Codex (www.codex.online) is launching Codex Production Suite 4.5, the all-in-one software package enabling the colour grading, review, metadata management, transcoding, QC and archiving of media generated by the latest digital cinematography cameras. From ingest to post production, Codex Production Suite 4.5 now provides one workflow for multiple types of camera, from ARRI ALEXA 65 to GoPro, resulting in no more snowflake workflows, and no need to reinvent the wheel on every production – just a single, simple, secure and affordable workflow. Codex Production Suite 4.5 will launch at NAB 2016, Codex booth #SL6828.

Today, the flexibility and adaptability of production and post technology is more critical than ever. Codex Production Suite is available on several different platforms including Mac Pro and MacBook Pro as well as Codex’s own hardware – the S-Series and XL-Series Vault. As with all Codex products, Codex Production Suite was developed hand-in-hand with customers and users worldwide, particularly Digital Imaging Technicians (DITs). With the launch of Codex Production Suite 4.5, DITs now have all of the tools they need to deliver colour-accurate, on-set or near-set dailies, and to securely archive camera original material in one efficient, battle-tested workflow, with an attractive new pricing and support model.

Codex Production Suite already features a comprehensive toolset including: support for the latest digital cinematography cameras from ARRI, Sony, Panasonic, RED, GoPro, Phantom, Canon; split-screen or A/B playback of camera original material, with correct frame rate, colour space, LUT and CDL values applied; image-scaling and crop tools; metadata checking, fixing and appending; QC tools and customised reporting; fast transcoding to common dailies formats, such as Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHR and H.264; high-quality debayering to DPX and Open EXR for VFX deliverables; and archiving using LTFS to LTO-tape and Codex Media Vault Library via Codex Archive.

The brand new features of Codex Production Suite 4.5 include:

  • non-destructive, CDL-based colour grading, enabling the creation, modification and safe communication of looks from on-set to editorial and the final DI colour session
  • import and processing of externally-created CDLs/LUTs, so that looks can be applied overall or shot-by-shot. Looks can be baked into editorial dailies or appended in the metadata of deliverables, and dailies can be viewed as intended by the cinematographer.
  • seamless integration with Codex Live for a consistent colour pipeline from camera through to deliverables and beyond, and also with Tangent panels for grading purposes.
  •  full, end-to-end ACES-compliant colour pipeline
  • audio sync toolset, enabling the import of WAV files, playback of shots in a proxy window, and synchronisation of audio files to shots, based on timecode.

With the launch of Codex Production Suite 4.5, Codex has also introduced a new pricing model delivering cost-effective ownership and technical support, enabling DITs to join the Codex community. Customers have a range of options to variously purchase the software only, buy Codex Dock (Thunderbolt) with free software, and gain access to Codex’s world-class workflow and technical support, with free upgrades, through Codex Connect. Wherever they are working worldwide, Codex Connect provides access to Codex’s team of support and workflow experts to assist with workflow design and specific technical questions.

DIT Ben Appleton, whose Codex credits include The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Victor Frankenstein and Guardians of the Galaxy, said, “I now own a Codex Vault myself, and with the new Production Suite software I have everything I need for archiving, review and dailies. It’s the ideal solution for the massive amount of data that is being generated on-set nowadays.”

DIT and digital workflow supervisor, Francesco Giardiello, who has used Codex on major motion pictures and high-end TV productions such as Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, Ben-Hur, Thor: The Dark World and Romeo & Juliet, said, “In the last five years I have been on a journey with Codex, and they have been on a journey with me. They have listened to my needs, from the coalface of digital moviemaking, and have quickly developed features and performance capabilities accordingly. If you want total fidelity, and a single workflow you can rely on, choose Codex.”