Late last year, I upgraded the main camera I use for filming these videos to the Canon C200. A cinema camera, which means one built specifically for shooting video. Not a still camera that also shoots video.

There were a bunch of reasons for this, which I can get into in another video if you’re interested, but the biggest for me was the ability to run XLR mics straight into the camera instead of having to use intermediary interfaces and recorders, and the ability to get a picture that looks pretty close to an Arri system but for like one tenth the price.

At first, I just stuck with my usual workflow. I’m a big believer in first learn walk, then learn fly. So, I recorded standard MP4 to an SD card, color corrected it, and that was pretty much it.

But, one of the best things about the C200 is that it can shoot in RAW. Which, just like RAW in photography, captures a ton more information so you not only get a better quality recording, you preserve a ton more options for color correction and grading.

So, I talked to a ton of experts, I watched a ton of videos, and got ready to make the switch and start recording RAW to CFast cards.

But, a lot of the workflows I’d heard and found involved Adobe Premiere or, even more frequently, DaVinci Resolve and I… I just don’t like either of their interfaces. I use, like and really wanted to stay inside Final Cut Pro X.

So, I adapted, I tested, I tweaked, I iterated, and I shared a lot of work in progress on Twitter and Insta, where a lot of you were kind of enough to give me feedback. And also ask a lot of questions about the workflow I was putting together.

Questions I couldn’t really answer until I had something I felt was at least a little consistent. Until now.

SPONSOR:

• CuriosityStream Watch thousands of documentaries for free for 31 days AND get a free Nebula account by signing up at curiositystream.com/vector and using the promo code ‘vector’!

LINKS:

• Tyler Stalman - YouTube
• Grading Raw Canon C200 footage in Davinci Resolve - YouTube
• Final Cut Pro X Tutorial - Get Cinematic Look - YouTube
• How to Color Grade Canon C200 C-Log in Adobe Premiere FREE LUT! - YouTube
• Thomas Frank - YouTube
• Dave Wiskus - YouTube

MORE:

• Merch: https://standard.tv/vector
• Gear: https://kit.com/reneritchie
• Podcast: http://applepodcasts.com/vector
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/reneritchie
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/reneritchie
• Mobile Nations Affiliate Link Policy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Apple Podcasts
• Overcast
• Pocket Casts
• Castro
• RSS
• YouTube