MTI Film’s CORTEX v5.3.2, software that manages workflows from the set through post-production, includes numerous improvements to performance and the user-experience, and makes common workflow tasks shorter and faster.
IMF creation with CORTEX now includes presets for Netflix, HBO and other deliverables, accessed in one click. It also adds several features related to Dolby Vision mastering, making it easier to access analysis results and metadata, and to preview colour resulting from content-mapping. “We continue to work with Dolby Laboratories to make Dolby Vision IMF mastering transparent and direct,” said MTI’s Director of Product Development, Randy Reck. “The new version also adds an instant preview to check backward compatibility with earlier versions of Dolby Vision.”
Some of the improvements were suggested by CORTEX users, including the ability to merge Avid EDLs containing VFX markers into CORTEX timelines, which reduces the process of preparing VFX pulls to a single step and saves considerable time for editorial assistants. Another time-saving feature allows one-to-many concurrent rendering for compositions.
Creating IMF packages with CORTEX 5.3.
CORTEX now assigns SMPTE DCP audio labels automatically, and has 12- and 16-bit options for Disney SDR IMFs, a language setting for DTS audio files and support for SMPTE B v2.1 extension metadata for the SMPTE DCP. The IMF Option includes display width and display height, and playback performance in the media player is improved.
Temporal conversions for mixed frame rates are supported with DNx OP-Atom. The software’s Photon IMF validator is updated to latest master build. Photon works as a standard interface supporting users who deliver content to Netflix. With tools for parsing, interpreting and validating constituent files that make an Interoperable Master Package (IMP), Photon can completely read an MXF file and serialise the metadata into the IMF Composition Playlist structure.
“CORTEX v5.3.2 is easier to use for tasks ranging from rendering content through IMF creation,” Randy said. “We put a lot of thought into simplifying the workflow, and eliminated repetitive steps.” MTI Film is planning the next major release of CORTEX in 2021. www.mtifilm.com
