While researching different finishing tools, one that often comes up is Assimilate's SCRATCH. Has anyone used both DS and SCRATCH and care to comment on their relative merits?

Thanks much as always.

Scratch is more of a DI finishing box than a video FX/conform box like DS.

You could try contacting Lucas Wilson at Assimilate or Tony Cacciarelli. Both used to work for Avid, specifically on Avid DS. They could give you a demo license. Assimilate is a much smaller company and is coming up in the world quickly, however, DS has been around long enough that it is one of the most stable and well thought out systems available.

I've had demos of Scratch and thought it would make a great box for Dailies, that was 3 years ago and I'm sure things have only improved since.

By the way Dan, Assimilate's offices are only a couple of blocks from mine. If you want to come by Monday I'll give you a demo of DS and after maybe you could pop by Assimilate?

Michael

You should also take a look at the DS Wiki RED Cinema page. I put up a Case Study from Michael Radeck, who tried to use Scratch for grading and found the DS workflow much simpler.

Now, there have been a few replies from the folks at Assimilate to that Case Study, so I posted the Scratch workflow as well. Michael has yet to get back to me with a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down" on the workflow from Assimilate.

I see DS as more capable of complete finishing, including roto, wire removal, green screen, animation, keying and so on as well as complete editing. For example, you cannot do your titling in Scratch. You can in DS. Scratch will also not do subtitles while DS will.

If you know DS, you may find it is more natural to use DS.

Scratch is a more capable and faster DI system. DS on the other hand has an extensive toolset that Scratch lacks.

With DS you can do compositing, rig removal, roto, editing to name a few.

I think i can give a reasonable argument for the DS being every bit as good & fast as Scratch in a DI workflow

Much depending upon how much fixes/tweaks are needed once you see the film big & bright on a projector.

The more tweaks that are needed = DS goes faster

A perfect file seq to be graded = Scratch goes faster

But speed is meaningless if it's not a great job in the first place... just means you get to re-do it, and as we all know that's slower than getting it right on the first go

As for better?

This year in Canada two of the three nominations for best feature film cinematography were DI'd completly and totaly in DS, including the grade & video deliverables

The winner was done in DS

The third film nominated was graded on a Baselight, none from the Scratch....

More about the artists doing the work perhaps.. but that sounds a bit too self-serving as i'm the lead DS artist on both of the films ;-))

The tools are there.... go use em!

d.

dermot.shane

VFX supervisor / DI supervisor / DS artist 

On location in Donegal, Ireland

Home base on Granville Island, Vancouver

Lol Dermont