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How to convert an EXR sequence to ProRes on a Mac

6 min read · Checked against Sequency 1.3 · Updated

Short answer

Import the folder of EXR frames into Sequency, choose Video File and ProRes 422 (or ProRes 4444 to keep alpha), set the frame rate and the input and output colour spaces, then click Export Selected. Sequency reads DWAA, DWAB, PIZ and multipart EXRs through OpenEXR 3.2, so files that macOS alone cannot open still convert.

Before you start

  • A numbered EXR sequence, for example shot_010.1001.exr to shot_010.1120.exr.
  • The colour space your renderer or compositor wrote. Most CG pipelines write ACEScg; Blender writes Linear Rec.709 unless you changed its working space.
  • Sequency 1.3 on macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

Steps

  1. 1

    Import the frames

    Click Import… (⌘I) and choose the folder, or any single frame from it. You can also drag the folder onto the drop area. Sequency groups files named like shot.1001.exr or shot_1001.exr into one sequence and lists it with its frame count and resolution.

  2. 2

    Grant folder access if asked

    If the item shows Directory Access Required, click Grant Access… and confirm the folder. Sequency is sandboxed, so this is what lets it read the frames during export and from the queue.

  3. 3

    Choose ProRes

    In the Settings tab, open Container, keep Video File and pick ProRes 422 for editorial or ProRes 4444 for mastering and transparency.

  4. 4

    Keep the alpha channel (optional)

    With ProRes 4444 selected, open Quality and turn on Preserve Alpha Channel. ProRes 422 has no alpha.

  5. 5

    Set the frame rate

    EXR files do not carry a dependable frame rate, so set it yourself. Open Frame Rate and type the shot's rate, or click 23.976 fps, 29.970 fps or 59.940 fps.

  6. 6

    Set the colour conversion

    Open Color Space and make sure Enable Color Space Conversion is on. For ACEScg renders, click the ACEScg → sRGB Quick Preset: Sequency applies the ACES 1.0 SDR output transform, so highlights roll off the way they do in an ACES viewer in Nuke or Resolve. For other sources, set Input Color Space to what the renderer wrote and choose the output your reviewers need.

  7. 7

    Export

    Click Export Selected… (⌘E) and choose where to save the movie, or click Add to Queue to line up several shots and run them together from the Queue tab.

Recommended settings

SettingValueWhy
ContainerVideo FileWrites a single .mov file.
FormatProRes 422 or ProRes 4444422 for editorial, 4444 for alpha and finishing.
Frame RateYour shot rate, e.g. 23.976Image sequences have no reliable embedded rate.
Input Color SpaceACEScg (or what your renderer wrote)Tells Sequency how to interpret the float values.
Quick PresetACEScg → sRGBApplies the ACES 1.0 SDR output transform for review on computer screens.
BitrateNot usedProRes uses fixed data-rate profiles.

ProRes 422 or ProRes 4444?

Sequency writes Apple ProRes 422 and ProRes 4444 through AVFoundation, so the files open everywhere ProRes does: Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid and QuickTime Player.

Choose ProRes 4444 when you need an alpha channel, full chroma resolution for keying, or a higher-quality master. Choose ProRes 422 for cuts and dailies, where file size matters more. Sequency 1.3 does not offer ProRes 422 HQ, LT or Proxy.

Why the output colour space matters

Scene-linear EXR values describe light, not screen brightness, and often run well above 1.0. A plain conversion to a display maps 1.0 to white and clips everything brighter, so emissive surfaces and specular highlights flatten out.

The ACES Output Transform is a tone curve built for this: it rolls highlights off smoothly and keeps saturated colours from clipping. With ACEScg input and sRGB output, Sequency applies the ACES 1.0 SDR transform from the ACES 1.3 Studio config in OpenColorIO 2.4. If you want a plain, clipped conversion instead, choose sRGB - Display as the output.

Check the result

If you have FFmpeg installed, ffprobe shows the codec, frame rate and the colour tags written into the movie. Players and editors use those tags to display the file correctly.

ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 \
  -show_entries stream=codec_name,profile,pix_fmt,r_frame_rate,color_primaries,color_transfer,color_space \
  -of default=nw=1 shot_010.mov

Questions

Can Sequency read DWAA and DWAB compressed EXRs?
Yes. Sequency bundles OpenEXR 3.2.1 and falls back to it whenever macOS's own decoder cannot read a file, which covers DWAA, DWAB, PIZ and multipart EXRs.
Can I convert only part of the sequence?
Yes. Open Duration, turn on Select Frame Range and set the first and last frames you want.
Will the movie keep transparency?
Yes, with ProRes 4444 and Preserve Alpha Channel turned on. ProRes 422, H.264 and HEVC do not carry alpha in Sequency.
Do I need Nuke, After Effects or Resolve installed?
No. Sequency does the decode, colour conversion and encode itself, locally on your Mac.

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