Data, workflow and post-production for large format

Large-format and very high-resolution capture creates very large amounts of data. A camera recording 6.5K or 17K raw images can fill drives faster than a crew can copy them, overwhelm a laptop-based dailies system and push storage and render times in post far beyond a standard budget. On film, the equivalent pressure falls on magazines, the laboratory and scanning. This lesson shows how to estimate data rates and storage, plan a robust on-set data workflow, choose proxies and dailies strategies, and work with post-production so the large-format image survives intact to the final master.

Where the data comes from

The amount of data a camera records depends on four things: the number of photosites recorded, the bit depth, the frame rate and the compression ratio. Raw formats store the sensor data before debayering, so a useful first estimate treats each photosite as one sample.

Here W and H are the recorded width and height in photosites, b is the bit depth and C is the compression ratio (1 for uncompressed). Manufacturers publish exact data rates for each mode, which include headers and metadata and may differ from the estimate. Always use the manufacturer's figures for the final plan.

Shooting ratio and daily storage

Recording hours are not the same as screen time. Coverage, takes and rehearsals mean a production records many times the length of the finished film. Course CINE-320 introduced the shooting ratio; large-format work uses the same idea to size storage.

The on-set data workflow

A large-format data workflow follows the same principles as any professional workflow, but every step is bigger and slower.

• Capture: camera media sized so each card or magazine holds enough material for a sensible part of the day, with spares so the camera never waits for an offload.
• Offload with verification: copy software that writes checksums (such as xxHash or MD5) and verifies every copy against the source.
• Redundancy: at least two verified copies on separate media before camera media is cleared; many insurers and studios require three.
• Logging: clip names, scene and take, lens, stop, frame rate, filters and notes linked to the files, ideally captured automatically from the camera metadata.
• Transcoding: proxies or dailies in lighter codecs for review and editing, with the show LUT applied.
• Shipping: shuttle drives to post on a schedule, tracked and logged, with copies kept on set until post confirms receipt and verification.
• Clearing media: only after the agreed number of verified copies exists and post has confirmed, following a written procedure that everyone understands.

Proxies, dailies and review

Editors and producers cannot work with 17K raw files on ordinary computers. The usual solution is to edit with proxies and return to the camera originals only for finishing.

• Proxy codecs: compressed intermediate codecs at HD or UHD resolution with the show LUT, small enough to stream or edit on laptops.
• Dailies: graded or LUT-applied versions for the director, producers and studio, often streamed securely.
• Large-format review: some productions review key shots at full resolution on a calibrated large screen or in a theater, because problems in focus or detail that look fine on a laptop can be obvious on a premium screen.
• Metadata integrity: proxies must carry the same clip names and timecode as the originals so the conform works later.

A simple rule protects everyone: proxies are for decisions, originals are for the final image.

Film workflows for 65 mm and 15/70

On film, the workflow runs through the camera loader, the laboratory and the scanner.

• Loading and logging: magazines loaded in a darkroom or changing bag, labeled with roll numbers, and camera reports completed for every roll.
• Processing: negative developed at a laboratory equipped for 65 mm, which may be in another city or country, so shipping time and risk must be planned.
• Scanning: negative scanned at high resolution, often 8K or higher for 15/70, to create digital files for editing and finishing.
• Dailies: usually digital, made from scans or telecine; some productions also make film prints for critical review.
• Archiving: the original negative is a long-term archival asset and must be stored correctly.

Film productions also need clear "hold" and "release" procedures for exposed negative, the same way digital productions treat camera media.

Post-production for large format

Large format affects the whole post pipeline.

• Storage: online and nearline storage for many terabytes, with backups and possibly cloud archiving.
• Conform and grading: high-resolution timelines need powerful workstations; many facilities grade at a working resolution and render the final master at full resolution.
• Visual effects: plates at very high resolution increase render times and costs, so VFX budgets should be based on the actual delivery resolution.
• Mastering: separate masters may be needed for IMAX, standard cinema, HDR streaming and SDR television, each with its own aspect ratio and color volume.
• Archiving: camera originals, project files and masters stored for the long term, often on LTO tape or in cloud archives.

Security and continuity of the data team

High-value footage needs physical and digital security, especially on large studio productions.

• Encryption of shuttle drives and secure transfer for cloud uploads.
• Access control on set and at the data station.
• Clear chain-of-custody logs for every drive.
• Backup power for the data station, so offloads are not interrupted.
• A trained backup data wrangler, so a single illness does not stop the pipeline.

Planning with post from day one

The DP, DIT, post supervisor and colorist should agree on the large-format workflow in prep, ideally after a test shoot that runs footage all the way through the pipeline to a projected result.

• Confirm the recording format, resolution, frame rate and compression for each scene.
• Confirm how many copies, on which media, and when media can be cleared.
• Confirm proxy specifications and the dailies schedule.
• Confirm the color pipeline: show LUT, color management, HDR and SDR targets.
• Confirm storage, VFX resolution and mastering requirements, including IMAX or PLF deliverables.

Lessons from data failures

Most lost footage is lost through simple process errors, not exotic technical failures. Common causes include formatting a card that had not been fully copied, copying to a drive that later failed with no second copy, mislabeling shuttle drives so the wrong drive was wiped, and running out of camera media so that someone clears a card "just this once" to keep shooting. Large-format productions face the same risks with higher stakes, because each card holds more expensive material. Clear labels, written procedures, enough media and a data team with the authority to say "not yet" prevent almost all of these losses.