Announced today at IBC 2018, Blackmagic RAW is a brand new RAW codec that’s noted to have “the quality of RAW at the speed of video.” Ideal for high-resolution, high frame rate, and high dynamic range filming, the public beta codec delivers gorgeous and smooth images that can be downloaded now to URSA Mini Pro cameras through a beta update.
An additional DaVinci Resolve 15.1 update includes support for Blackmagic RAW and is also available for free download.
“Blackmagic RAW is the world’s only truly modern, high performance, professional RAW codec that is open, cross platform and free,” Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO, announced in a statement. “It’s exciting because customers can get the visually lossless image quality of RAW with the speed of traditional video workflows. Best of all, there are no hidden licenses or ongoing fees. Blackmagic RAW has been designed to provide the industry with an open, elegant and standardized high quality image format that can be used across products and in customer workflows absolutely free!”
The codec, which Blackmagic notes has been in development for quite some time, includes multiple updated technologies that include an advanced de-mosaic algorithm, updated metadata support, GPU and CPU accelerated processing, and much more.
What you need to know:
The de-mosaic algorithm of the Blackmagic RAW is moved into the camera, giving you an accelerated quality, bit depth, dynamic range, and controls as you’ve come to expect in RAW, but does it with the video codec qualities — that include improved performance and smaller files — that are critical to production. The de-mosaic is programmed into the camera’s hardware, which means the DaVinci Resolve doesn’t bear the load of decoding the files.
With the de-mosaic advancements come more intelligent design. Each RAW file includes image data and information about the image sensor, resulting in higher image quality and compression settings and autonomous controls over all adjustments.
The Blackmagic Design Generation 4 Color Science gives users custom non-linear 12-bit space that gives advanced color data and dynamic range, which produces accurate and life-like colors and skin tones. Two types of file compression — constant quality or constant bitrate encoding — further let you customize the file you need, whether it’s for feature films, television shoots, or anything in between.
“Blackmagic RAW could entirely change the workflow going from camera through post production,” Kees Van Oostrum, Director of Photography and President of the American Society of Cinematographers said in the statement. “A superb image quality, fine detail and incredibly small file sizes could possibly make Blackmagic RAW the go to format for filmmakers. It will be an important change for post because the editorial team can work with the camera original files, which are fast enough to use for everyday editing. That means less confusion in regards to creative choices I make at the camera. The images can now travel throughout the entire workflow because we’re shooting, editing and grading with the same files! Blackmagic RAW could be a game changer in the way films, television shows and commercials are made.”
When it comes to post-production, the release of DaVinci Resolve 15.1 is here to simplify it even further. The software allows for working with a single file, giving you easier media management, and the “.sidecar” file enables users to change your RAW settings, especially when working among different applications.
For more information, check out the instructional video below:
