Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

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Paramvir Singh
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Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

Post by Paramvir Singh »

We have just shot a commercial with thePhantom Flex. Will post the workflow soon. Till then check out GlueTools, a fantastic post solution for Phantom.


The Phantom Flex offers an unprecedented degree of flexibility in all areas of high-speed image capture, and goes beyond HD to support 4-megapixel imaging, when the highest resolution is required. Depending on the shooting mode and resolution, the Flex is capable of shooting from 5 fps to over 10,750 fps.
The Phantom Flex offers two user-selectable shooting modes, each adapted to a particular shooting environment. In Standard Mode, the Phantom Flex is just like any other Phantom digital high-speed camera. Shoot at resolutions up to 2560x1600 pixels at anywhere from 10 frames-per-second up to 1,455 frames-per-second (fps). Maximum speed increases as the resolution decreases – up to 2,570 fps at 1920x1080, 5,350 fps at 1280x720, and 10,750 fps at 640x480.
In Phantom HQ Mode, Vision Research's proprietary image enhancement technology results in electronic image stability unprecedented in digital high-speed cameras: stable blacks, low noise, higher dynamic range, and repeatable shots over the full range of supported resolutions, frame rates and temperatures without the need for pre-shot black references. Maximum frame rates in HQ mode are about half those in Standard mode, which means that in HQ Mode Flex captures images at speeds up to 1,275 fps at 1920x1080 or 2,640 fps at 1280x720.
The Phantom Flex supports multiple workflows: a raw digital workflow, a video workflow, or combination of both for maximum control and flexibility.
With a video workflow, the Flex offers a video signal on the dual-link HD-SDI ports independent of the camera resolution. Set the resolution to 2560x1440 (16:9), and the camera will automatically scale the oversampled image when rendering the video signal. This technique increases the dynamic range and decreases noise in the video signal.
The Phantom Flex accepts a wide range of industry standard lenses. 35mm (PL, Canon EOS, Nikon F Panavision), Super16m and 2/3" lenses are all compatible.
Key Features
Up to 2,570 fps at 1920x1080 in Standard Mode
12-bit pixel depth
1200 ISO (measured using ISO 12232 SAT method)
HQ Mode provides ultimate in image stability under changing shooting conditions
Phantom CineMag compatible, CineMag interface has field-replaceable pin array
2 x 4:2:2 HD-SDI video ports, can be configured as dual-link 4:4:4 video (4:4:4 not available at 60fps video formats)
Global, electronic shutter to 1 μs (shutter angles in HQ mode dependent upon frame rate and resolution)
Multi-cine capable via segmented memory
Internal mechanical shutter for hands-free and remote Current Session References
On-camera controls for camera modes, settings, playback, edit & save
Frame synchronization to external signal, allows multiple cameras to be synchronized – essential for stereo 3D recording
12VDC, 1.5A auxiliary power outputs for powering external devices
External trigger signal on camera connector panel and both 12VDC power ports
Genlock for synchronizing video playback – essential for 3D video workflows


Gluetools: Vision Research Inc. creates and manufactures professional cameras for digital cinema as well as high speed cameras that can capture imagery at several thousand frames a second. The Phantom Cine Toolkit for Final Cut Studio allows MacOSX and Applications to work with the Cine movie files created by these cameras. With this toolkit, Finder is fully aware of these files, including support for Spotlight, QuickLook and QuickTime Playback. Other applications that are QuickTime aware, will also work with the Phantom Cine movie file format.
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PhantomCine-v2.5.pdf
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

Post by Paramvir Singh »

Posting the workflow soon. Here, during the post I discovered two shots were corrupted. Well I cant go back and reshoot now. These shots look like this (as attached).
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

Post by Paramvir Singh »

Ok Here goes:

Shooting 2k, 1000FPS in Phantom with heavy CGI and delivery in HDCAM

1) we shot the, well, shoot, at 1000 fps, 2k

2) the camera saved .cine files. each .cine file is one shot. typically each shot was around 2.5 to 8.5GB for a few seconds. we named each shot as shot01.cine, shot02.cine and so on. The Phantom supports only Windows as of now, so we had to use Windows NTFS formatted Firewire 800 Drives. (FAT32 wont work as it cant take files higher than 4 GB). We had 96 shots totalling 256GB.

3) we transferred the .Cine files from our hard drives to the post facility (PIXION) via Firewire 400. Since the hard disk was windows NTFS, Pixion didnt have any Windows PC with FW800 so we had to suffer FW400. Time taken for data transfer: About 3 hours.

4) The .cine files were converted to .mov files of the same name (shot01.mov, shot02.mov) by the Phantom Cine Viewer Software, a free download from the Vision Research Website.. Time taken for poor Windows PC to convert : 16 hours.. We made the process faster by distributing the workload to three PCs. First was converting shot01 to shot31, the second shot32 to shot64 and so on. It was possible because all computers and storage was on a Network

5) the converted files were of a very high resolution and wouldnt playback on FCP. So we used compressor to reconvert them to Apple ProRes 422 1920X1080 files. Time taken : 6 hours.

6) In FCP, in the 'Comments' column of the bin, we wrote 'From Shot01.mov', for every clip.

7) After the edit, we exported the EDL with 'Comments' enabled. The EDL easily helped us track the required frames.

8) the .cine files are imported into the workflow to a Flame or Quantel or Nuke. Then according to the EDL, the required frames are extracted for CGI work.

rest is easy.
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

Post by Paramvir Singh »

Shooting Phantom Flex 2k, 1000FPS, non CGI heavy workflow

this is much easier. dump the whole data on a Quantel IQ timeline. Real-time play it and record on HDCAM-SR tape. That tape becomes your rushes.

Now grab from tape for FCP/Avid edit. Tape-to-Tape Telecine is possible for grading. Also after edit, upgrade on Quantel/Smoke from EDL+HDCAM-SR tape for online.
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

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Here are simple instructions to follow:

* Phantom RAW .cine file names must be 8 characters MAXIMUM, without
duplication (can exclude underscores in this)
It is helpful to use Day, camera, mag & clip name identification eg
1_A_01_001.cine would be Day 1, camera A, mag 01, clip 001
However, if all the clips are in order, then you could use 0001.cine,
0002.cine etc....


* The file name of the transcoded clips used in AVID/ FCP must match
EXACTLY the .cine file
Eg. 1_A_01_001.cine must be transcoded to 1_A_01_001.mov prior to
ingesting into the AVID/FCP.


* If using AVID, clip names MUST NOT BE CHANGED in the Bin


* Clip name comments MUST be used in the EDL.
Clip name comments should reflect clip used: eg: *FROM CLIP:
1_A_01_001.mov


* Timecode of each clip MUST start at 00:00:00:00
This is the default of FCP for QuickTimes with no timecode, but for AVID
this will be 01:00:00:00, in which case an ALE (Avid Log Exchange) file
must be used to import files with zero hour timecode.


* Post House for CGI must be provided with the RAW .cine files


* EDL must be in CMX 3600 format
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

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sample EDL as per the above method:


Code: Select all

001        AX V     C        00:00:04:20 00:00:10:23 01:00:05:08 01:00:11:11  
* COMMENT: FROM SHOT01
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

002        AX V     C        00:00:03:04 00:00:15:21 01:00:11:11 01:00:24:03  
* COMMENT: FROM SHOT01
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.
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Re: Working with Phantom Flex: post workflow

Post by Paramvir Singh »

i sent the corrupt shots (two shots of 2.6+GB each) to Vision Research, the makers of the Phantom. They were able to salvage the footage apart from teh last 50 odd frames of each shot (roughly). So that was a good thing. Will post the ad once its released.
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