Cutsio Blog

Is Your Post House Ready for Alexa 35 Xtreme? A Practical Checklist for High-Speed ARRICORE Workflows

A practical checklist for post houses and facilities preparing for Alexa 35 Xtreme productions — covering ARRICORE compatibility, high-speed frame rate support, storage requirements for 660 fps days, and cloud dailies integration.

What does a post house need to know before accepting Alexa 35 Xtreme footage?

The Alexa 35 Xtreme introduces three changes that affect post production: ARRICORE codec support, frame rates up to 660 fps with Sensor Overdrive mode, and extended pre-recording times up to 5 minutes. Post houses must verify that their NLE and color grading software supports ARRICORE decoding, that their storage infrastructure can handle high-speed shoot days, and that their dailies pipeline accepts ARRICORE .mxf files natively.

The Alexa 35 Xtreme replaces the standard Alexa 35 as ARRI's flagship production camera. It was announced in July 2025 and began shipping in August 2025. Any new Alexa 35 production is now likely to use the Xtreme body, which means post houses that have not updated their software and workflows since mid-2025 may encounter compatibility issues.

This checklist covers the specific areas that change with the Xtreme versus the standard Alexa 35. If your post house already handles Alexa 35 ARRIRAW, most of your existing pipeline remains unchanged — the Xtreme uses the same MXF container, same metadata structure, and same ARRI Look File 4 ecosystem.

Working with raw camera footage? Check out How to Build a Searchable Library From ARRIRAW, RED R3D, and ProRes Footage.

Does your NLE support ARRICORE decoding?

ARRICORE is not a raw format — it is an RGB codec that requires SDK-level support in the NLE for proper decoding. ARRI distributes the ARRICORE decoder through the ARRI Image SDK, which is integrated into partner software.

| Software | ARRICORE Support | Notes |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| DaVinci Resolve | Verify version | Confirm ARRI Image SDK support for ARRICORE in the installed Resolve version |

| Avid Media Composer | Verify version | Confirm current ARRI AMA/SDK support before ingest |

| Adobe Premiere Pro | Verify version | Confirm current ARRI SDK/plugin support before ingest |

| Baselight | Verify version | Confirm ARRICORE support in the facility.s Baselight release |

| Final Cut Pro | Limited | Check ARRI partner compatibility list |

| ARRI Reference Tool | Yes | Use current ARRI release for viewing, rendering, and metadata checks |

ARRICORE is currently in public beta. While ARRI states that most third-party tools supporting Alexa 35 codecs will support ARRICORE, the post house should verify ARRICORE compatibility with their specific software versions before accepting a production. Test a single ARRICORE clip through the full pipeline — ingest, edit, grade, render — before principal photography begins.

If your NLE does not support ARRICORE, you can transcode ARRICORE files to ProRes or DNxHR using the ARRI Reference Tool as an interim solution. This adds a transcoding step but preserves the LogC4 color space and ALF4 look metadata.

Can your storage handle high-speed frame rate days?

The Alexa 35 Xtreme records up to 330 fps in regular mode with the camera's full 17 stops of dynamic range, and up to 660 fps in Sensor Overdrive mode at about 11 stops. High-speed days produce significantly more data than standard-speed days, even with ARRICORE's smaller file footprint.

| Recording Mode | Resolution | Max FPS | Data Rate (ARRICORE) | Impact |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Standard speed | 4.6K Open Gate | 24-30 fps | Baseline | Standard storage requirement |

| High speed (full DR) | 4.6K Open Gate | 165 fps | ~5x standard rate | 5x data per minute of recording |

| High speed (full DR) | HD S16 | 330 fps | ~10x standard rate | Very high data volume |

| Sensor Overdrive | HD S16 | 660 fps | ~20x standard rate | Extreme — plan separate storage |

| Sensor Overdrive | 4K 16:9 | 210 fps | ~7x standard rate | High — budget accordingly |

A single day of 660 fps slow-motion work can consume as much data as 5-10 standard-speed days. The post house should confirm that their ingest storage has sufficient capacity for high-speed days and that their archive workflow can handle the data volume.

For cloud dailies, high-speed clips are uploaded alongside standard-speed footage. Cutsio.s enterprise camera-original workflow is designed for mixed frame-rate libraries. Productions should still test high-frame-rate ARRICORE clips before the shoot so playback speed, metadata, and review expectations are clear.

Is your dailies pipeline compatible with ARRICORE?

ARRICORE files use the same MXF container format as Alexa 35 ARRIRAW. If your dailies platform supports Alexa 35 ARRIRAW MXF files, it will likely support ARRICORE after the appropriate SDK update. Verify that the dailies platform uses the current ARRI SDK version that includes ARRICORE decoding.

For Cutsio users, ARRICORE ingestion is available through the enterprise raw ingestion add-on, the same service that handles ARRIRAW and RED R3D files. Native .mxf ARRICORE files can be uploaded once enterprise support is enabled, and Cutsio generates review assets while retaining the originals for conform.

Key questions to ask your dailies provider:

• Does the platform support ARRICORE .mxf files natively, or is a pre-transcode required?
• Is the ARRI SDK version current enough to decode ARRICORE?
• Does the review stream preserve ALF4 look metadata for ARRICORE clips?
• Can ARRICORE and ARRIRAW clips be mixed in the same library?
• Are high-frame-rate clips handled correctly in the player?

How does Sensor Overdrive mode affect the post pipeline?

Sensor Overdrive is a new Alexa 35 Xtreme mode that enables frame rates up to 660 fps by reducing sensor read-out time. The trade-off is a 6-stop reduction in dynamic range (from 17 to 11 stops) and a base sensitivity increase to EI 1600.

For the post pipeline, Sensor Overdrive footage requires:

• More storage per clip due to the extreme frame rate
• Correct metadata handling (the camera flags Sensor Overdrive clips in the MXF header)
• Awareness from the colorist that the footage has reduced dynamic range and higher base noise
• Separate color treatment from standard-speed footage shot on the same camera

The DIT should flag Sensor Overdrive clips during the offload process so the post team knows which clips need special handling. Cutsio's Visual Intelligence indexing can be used to tag and organize Sensor Overdrive clips separately from standard-speed footage.

Are your colorists prepared for ARRICORE's color pipeline?

ARRICORE uses the same LogC4 color space as Alexa 35 ARRIRAW. The color pipeline is unchanged. However, because ARRICORE is an RGB codec (not raw), the colorist cannot adjust debayer parameters or change the color science version. ISO, white balance, and tint remain adjustable non-destructively.

For colorists accustomed to ARRIRAW's full raw control, the adjustment is minor. The non-destructive parameter control covers the same settings that most colorists adjust in practice — ISO, white balance, and tint. ARRICORE participates in the ALF4, ARRI Textures, and REVEAL ecosystem, but facilities should verify look and metadata behavior in their exact grading software.

The ACES workflow should be familiar because ARRICORE belongs to the Alexa 35 REVEAL/LogC4 ecosystem. Still, confirm the correct input transform and SDK behavior with test footage before the grade.

Can your archive infrastructure handle Alexa 35 Xtreme productions?

Archive planning must account for the Xtreme's higher potential data volume. While ARRICORE reduces per-minute data by 50% compared to ARRIRAW, the ability to shoot at 330-660 fps means productions can generate more total data in a single day than was possible with the standard Alexa 35.

| Production Type | Estimated Data Volume (ARRICORE) | Archive Requirement |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Standard feature, 30 days, 3 TB/day | 90 TB | 180 TB (with backup) |

| High-speed commercial, 5 days, 8 TB/day | 40 TB | 80 TB (with backup) |

| Documentary with pre-record, 40 days, 2 TB/day | 80 TB | 160 TB (with backup) |

| Mixed-speed series, 60 days, 4 TB/day | 240 TB | 480 TB (with backup) |

The 5x longer pre-recording time (up to 5 minutes at HD ProRes 422 HQ) means documentary and unscripted productions will capture more footage per shoot day. Archive budgets should be calculated based on the worst-case data estimate, not the average.

Cutsio's pay-for-minutes storage model separates storage cost from file size, making it cost-effective to retain original camera files in the cloud for the duration of post production. The originals remain accessible for download and conform without local archive infrastructure.

FAQ

Does the Alexa 35 Xtreme require new media readers?

No. The Alexa 35 Xtreme uses the same Codex Compact Drive hardware and the same Compact Drive readers as the standard Alexa 35. No new media readers or drives are required.

Can ARRICORE and ARRIRAW be mixed on the same timeline?

Yes. ARRICORE and ARRIRAW clips from the same production can be mixed on the same timeline in any NLE that supports both formats. The color pipeline uses the same LogC4 color space for both, making color matching straightforward.

Is the Alexa 35 Xtreme upgrade worth the cost for post houses?

For post houses that frequently handle Alexa 35 productions, the Xtreme upgrade is relevant because it is now the standard Alexa 35 camera. ARRI will upgrade any existing Alexa 35 to Xtreme specifications. Post houses should verify ARRICORE and high-speed support before the first Xtreme production arrives, but the workflow changes are minimal for facilities already handling Alexa 35 ARRIRAW.

When should a post house expect to receive Alexa 35 Xtreme footage?

The Alexa 35 Xtreme began shipping in August 2025. Productions that ordered the camera or upgrade in 2025 are now shooting with it. Post houses should prepare for Xtreme footage now if they handle ARRI productions.

Does Cutsio support both ARRICORE and ARRIRAW through the same pipeline?

Yes. Cutsio.s enterprise camera-original ingestion can support ARRICORE .mxf and ARRIRAW .ari/.mxf/.arx workflows once enabled for the production. Both formats can be indexed by Visual Intelligence and reviewed through the same library.