Wolverine-Hawkeye Telecine

[Stan Jelavic]

You are correct Bruce. That should be one of the basic features i.e. interpolate the frames without duration change. But looks like they never implemented that which is really strange.
For me that is no problem because I like to run my videos in slow motion and interpolation works quite well there. But many people like yourself want to play the video at normal speed.
There is a workaround however. You slow the speed down to around 8 FPS (for 24 FPS normal speed) and save the video as TIFF files. Then import the tiffs into VitrualDub at 72 FPS and you will get back the normal speed at 72 FPS.

[Bruce Davis]

Hi Stan, I understand that the clip speed is able to be changed (slower or faster replay) but wanting to be able to replay at "normal" speed and yet increase the frame rate for smoother pans etc, say to 50fps, may not be possible within DaVinci, I have not found a way to do this.
Thanks - Bruce

[Stan Jelavic]

Hi Bruce.
You can change the FPS at any point in daVinci Resolve.
I put together instructions on how to do that in Hawkey-post-V1.0.pdf
https://github.com/vintagefilmography/Hawkeye
I will be adding more post-processing stuff there as we learn new things.

[Bruce Davis]

Hi Stan and David, thanks for the replies, just recently updated to AviSynthPlus_3.7.0_2021_01_11_vcredist.exe and VirtualDub2_44282_Update19_2020_03_20, not because the older versions were not working but just to keep up to date.

David I can understand wanting to stick to a program that you are familiar with, learning to use something new/different is so time consuming. Not really familiar with either Vegas or DaVinci, started with Davinci because Stan mentioned it, then found could not import the Lagarith or uncompressed RGB AVI files created by VirtualDub, but could import jiff files.

One problem with DaVinci is that, whatever framerate is used at project start, that can not be changed, so if importing tiff files at 18fps (the correct speed for S8 captured images), on export this can not be changed, how stupid is that. One should be able to change the frame rate while maintaining the same timing on playback.

Maybe using Vegas Pro might be an option, but in any event went searching for a way to overcome this VirtualDub avi import problem, the frame rate can be set with the VideoFred script, so that is taken care of. Found, through searching, that DaVinci would accept GrassValley_HQX_intermediateCodec as *.mov file, not *.avi (avi would need to be transcoded to a mov, too many extra processes).

Installed the GrassValley codec (Win10 x64)
https://www.videohelp.com/software/G...lley-HQX-Codec
Found the available options in VirtualDub under "Video" "Compression" tabs are :-
Grass Valley C210
Grass Valley DV
Grass Valley HQ
Grass Valley HQX
Grass Valley Lossless
The last option "Lossless" was unexpected and can be used as "no change" or RGB24 or RGB32 (RGB64 did not work for me) or other formats that are compatible with DaVinci.

Surprisingly the test files created with Grass Valley codec for DaVinci were not compatible with Vegas?

So my procedure will be (at this stage) VirtualDub to combine jiff files into an AVI video, using result4 (Uncompressed or Lagarith lossless), VirtualDub/VideoFred using Grass Valley Lossless codec (RGB24 or RGBA32), then import *.mov file into DaVinci for final colour correction.

Same can be done with Lagarith codec or uncompressed *.avi file and then colour correct in Vegas.

Regards - Bruce

P.S. GoPro Cineform v10.0.1 codec also works with DaVinci but it is a lossy codec, bit depths available 8, 10, 16.

[Stan Jelavic]

VideoFred does a pretty good job with the film scratches.

[David Brown]

Bruce, I feel your pain!

After 6 months of 8mm captures via Hawkeye, this is what I do now.

I get the best exposure and white balance at capture. Sometimes IC cap's auto settings miss the mark. All you will have is your eye to adjust the color.

I capture Tiffs, and load them directly into Vegas as a sequence. Vegas' auto white balance works well if there is some shade of gray or white object in the scene. I've even used the sprocket hole. Then check it with the Vector scope.

All of the tools I use are also available in DaVinci Resolve. I find it has a tough learning curve. I know what I want to do, and struggle to find the method in Davinci. I have used Vegas for 15 years, mostly the home version, now the Pro.

About 5 years ago I found my ver.of Vegas would not work with 4k video. DR was free and could do the job. I would have switched right then, but it constantly crashed with GPU memory errors. The only solution I could find, was to buy a new GPU.

Upgrading Vegas was cheaper. I still keep a current version of DR. I've been trying to learn how to use it. I recently found some tips on solving the GPU problem. Will see how that goes.

And I still need to find a filter to remove film scratches. I have seen good results others had using AVIsynth. Of Course, that means I need to better understand AVIsynth *&^% and find one of those filters!

[Stan Jelavic]

I believe that should work ok for you Bruce. Let us know how it goes in any case.

[Bruce Davis]

Hi Stan, thanks for the link to the conversion program, I will do as you have suggested, assemble tiff files to a video file and then process with VideoFred script (or Film9), then export again as tiff files to load into DaVinci.

Hi Janice, I am not expert enough and find using VideoFed's script or Film9 much easier, rather than using individually imported filters and then guessing at configuring them for a hopeful result.

Regards - Bruce

[Stan Jelavic]

Yes, the video script is optional. For me it is handy, I just drag it into VirtualDub2 and then save the video using the VirtualDub2 file command. But in any case, for people using DaVinci this creates an issue because DaVinci is not very kind to the VirtualDub2 exports.
https://www.easefab.com/topic-avi/da...atibility.html
I did use Easefab for a while and then realized that I can export the the VirtualDub2 as a sequence of tiff images and import that directly into DaVinci and then complete the post there. The process uses extra space for the image files but that can be cleaned up at the end of the process.

[Janice Glesser]

You can crop, stabilize, resize, set FPS, and output to a video file in VirtualdDub 2 without using video Fred scripts. I do this all the time then import into my Premiere Pro editor for degraining and color correction if needed.

[Bruce Davis]

Hi Stan, thanks for the links, very new to DaVinci (one day), have imported the tiff files into the time line and tested the Auto colour, its quite impressive.

For simplicity would like to create a video file from the tiff files with VideoFred script or Film9 (no colour correction) to crop, size and stabilise etc, then try colour correction and frame rate in DaVinci.

Which video type, that is available in avisynth/VirtualDub, do you use that is compatible with DaVinci.
Regards - Bruce

[Stan Jelavic]

Sorry, should have mentioned that. Yes you can import tiffs.

Noise reduction. Lots of videos out there. Here is one of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akPJJ_ggaVc

Interpolation and speed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5cO3ZTfSr4

The color change is very powerful in daVinci. First select the color with eye dropper. Change color range observing what is selected on the image as you go. Then shift the range as required.

Probably most of you are familiar with this but wanted to mention it, just in case.

[Bruce Davis]

Sorry, Just realised can import tiff into DaVinci
Regards

[Stan Jelavic]

Yes that is the problem with VideoFred and high resolution. Would be good to figure out equivalent processin steps with DaVinci.

[Bruce Davis]

Hi Stan, using VideoFred's script on "result1" (not your modified version), the performance monitor shows between 35 to 45% CPU usage on all 4 cores, the frame rate is down to 0.07fps at 1952x1388 final resolution, this is very slow, the higher the output resolution the slower the processing (guess that's obvious). When reducing the output to 1256x924 processing speed increases to 0.5fps, must mention my computer is some 8 yrs old with a core i5-2500K 3.30GHz processor.

When I quoted "the process was working at a rate of 15fps" in my previous post I must have misread (brain fart), as that is obviously wrong.

Film9 does a bit better at 1888x1236, processes at 1.35fps (10min 1st pass and one hour 2nd pass).
Thanks Stan