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ProRes RAW in DaVinci Resolve 18: Unlocking Next-Gen Workflows

As an indie filmmaker and post-production consultant diving into the bleeding edge of editing tech, I‘ve been eagerly testing out Apple ProRes RAW to see if the format lives up to its towering promises. With the release of DaVinci Resolve 18 Studio last year, workflows for unlocking the potential of RAW video have taken a major leap forward.

But does shooting and editing in RAW make sense for most independent productions? In this comprehensive, boots-on-the-ground review, I‘ll cut through the hype and break down exactly when embracing RAW can pay dividends for filmmakers – and when it‘s likely not worth the substantially greater effort.

The Allure of RAW Video

Before digging deeper, it‘s important to clarify exactly why camera RAW formats have become such a holy grail for content creators. At the most basic level, by recording unprocessed sensor data with metadata intact, RAW video preserves extensive latitude and flexibility compared to heavily compressed 8-bit codecs like AVC or XAVC.

This means filmmakers can adjust color, apply noise reduction, tweak dynamic range and override original camera settings long after a shoot has wrapped. Rather than "baking in" any permanent image decisions on location, DPs and post artists have extensive creative control when working with high quality RAW footage.

The appeal is obvious. But shooting RAW requires a convoluted workflow with media-intensive formats. Is maintaining full creative freedom through post worth 5-10x storage demands or more? That‘s the key question we‘ll explore here.

Setting Up ProRes RAW Workflows

Shooting in any RAW format requires more gear and setup compared to basic production pipelines. Enabling ProRes RAW also needs some specific configuration:

In-camera: Sony FX3 used in my testing requires manually switching to RAW output in menus + HDMI tweaks to set resolution and frame rate. Can only output 4K up to 60fps.

External Recorder: I used the Atomos Ninja V to record ProRes RAW from the FX3. Needed to purchase license from Apple then input code to unlock codecs.

Media: 1 minute of 4K ProRes RAW requires ~5.7 GB storage! Using 1TB SSDs, recording time maxes out around 3 hours at best.

Post Workflow: DaVinci Resolve 18 Studio imports RAW clips then auto-converts to GPU-optimized codecs like BRAW or CinemaDNG to enable smooth editing. This transcoding increases storage requirements further.

So clearly, shooting RAW video isn‘t nearly as convenient as hitting record in traditional Flat/REC 709 color presets. But the advantages materialize once grading commences…

Unlocking Creative Potential in Post

After capturing a variety of test footage around Boston in ProRes RAW, I loaded clips into Resolve Studio for grading and editing. This is where the format truly shines thanks to custom RAW controls.

Some examples of the extensive creative adjustments possible:

Log Conversion – RAW sensor data with ultra wide dynamic range needs to be "developed" into standard gamma like Rec 709. This conversion process can be fine-tuned with total control over highlights and shadows.

White Balance – Unlike in-camera looks, white balance can be freely adjusted from 2000K-15000K in post when working with RAW. Useful for twilight or mixed lighting conditions.

Noise Reduction – With RAW data available, chroma and luma noise can be smoothed both temporally and spatially while retaining maximal detail. Much better than compressed codecs.

Selective Grading – Instead of uniformly impacting all colors, specific hue ranges can be precisely isolated and altered independently thanks to LOG exposure latitude. Useful for skin tones, sky tones, foliage etc.

Secondary Corrections – Selective color adjustments using power windows and tracking workflows help target specific regions without introducing artifacts. Difficult with low bitrate footage.

What do all these technical corrections mean in practice? To demonstrate, here is a before/after still from urban documentary footage I shot around Boston Common at twilight:

Obviously, the final graded result reveals far more vivid detail and dimensionality compared to the default flattened LOG image.

Yet thanks to RAW‘s flexibility, I could have also shifted the urban night scene to evoke icy moonlight, gloomy storm clouds or idyllic sunset hues with ease.

This ability to override original camera metadata and reinvent entire color schemes months later is why RAW formats have become indispensable for high-end finishing.

Let‘s break down some real-world use cases where RAW workflows make the most sense…

Who Can Benefit From RAW Capabilities

Due to the increased equipment demands, shoot-time complexities and swollen storage footprints, ProRes RAW and other uncompressed formats are certainly still overkill for many filmmakers. Mobile journalists and fast-paced event shooters often have little use for extensive post-production tweaking.

However, certain creators investing heavily in cinematography can benefit tremendously from unlocking RAW codecs:

Indie Filmmakers – Those carefully crafting narrative films with controlled production have most to gain, especially when combined with advanced editing solutions like DaVinci Resolve Studio. Expect 5-10x media demands however!

Students – Aspiring DPs, editors and colorists looking to master high-end post techniques greatly benefit from practicing on RAW projects with endless adjustment latitude.

Corporate & Marketing Teams – Commercial creators investing in brand image depend on impeccable image quality and color control for high-stakes client deliverables.

YouTube Content Creators – Personality-driven channels thrive based on presenter image quality. RAW workflows ensure flawless skin smoothing and noise control when needed.

Documentary DPs – Cinematographers capturing unscripted events gain insurance by recording RAW imagery not realizing final look until post.

Beyond the ease of color correcting, RAW data also unlocks advanced effects like motion-controlled noise reduction and detail enhancement. This can help compensate for technical limits of small sensor cameras to better compete with high-end cinema gear.

The sheer range of creative options exposed make RAW undeniably tempting. But how does Apple‘s RAW format stack up against rival flavors like REDCODE, CinemaDNG or Blackmagic RAW?

ProRes RAW vs Other Options

While ProRes RAW offers excellent image manipulation potential from professional cameras like the Sony FX3 tested here, there are a few competitive RAW codecs worth considering:

RED Komodo/DSMC2 – REDCODE RAW pioneered flexible post workflows but requires Red gear and extensive paid add-ons. R3D files are cumbersome for indie post houses.

Blackmagic RAW – Clean, GPU-optimized format but currently only available when recording externally via a Shogun 7 monitor. Footage directly from the BMPCC cameras is more tightly compressed.

CinemaDNG – Adobe‘s open standard sees some support but lacks in GPU performance compared to proprietary RAW codecs. Debayering can be extremely system-intensive.

AVCHD/XAVC-I – While recording RAW internally on most Sony Alpha cameras is still not possible, these 4:2:0 8-bit formats are reasonably capable thanks to the excellent color science built-in.

So while RED remains an industry leader, for Sony shooters specifically, ProRes RAW offers an optimal blend of superb grading control combined with smaller files than CPU-hogging formats like CinemaDNG. Paired with DaVinci Resolve Studio 18‘s real-time RAW debayering and grading, it‘s a joy to work with.

That said, as with any bleeding edge workflow, there are still obstacles…

Current Limitations With RAW Workflows

Despite the image quality and cinematic processing benefits shooting RAW video enables, ProRes formats still come with some notable downsides largely related to hardware constraints and the increased demands of high-bitrate media:

  • File Sizes – With RAW resolving over a billion colors per pixel, SSD storage fills astonishingly quickly. Expect ~570GB/hr for 4K! Clever proxy/tierting strategies help tremendously.

  • Bandwidth Limits – Thunderbolt 3 already surpasses SATA interfaces but still gets maxed out by multi-stream 12-bit RAW requiring tech like USB 4 and future Thunderbolt iterations down the line.

  • Limited Hardware Decoding – While Apple and RED GPUs handle ProRes/R3D well, many older workstations still lack real-time decoding needed for effects. Resolve helps tremendously via OpenCL.

  • Steep Learning Curve – Achieving professional color science still requires training in gamuts, LUTs, curves and waveform scopes. Not intuitive for every user.

  • Output Considerations – To fully evaluate RAW‘s 12-bit color and dynamic range also demands 10-bit reference displays using Rec. 2020, etc. Most clients only view in SDR Rec. 709!

From camera configuration to post-production, managing RAW efficiently end-to-end certainly isn‘t straightforward. So when is handling the extensive complexity actually worth it?

Bottom Line: Should You Shoot RAW Video?

Despite the workflow friction and storage capacity challenges of recording RAW footage in real-world production scenarios, the unparalleled creative freedom and technical insurance unlocked in post can offer huge dividends for indie filmmakers and content producers focused on impeccable image fidelity.

Thanks to advances in GPU-accelerated debayering and innovative formats like ProRes RAW, working with high bit-depth camera original media is more accessible than ever before when using solutions like DaVinci Resolve 18 Studio.

But filmmakers doing fast-paced live events, mobile journalism or YouTube broadcasts will still likely find little advantage in operating RAW. Only productions where ultimate creative control over lighting and color are paramount can justify managing 5-10x larger media demands in practice.

Fortunately as codecs continue evolving, computing hardware improves and machine learning optimization assists ever-more producing and editing tasks, shooting RAW should become easier and more justifiable for a wider range of filmmakers in the near future. But for now, tread carefully and run the storage expense calculations before committing!

Despite the expert-level setup and post mastery still required, having now edited extensive ProRes RAW footage from the Sony FX3 in Resolve Studio 18 myself, I can confidently say the results fully justify the headaches for narrative film projects. Just be strategic when pressing record to minimize wasted frames!

I‘m excited to see how quickly emerging advancements lower the barrier to entry though. RAW workflows certainly remain niche today only suited for passion projects. But with continued innovation, shooting RAW could become far more mainstream and revolutionize post workflows even for novice content creators sooner than we think.