be
cheaper to have some house do the conversion for you indeed....

Can't cinesite point you to some software or houses to the conversion?

I've just asked and they said:

'...most things can output in either cineon (or dpx which is essentially the same just with a smpte number on it) - i believe that in after effects it is best to use some plug in although i think the latest version does it natively - most other software such as shake, nuke, combustion, commotion, inferno, flame etc etc'


Can anyone advise which would be best for me? I seem to satisfy the system requirements for the ones that work on PCs.

My material is in either

DIGITAL: MPEG2 TS / MPEG2
ANALOG: Component (Y/Pb/Pr)


My footage:

25p/16:9/SD/720-576.

Any thoughts/opinions on the best software or process to convert to Cineon files would be appreciated.

G

(and yes, I know MPEG2 makes it complicated!)