In order to supply your material for grade, first check your media.

For offline media to be relinked to original camera files, please ensure your timecode and reel names match the metadata of the camera files.

For camera formats without Reel names in the metadata, check that the rushes have unique file names.

The playback frame rate of your media MUST match your timeline frame rate*. For example, if you shoot 50fps for a 25fps project, the intention should be for the 50fps footage to play back in slow motion at 25fps (not to drop frames).

*Please contact me to discuss options for mixed frame rates or frame rate conversions.

Duplicate and prep your timeline for Grade.

All media must be in one layer.

All variable speed changes and reverses should be removed. When you remove speed changes, ripple the sequence, the timing may change but that is ok for grade. If you want sync sound during the session, you may duplicate a speed effected shot and copy them to the end of the timeline to extend (rather than ripple the timeline).

Please place all edits in one timeline (for example 60”TVC, followed by a gap, followed by the layers/plates for the 60”TVC, followed by a gap, followed by the 30”TVC etc). Please try not to supply more than 5 timelines to conform. If you have over 10 edits, you may break up the timelines however you think makes sense. For example; A ‘socials’ timeline along with a ‘TVC’ timeline. Or for an advertising campaign you may have different scripts, you could split it up in to timelines for each story with their cut-downs.

Strip out audio. If you’d like to play back audio during the session, let me know and I will extract sound from your quicktime reference.

There is no need to remove resizing information. It is best for me to have this as reference.

There is also no need to remove LUTs/filters. These will not come into resolve. But please always be mindful that some filters can remain within the XML when you import a round trip XML from me. So just check for these and disable them.

NO nested sequences or compound clips.

Export EDL and XML/AAF. The standard EDL is CMX3600, one layer only, no sound and no clip info. (please also include ‘file names’)

Please contact me if:

Your edit has split screen (not including basic compositing).

You think layers are required.

You think a one sequence master conform will be more suited to your project than conforming to source files. For example, this might be better for a project like a documentary with mixed frame rates and stills.

Export Quicktime Reference from the Grade timeline/s (including plates etc, it should match the prepped grade timeline exactly).

It is also helpful to burn in source camera timecode (not timeline timecode).

Export Quicktimes of your offline edits. This is to see how the edits look before changes were made to prep for grade. So a good example would be how it should look with variable speed changes, compositing, split screen, graphics etc.

Please include sound.

It is also very helpful to see what LUT/s filters you have had on when presenting offline to client.

If colour charts have been filmed. Please supply these to me. If they are on the rushes hard drive, either create a timeline and XML with them or simply supply me the file names.

For commercial jobs (where a product is concerned), please supply approved artwork or accurate colour reference in RGB. Alternatively, if you are able to bring along the product to the session, that would be even better.

If you would like to supply style/look references, this is very helpful also.

Reference formats MUST be either Quicktime, or for stills:- (RGB) .png .tiff .jpeg or .dpx.

I will not accept .PDF, or photoshop/illustrator files.

Please let me know what camera formats have been shot and which LUTs have been used in offline. If these are not standard LUTs. please also supply me a Resolve compatible LUT file, for example .cube.