By associate editor Elliot Smith:
Teradek have set out to solve a problem that camera manufacturers have failed to address: how to match cameras from multiple makers on set. With ARRI, Canon, Sony, Panasonic and the others all creating their own Log gammas there hasn’t been a simple way for DPs, directors and producers to see what the final result might look like until now.
At IBC this year Teradek introduced two products, COLR and LOKR, which they describe as parts of what they call the ‘Connected Set’. COLR is a mini converter box that also helps manage colour spaces across connected devices – whether that’s a camera without built-in LUTs providing an input, or clients watching an output on uncalibrated screens like an iPad. Any corrections or changes to colour done, for example, on a live show, can be pushed out to connected COLR devices and updated almost instantaneously.
The LOKR is at its heart an SSD-based proxy recording system that also logs metadata from connected devices. This allows you to record and log the precise moment a camera operator starts and stops rolling, for example. The LOKR can also transmit the h264 proxies it generates, opening up the possibility for near-live review of dailies even from remote locations via web-based service Frame.io.
These might not sound like everyday requirements for a typical news shooter, but any environment where you’re mixing camera types can benefit from careful colour management. The benefits of being able to log, record and transmit from location automatically could certainly be useful for big event, sports and performance coverage.
COLR will be available in October 2015. LOKR should be available late Q4 2015. Teradek are inviting you to sign up here to get more information on the Connected Set as it becomes available. And of course you should also check back here at Newsshooter.com…
