Pablo grading and finishing for HD, 2K, 4K and stereo3D share our passion
Pablo: grading and finishing for HD, 2K, 4K and stereo3D Pablo is taking the color correction business by storm – ushering in the next generation of non-linear color correction. It’s quite simply the ultimate color correction solution for HD, 2K, 4K and stereoscopic 3D – proven on thousands of movies, commercials and programs in the hands of leading colorists around the world.
By colorists, for colorists Introducing Neo – more control, Non-linear, multi-layer, in-context Stereoscopic 3D more power, more speed color correction Pablo couldn’t have happened without real-world Quantel’s revolutionary new stereo3D post input from some of the world’s top colorists. The new Neo panel takes color correction to Pablo’s powerful color tools all run in a non-linear production tools coupled with the power of Pablo Together we have produced the most powerful, the next level, providing the ultimate interactive, environment – an environment where changes have provided the breakthrough that makes capable and precise color correction environment hands-on color correction environment. are easily accommodated at any stage. It also stereo3D post production a viable proposition on the planet. The creative color correction tools Its stunning new control interface with brilliant means that the colorist and client can view for the first time. Quantel’s stereoscopic 3D you need are all there – right at your fingertips: ergonomics really deliver in long grading every shot in its correct editorial – and even technology is leading the charge worldwide unlimited secondaries, unlimited masks, sessions. It all adds up to an incredible package compositional – context, transforming the into this new and exciting area. comprehensive trim functions, keyless multi-level of speed, power and subtlety that colorists love. entire post workflow into a fast, collaborative Pablo’s enormous power offers realtime handling secondary correction... the list is almost endless. and creative process. of dual left eye/right eye high resolution media; Pablo’s non-linear operation means you can do the stereo3D toolset takes care of all the issues anything you want to do. Instant access to any interactively – just the way clients expect. part of the entire project means you can instantly Stereo3D is a great new creative and business see the way individual shot treatments work opportunity – and Pablo is fully equipped to “I give it more gas and the Pablo responds nicely. The hardware next to each other, even including dissolves, enable you to grasp it with both hands. never bogs the engine down. Pablo... is the most powerful and wipes and other transitions. And Pablo does the creative color grading and finishing station I’ve ever seen.” whole job blindingly fast – handling shortform, longform and even stereo3D interactively, Rick Unger, DI Colorist, Milagro Post putting the colorist in complete control. Pablo for DI houses and film labs Color grading sits right at the heart of today’s digital intermediate process. It requires the combination of interactive working at resolutions right up to 4K and a toolset that covers every conceivable aspect of color control. Pablo does it all.
Instant HD, 2K and 4K working World’s first true 4K system Full quality, no-proxy operation
With Pablo there’s no waiting or wasted time. Resolution Co-existence means Pablo offers Pablo raises the performance bar into the Pablo always works with full resolution Its immensely powerful hardware makes color complete format flexibility, able to handle stratosphere by introducing true interactive material in its original format and colorspace, correction a truly interactive process. With everything from SD and HD to 2K and 4K 4K operation – handling four times more picture whether it’s HD-RGB, 2K, 4K or CGI files – or a Pablo the director can sit with the colorist and material simultaneously on the same timeline. data per frame than 2K. To do this requires combination of them all. Pablo’s high quality instantly see results of changes on screen Conversion to the target format(s) only happens massive disk bandwidth and serious processing processing ensures that the final look exactly at full resolution without proxies or previews. on output, meaning that ultimate quality is power, and to do it usefully requires an matches the director’s vision. This means the Nothing is committed until output; the whole maintained throughout the DI process. all-encompassing color manipulation toolset. director and colorist can have total confidence project remains live throughout the process Pablo has them both; no wonder it has that what they see on screen is exactly what so multiple treatments can be quickly tried so rapidly become the tool of choice for the viewers will get in the movie theater. without penalty. colorists worldwide. “The system’s concurrent rendering is a blessing and the speed is phenomenal... it is unmatched by any technology out there today. Our clients wait for nothing!”
John Dowdell, Colorist, Goldcrest
World’s first practical stereo3D Deliverables All round DI capabilities grading system Deliverables are a key element of the DI process Pablo is more than a color corrector; it is also This means that Pablo can handle the whole Stereo3D is rapidly becoming a major new force – and a profitable one too. When the color work a complete digital intermediate system in a box. job in an enormously efficient manner, from in the movies. Today, if you’re in DI, you need to is done, Pablo has all the tools to enable you Pablo has everything you might need in the assembly, pre-viz, effects and of course color be in stereo3D too. Pablo eliminates forever the to rapidly output versions to cover every need. session instantly to hand, from paint and correction to trailers, titles and deliverables problems of working separately with each eye. Re-sizing, reframing, 3D LUTs and pan-and-scan retouching tools to fix problems through to – as well as being a highly productive solution With Pablo, stereo3D post timescales can be are all handled on-the-fly in realtime on output editing functionality that allows directors to for restoration projects. And combining Pablo comparable with those of conventional 2D post, without having to make copies. Every format is change their minds without a hefty time or with Genetic Engineering gives even more making stereo3D a real business opportunity supported from 4:3 and16:9 SD to HD,2K and 4K. cost penalty. efficiency gains. for Pablo-equipped facilities.
Image from Broken Thread, courtesy of Pixion Images courtesy of Milagro Post Pablo for post houses Pablo gives post houses the weapon they need to get ahead in the color correction market. Pablo has the most comprehensive set of color correction tools in the business, delivering results that traditional color correction systems simply can’t match. It also has brilliant non-linear workflow, taking the art of color correction to a new level. And on top of that, Pablo delivers the kind of interactivity that clients expect, at whatever resolution the project requires. And the all-new Neo color control panel looks great and drives like a dream. In short, whatever the job that’s thrown at it, Pablo has the power, workflow and tools to enable the post house to say ‘yes’.
The whole picture DI workflow for TVCs
Pablo has the finesse and agility to handle Bringing the DI workflow to commercials post ■ Free the telecine for next project as soon ■ Work with the highest resolution data every kind of job. It is equally at home grading with Pablo gives the post house a powerful as technical scan is complete for greater at all times for the best possible quality efficiency commercials as it is longform – and everything weapon to win more core business while ■ Keys and composites much more precise in-between. And there’s more. Pablo opens up maintaining rates and opening new markets too. ■ Get better results by color correcting so better-looking profitable new business by bringing the DI in editorial context The hi-res original media from film or digital is ■ Highest quality versioning for deliverables workflow to commercials post and giving the loaded into the Pablo as a background process ■ Grade foregrounds and backgrounds with realtime pan-and-scan post house the tools to get into stereoscopic 3D while creative work continues. Pablo then together and see the result in – the two fastest growing areas in the business. ■ Full original film quality maintained conforms the job and the grade takes place compositional context for cinema projection interactively on the full quality high resolution material. All the grading work can then carried out at high resolution in the Pablo system and then finished in Pablo or in a dedicated finishing suite. The results are only converted to the target format(s) at the end of the post process. The benefits are enormous: “I cannot recall any look we have not been able to achieve.”
Kevin Phelan, LipSync “Pablo is an incredibly intelligent and fast system which allows artists to focus on creativity and forget about technical issues.”
Daniel Colland, Ciné Dia
Stereoscopic 3D Deliverables Finishing with Pablo
Post is all about offering new services and And when it comes to making all the different Pablo brings fantastic new efficiencies and It’s a new and better way of working which stereo3D is growing fast. Now Pablo offers version deliverables, Pablo also excels. When all freedom to the color correction process. gives clients the freedom and confidence to get post houses the world’s first stereo3D color finishing and color correction work is completed, Thanks to its parallel, non-committed workflow precisely the look they want without giving the correction system. All Pablo tools are available Pablo holds an uncommitted master, from which the whole project remains live right up to the facility the monumental headache of tracking throughout the stereo3D project, so complete all the deliverables can simply be created and point of final output. Whether it’s the addition media across different systems for what is often end-to-end stereo3D post production can take played out in realtime without rendering or using of a title, a dissolve, slipping an edit point, to Pablo just a moment’s work. place entirely within the system. This opens up any further workspace. Great for business. re-framing a shot or simply painting out a spot up an exciting new range of new business of dirt the dust-buster has missed, Pablo has possibilities ranging from cinema commercials all the tools on board to make the change right to corporate presentations and event highlights. there and then.
Images from Severance, courtesy of LipSync Post Images from 30 Days of Night, courtesy of Park Road Post The Pablo color tools Pablo has all the color tools necessary – and many more besides – to enable colorists to work with color in any way they feel comfortable. Pablo’s color control panel gives direct, tactile control of all primary and secondary color correction tools and processes including the revolutionary new Revolver tools, providing natural ‘head-up’ control so that the colorist can concentrate entirely on the image on-screen. The color control panel also provides seamless interaction with Pablo’s comprehensive grade management facilities, so the colorist can always work with detail within the context of the bigger picture.
Creative toolset
Pablo’s creative toolset lets colorists create any look from a subtle enhancement true to the original film through to a hyper-real effect for a commercial or music video. There are no limits with Pablo; primary color corrections can be combined with unlimited secondaries and unlimited shapes and everything always remains live for further refinement.
Precise, selective tools including HSL selection and Revolver make qualfiying colors fast and accurate. Serial or parallel cascades with complete freedom for the key source further increases the huge range of creative options Pablo offers. Comprehensive tracking makes color correcting moving images fast and accurate.
Neo panel “There really isn’t anything as fast and complete as Pablo.”
Adam Scott, Park Road Post Production
Modular control interface
Great ergonomics Productive workflow Revolver
Pablo offers the choice of two color control Linear and logarithmic operation supports video Revolver is one of Pablo’s brilliant secondary color Revolver highlights: interfaces – Neo or Modular. Whichever you or data workflows. Split screens enable easy shot correctors. Revolver is incredibly quick, easy and ■ totally controlled from the Neo or Modular choose, everything you need is just one and grade comparison. The Storyboard facility precise to use, yet sets a new benchmark for panels touch away. provides fully automated grade management interactive color control by enabling the colorist using a simple visual metaphor. to work at multiple levels within the picture itself. ■ up to six simultaneous color corrections The graphical user interface perfectly This eliminates the need for keys while providing in one cascade without creating keys complements the panel. It presents streamlined Editorial changes and late arriving shots can new levels of subtlety and flexibility to the colorist. menus that neither confuse nor overwhelm be dealt with in seconds. And when the director ■ pre-set six vector selection and six user but simply help colorists achieve the look they asks for yet more, Pablo has a complete effects Revolver means better looking color correction memories want quickly and easily. Live RGB/Y histograms toolset on board; Pablo is the complete color jobs, more quickly, gaining the Pablo owner faster ■ independent control over hue, saturation give the colorist a technical insight into how the corrector that can also do so much more when throughput and the director and colorist more and luminance depending on input hue grade is affecting the image. you need it to. time to experiment and create; better business all round. Revolver taps into the full power of ■ width and softness controls give precise the Quantel platform, including MME, meaning hue qualification
that even complex jobs literally fly through the ■ integrated, simple color match system – ideal for client-attended sessions.
Image from The Tattooist, courtesy of Park Road Post Complete finishing for Post and DI In some color grading sessions all kinds of last minute image or editorial problems can occur that a normal color grading system can’t handle. These are never a problem with Pablo as it has all the tools you need to fix issues without having to interrupt a session.
The whole toolset Simple to use timeline editor Effects and compositing Opticals
The competitive pressures in post production Pablo’s resolution co-existent, multilayer Pablo’s integrated effects and compositing tools Pablo’s effects toolset also handles all have never been stronger. Successful post & DI timeline editor is the same powerful facility give the colorist an amazing array of choices conventional film-style opticals as part of houses and film labs have to strive constantly that is integrated into all Quantel’s editing for fixes – and the client more creative options, the mainstream process, once again really for yet more efficiency and more flexible systems. Enhanced AAF support allows even at the final stages of a project. Never has simplifying workflow by delivering results workflows. Pablo delivers on both these needs automatic rebuild of transitions, DVE effects, it been easier to remove distracting items from interactively and bringing new flexibility to by integrating a totally comprehensive toolset layer opacity and text from off-lines using a shot, get rid of vapor trails or graffiti, replace the grading suite. with its industry-leading color correction power an open AAF format that is compatible with a sky or even re-frame a whole sequence. Titling – putting the Pablo colorist right at the center both Avid and Apple editors. And all without the extra cost and delay of of the entire workflow. putting the shot out to an effects workstation. Pablo’s on-board tools make it easy to add Whether dropping in late arriving effects shots, Yet more reasons why directors and colorists titles – whether lower thirds in documentaries Pablo’s built-in editing, effects, paint, retouch trying a different length dissolve or putting love Pablo. or complete captions for foreign language and version toolset enable the Pablo owner together a complete promo or trailer, Pablo has versions. Just another tool in the Pablo armory to do more revenue-earning work for clients all the editing tools required to make editorial that smoothes workflow and gives clients yet without the time penalties and quality control changes easy to accommodate in the color more of what they need. issues inherent in passing vast amounts of correction suite. high resolution data between systems. It gives clients better, faster results and a bigger slice of the job for the Pablo owner. Audio Retouch Versioning
Pablo brings sophisticated audio tools right Being a Quantel system, Pablo of course Pablo excels at producing the multitude of into the color correction suite, making chase- has the legendary Quantel Paintbox built-in. different deliverables that every movie now synchronizing a thing of the past. With Pablo, Paintbox is nothing short of brilliant for quick requires from the master – SD and HD for clients can review their movie not only at full fixes – repairs, replacements, retouches, broadcast playout, airline versions, director’s resolution in realtime – and with instant non-linear embellishments. All are completed seamlessly cut, different editorial versions for international access to any shot or sequence – but also with in seconds with this world-renowned toolset. distribution and the ‘making of’ for the DVD. 5.1 audio to complete the experience. Paintbox has rescued more shots and re-shoots More convenient for the client; more revenue than can be easily imagined – it is a huge time, for the Pablo owner. money and face saver. Quite simply, nothing else comes close.
“Our Pablo 4K pipeline allowed us to quickly and accurately conform each song, and that was a key to the success of the project... If we had not had the 3D convergence capability we would never have been able to complete this on time. Never.”
John Nicolard, FotoKem, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour movie Images from The Water Horse, courtesy of Park Road Post (left) and Broken Thread, courtesy of Pixion (right) Pablo technology Pablo is designed and built on a number of unique Quantel technologies that underpin its enormous power, performance and huge breadth of capabilities. These are perfectly complemented by its open connectivity, making Pablo the ultimate in color correction.
No compromises, no waiting Open connectivity
Color correction is moving beyond the limits Quantel’s MME (Multiple Media Engine) Pablo integrates fully with a facility’s existing of realtime. New creative demands and high technology eliminates the wait for rendering LANs and SANs; it’s as easy to work with lo-rez resolution working mean that rendering is a fact without the compromises that come with QuickTimes and JPEGs as it is with native of life today. But waiting for rendering is not the proxies or previews. With Pablo, what you resolution DPX and Cineon files. way colorists work. see is exactly what you get. Transfers to and from the system can be While compromises such as proxies and preview MME technology introduces a new rendering controlled from within the Pablo using tools modes can make a system appear very fast, architecture that’s flexible and quick. Pablo can such as Network Conform, or from third party they add an unwelcome uncertainty into the be equipped with up to five Media Engines, systems via QXMLnet. Pablo’s sophisticated color correction process, and a time-consuming giving a massive 5x boost to complex c olor hardware design ensures that all network final render is still needed for quality control and corrections or, with autorender on, use one for transfers happen entirely in the background second stage client approval. visual interactivity and get a 4x speed increase and do not impact the interactive operation in background rendering. In the autorender of the system in any way. configuration, MME simply renders anything that needs rendering in the background ready for when the operator needs it – making the system extremely fast and responsive for client-attended work. “Pablo serves as the central hub of the theater because we can do so many different things on it – color grading, restoration, compositing, editing. It has every toolset that we need. We can take anything in, and we can put anything out. The Pablo gives us the opportunity to do it all, without having to have three or four different boxes.”
Kassi Crews, Digital Jungle
Import an offline from Final Cut Pro MME – Multiple Media Engines
Genetic Engineering Resolution co-existence FPGA, GPU and CPU Hardware
Genetic Engineering delivers the ultimate in Resolution co-existence opens up many new Saves disk space Pablo seamlessly blends the ultimate in hardware shared workflow productivity. Genetic Engineering workflow possibilities, and also maintains with the very best in software, and is engineered With Resolution co-existence, no copies or enables several Pablos to be networked together, material at the highest quality throughout the to take full advantage of developments in different resolution versions of media ever need sharing the same GenePool workspace. Genetic post and DI process. PC technology. to be made. Even output to multiple formats is Engineering eliminates network transfers as Saves time done in realtime with no rendering back to disk. AAF – metadata matters work passes between systems or as several people work on the same media simultaneously Material of any resolution, color space and bit Maximizes quality With Quantel being one of the founder members depth can be loaded and edited on the same of the AAF Association (now the AMWA), it is no to meet tight deadlines. External systems Resolution co-existence guarantees the highest single or multi-layer timeline without the need surprise that Pablo is fully AAF compliant, enabling can also exchange media with the GenePool. quality output whatever the material, since to re-start or partition the workspace. Work in the system to exchange AAF metadata and With Genetic Engineering, scheduling conflicts conversion only happens once – on final output progress is displayed at full resolution in any content with compliant systems from many other are eliminated, guaranteeing that you can bring to the target format(s). the maximum resources to bear on every chosen format at all times – with no preparation, manufacturers, including Avid. AAF metadata can aspect of a project at just the right time. pre-conversion or pre-planning required. be much more than just an EDL. For example, using a plug-in from Automatic Duck, Pablo can import a multi-layer timeline from Final Cut Pro as an AAF file, and can then conform all the tracks in a single session. Pablo options and specifications There are three models in the Pablo range – Pablo HD for SD, HD and digital film applications; Pablo 2K and Pablo 4K for Digital Intermediate. Each system incorporates a comprehensive hardware specification and rich feature set as detailed below. Storage capacity can be specified to suit individual needs, and there is also a vast range of industry-leading plug-ins available for all systems.
Feature Benefit Pablo HD Pablo 2K Pablo 4K Modular control panels Compact, modular control array ●●● Neo panel Complete, integrated color control environment ❍❍❍ Unlimited Secondaries Total color flexibility ●●● Unlimited shapes Total color flexibility ●●● High quality lin/log processing Best quality results for video and data ●●● MME No waiting for rendering – number of media engines as standard 2 3 (optional 5) 5 Timeline editing Make last minute changes easily ●●● Conform Accurate assembly from tape or network ●●● Effects toolset Save time and money by fixing shots in Pablo ●●● Titling Boost efficiency with on-board titling ●●● Realtime pan and scan Make different format deliverables quickly and without eating up disk space ●●● 8 channel Audio i/o Embedded or AES/EBU for real system integration flexibility ●●● HD/SD i/o Handle HD acquisition and video deliverables ●●● HD-RGB i/o Work with new acquisition and VTR formats * ●● 2K HSDL i/o Work with 2K projectors and telecines ●● 1080P 50/60 Work with new formats ●● Realtime 2K playback No proxy workflow ●● Realtime 4K playback No proxy workflow ●● Realtime 3D LUTs Apply printmatching 3D LUTs without rendering ❍●● Min Workspace 160 mins HD 4 hours 2K 2 hours 4K Max Workspace 18 hours HD 16 hours 2K 16 hours 4K Audio Fader Panel Realtime audio mixing ❍❍❍ Plug-ins More than 1,000 3rd party effects ❍❍❍ Stereoscopic 3D Practical stereoscopic 3D post ❍❍
HD 1920 x1080 10 bit 4:2:2 24 fps * Standard with external workspace ● Standard HD-RGB 1920 x1080 10 bit RGB 24 fps ❍ Optional 2K 2048 x 1556 10 bit RGB 24 fps 4K 4096 x 3112 10 bit RGB 24 fps Pablo color tools
Primary Color Correction Secondary color correction Still Store and Grade Management Total post and DI toolset
■ Primary color correction ■ Unlimited cascaded ■ Manually keyframe or apply ■ Preview and transfer ■ Process tree (node) view ■ Editing/assembly control of hue, saturation, secondary color corrections tracks to animate shapes grades from shot to shot of complete grade ■ Conform gain, gamma and cast using Reels, Reference ■ Cascade input control for ■ Group shapes for fast and ■ Faster than real time Scene Frames or Storyboards ■ Effects and compositing ■ Master and individual total color flexibility easy animation Detect adds markers on channel controls ■ Auto-update of reel view scene changes ■ Titling ■ Select on color or geometry ■ Individual and group when grade changes ■ Separate differential softness controls ■ Source TC lay off for ■ Deliverables ■ ImageTone instant controls for shadows, ■ Unlimited reference frames traditional workflow secondaries for quick yet ■ Sophisticated shape ■ Retouch – including midtones and highlights with horizontal and vertical flexible secondary control editing with rotate, scale, ■ Wipe to the Storyboard or built-in Paintbox split-screen comparison ■ Red, Green and Blue point tangents and tension the Still Store for easy shot ■ HSL, vector selective with and Density Printer Light ■ Apply grades to groups comparison RGB channel control of ■ Selected image defocus controls of shots, selectable by High, Low, High softness ■ Add, Replace, Insert and ■ Use Key provides multiple Originator, Source TC, ■ Colorpoint identifies and Low softness for delete functions on the selective isolation tools Range or manually image colors on graphs precise selection Stillstore. Place a new grade ■ Name cascade layers for ■ Save grades to storyboard anywhere in the still store. ■ Cascade primary grades to ■ Standard 6 vector presets easy management or library with thumbnail simplify multi-shot grading plus 6 on screen user ■ Easily apply grades from image memories ■ Enable/disable individual earlier or later shots to ■ Balance tool for auto-color cascades for quick ■ Export grade settings the current shot with balance ■ 9 editable fettle curves – before/after comparisons with thumbnails to external storyboard offset. Offset working in HSL, RGB or YUV, ■ Linear and logarithmic pendrive or hard drive is maintained as you for complete color control ■ Common tools for primary operation and secondary grading for easy transfer between move shots. ■ Blur, shrink and grow systems ■ DMin/DMax controls to ■ Numeric and keyboard selected area set lift/gain ranges ■ Transfer all or partial navigation of both the Still ■ Freehand or graphic shape settings Store and Storyboard selection with unlimited ■ Full transition handling with ■ Can Show, Try or Use shapes per cascade auto-rebuild of transitions any grade from Still Store after grade changes or Storyboard 2116–56–535 04.08
Quantel reserves the right to alter specifications without notice. Please contact your local Quantel office for details of current specifications. Compass, Ed, Enterprise sQ, eQ, FrameMagic, Integrated Server Architecture, iQ, ISA, Jo, Newsbox, Pablo, Paintbox, Picturebox sQ, QCare, QColor, QEffects, Quantel, Resolution Co-existence, Resolution Transparent, Revolver, sQ, TimeMagic, ZoneMagic are trademarks of Quantel Limited. All other trademarks acknowledged. quantel.com