What to do when your done with your cg movie

#1

So when I read traditional movie making books I see that when they are done filming they make a digital master and from this they make all other outputs, for DVD, for TV and for cinema. How does this work for the cg film? Since there is no camera, we already are digital so what are the steps and how does one go about creating a master and then how do we make the three outputs (DVD, TV, cinema)? Thank you in advance, Gina

#2

Mastering a DVD is actually the easiest thing since both are digital mediums. All you need is an uncompressed master of your flick and an enocding tool(Encore DVD Studio, even Nero).

For TV you usually need a DigiBeta tape, which is not that hard to get.

In some stage of the production of your cg movie editing is involved anyway, so it’s no big deal, you don’t even need to digitize like you would do from tape or film. Import yor rendered output into an editing app and master to tape.

For film you will need a print(very expensive, one copy for a 90 minutes feature film is around 13K € and up, at least here) which can be done from a digital master or from a DigiBeta tape.

#3

Since the film will be full feature length (or even longer) the files will be large, I don’t think I’d be able to render a high quality final, (btw do we know how how large of a movie one can render on a BOXX workstation?) I think they will be in large parts and I might have to have a master put together - who would I get to put this together, would I ask a DVD place for just this one master copy? It doesn’t appear that they all do masters, but I would love it if I could find a place that did everything. If it doesn’t go to theater or broadcast it will be going to retail DVD for sure.
See I’m trying to figure out the order, when I’m done with the movie, I will have to have the parts put together, unless it is possible that I can use a small compressed version to burn on a DVD to take to festivals? Is that a possibility - then depending on what happens, say (best case scenario) it is picked up by film, I would then need to convert to film via telecine. If a broadcast channel is interested where do I go to get a dig beta?
And of course what formats to each of these guys want? How much can I do-
I really wish I had a linear map - what I should have at one point at all the variables. I’ve read some books but like I said they tend to be geared towards filmmakers with cameras. They say you would put out all of your variations from your master, but what are the steps from a cgi film… and not only with the outputs and all the versions we are supposed to have or potentially have at various timelines but the audio too? I don’t know if I am making this all too complicated, but I dont’ want any surprises at the end you know! Thanks, Gina
I have
Combustion
Max
Vegas

#4

btw do we know how how large of a movie one can render on a BOXX workstation?
If “we” would know such minor, insignificant facts like the image resolution, file format, bit depth and last but not least the machines hard drive capacity - then yes.
Anyway, diskspace should be not the big problem, as it’s dead cheap nowadays.

I think they will be in large parts and I might have to have a master put together - who would I get to put this together, would I ask a DVD place for just this one master copy?

If you can afford.
There is a major dfference between a DVD you burn at home and a pressed DVD form a facility.
I dealt with lots of DVD output in different jobs and was told that the minimum number of copies they do is around 300. Anything below wouldn’t pay so your best bet is encoing and burning by yourself or some friends or some person you might want to hire or whatever.

I will have to have the parts put together, unless it is possible that I can use a small compressed version to burn on a DVD to take to festivals?

It’S the usual way to send out DVDs of your film to festivals, smaller festivals maybe even screen from DVD, but the usual screening format is DigiBeta or film.
Again, there are two ways to output on film: the rpint allows you to use a digital intermediate which is much larger in size( +2000 pixels high) than the format of a DigiBeta(NTSC in your case) and would need more resources, more time to render and to process.

If a broadcast channel is interested where do I go to get a digi beta?
Look into the Yellow Pages, find a tape reseller.
Your software looks OK to me, not sure if Vegas can output to DigiBeta.

And of course what formats to each of these guys want?
That’s a question better answered by “these guys”(when you found these guys), not in a public forum.

Try to find someone near the place you live, short ways in communication always pay.

#5

Hey cgtalk folks, I would love to have more opinions on my original question. I would really appreciate a variety of feedback. Please and thank you!

scrimski - I have a boxx workstation, it has a raid of 1 terabyte (I have a backup system of 1.5 terabyte). My footage is 1920x1080 but since I am not complete I can’t tell you how much data I have. Although I have read that a full feature film will take around a terabyte of space. I’m not asking if I will have room, I’d be curious to know, in general, about how many parts would one would be able to render in one output before fail. 3 chunks, 7 of about how many Gb? Those who have generated film length and know what is generally expected, limited either due to memory or size or their experience with outputting from onset to the other formats I would be very interested in hearing what they experienced.

Yes I know there is a difference between a home DVD and DVD’s made by a facility like I said if this doesn’t go to film or broadcast these DVD’s would most definitely be over 300 they would be for a retail market, but that wasn’t really my question, I already know where I would have the duplications done. I’m wondering about how to make a cgi master. And how to generate TV and film outputs from that master. The whole sequence and basic outline of these output steps would be terrific to know, if only as a loose guide.

I have sent out to Sundance before per their instructions it was a DVD and they also suggested vhs for a back up (which I did) but my submission was not shown, so I was curious as to which format they (and other festivals typically) want when a film is selected and shown.
I am asking my peers who have some experience for their advice so that I can be best prepared and not have any surprises when I am wrapping up. It is always a good idea to be well informed and well planned. I’ve gotten some great advice from cgtalk before! So if anyone has any info in regards to my original questions it would be greatly appreciated.

#6

i would just render out on harddisk and take that to a postprod company to put on a HDCAM SR tape as a (HD) master and from that master i would make all my (SD) digiß / dvd copies.

#7

Thank you Tagger! Gina`

#8

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