Deluxe 142: Cutting-edge post with DaVinci

Deluxe 142 (formerly Ascent 142) wanted to upgrade their DaVinci Resolve system so they could take advantage of the improved stability and new hardware offered by the latest specification. As well as supplying hardware, DaVinci control surfaces and software, we worked with their engineers to set up facilities for networked and remote grading, and then integrated the systems with their existing KVM and SDI routers, so they could control the system from any enabled suite.

As a world-renowned facility who've played an integral role in post-production on blockbusters like 'Quantum of Solace' and 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World', Deluxe 142 put a lot of stock in staying at the cutting edge of post-production. When Resolve v7 was released, 142 decided that, not only did they want to update their existing Linux systems, they also wanted to introduce assist stations based on the new OS X version of Resolve. These would be used for smaller jobs and pre-conforming sessions, freeing up their main grading theatres.

The master suite

We worked with 142's engineer, Neil Harrison, and Digital Film Technical Director, Laurent Treherne to plan the necessary upgrades. One of the key changes in Blackmagic Design's update of Resolve was a move away from bespoke, hand-built systems to more easily adaptable ones - a change 142's engineers supported. They were happy to upgrade to new hardware, as their old servers could then be repurposed as waveform and database servers.

The assist stations

142 had been looking for ways to speed up their turnaround, and had decided to add multiple support stations that could be used for preliminary work, freeing up the main system so that senior colourists could commit more time to the final grade.

To help boost productivity, we provided three OS X-based assist stations. Although they run on different platforms, both versions of Resolve are fully-featured and cross-compatible, and 142's Mac systems were only limited by their hardware - two systems which supported a simple 1 GPU setup, while the other ran a 3 GPU Cubix expansion. However, all three could easily be expanded as the hardware developed.

We also added the upgrade for the two Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve control surfaces, so that colourists would be able to work quickly and intuitively on even the most complex images.

Configuration and installation

In order to optimise and soak test the new systems, we built and preflighted them here at Jigsaw HQ before taking them down to 142 on Wardour Street. Our on-site team then worked closely with Neil, 142's lead engineer, to install the suites into the main post-production machine room. The Resolve suites, waveform servers and database were then linked to the two theatres where 142's colourists carry out most of their work.

Further expansion

One of the reasons 142 were so keen to upgrade was to allow artists to work on a project without being tied to one workstation or location. To help get the plan in motion, a database server was configured to link all four of 142's workstations and give their team access to any project from any machine on their network.

After spending some time getting to grips with the new system, 142 decided they wanted to expand their Linux suite to an stereoscopic 3D-capable 4 GPU system - the first of its kind in the UK. "It was very important to have the right expertise to support both the software and hardware elements in order to guarantee a smooth transition to the new system," explained Laurent.

"Part of the upgrade included setting up some Assist Mac workstations to do all the non-creative work outside of our DI theatres. Jigsaw lent us a workstation so we could test the system with our pipeline and helped us choose the right spec for the device we finally bought." Those Mac workstations also got a boost thanks to the release of Cubix's GPU-Xpanders. The Xpanders allowed 142 to add extra GPUs to their main Mac workstation, so it can now handle more complex corrections, freeing up the main Linux suite for 3D work.

"Between the Blackmagic and Jigsaw engineers we had all the support we needed to expedite the upgrade, and the process was completed with the minimum of disruption to the department. Having BlackMagic supporting their software and Jigsaw supporting the hardware has proved to be a successful and cost effective solution for us."

Laurent Treherne, Digital Film Technical Director, Deluxe 142

To find out more about Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve,
give us a call on 03332 400 100 or email DaVinci@Jigsaw24.com. You can also visit Jigsaw24 to browse our full broadcast range.