Best way to acheive different "looks"

CeSu Pro

CeSu Pro

Active member
Hello, this is my first post here, though i've been reading for a while... these are some great forums with a lot of knowledgeable people.

anyways, my question is: If i wanted to get a special look... let's say, something similar to a sepia tone for example, what would give back the "best" (i know it's a loose term here) results? I have set up a scene file with the chroma phase and color temps tweaked and such, but i was wondering if the best look is going to come from doing those changes in the camera through the scene file settings, or possibly using like a "warm" white balance card, or if it'd look better to just shoot as 'neutral' as possible then tweak it in my post (not my personal style really), or if the best would be to shoot pretty neutral and use lots of gels on the lights (seems this would be the least 'digitally' affected picture?).

Are the differences going to be that noticeable you think?

(FYI: I'm shooting on a DVX100a, not planning any film transfers or anything; though, it most likely will be made into a DVD of sorts. Editing on FCP5.)
 
your typical dp is likely to want to lock the image in camera. while your typical DIY filmmaker will prefer to shoot an untreated image with as much image data as possible to manipulate in post. my preference is for the latter because even if you know what look you're going for, it gives more room to experiment. and in two weeks we should know if FCP6 is going to incorporate a more robust color grading system.

that being said, on the feature I'm producing/directing this fall, I will guide the dp toward the look I want, but ultimately defer to her method oo achieving it.
 
To get a specific look you need to know what you can do with your camera, lighting and color correction in post to achieve that look. There is no easy answer here, you just have to take the time to learn the tools of the craft and how to use them. Often professional DPs will run a series of tests trying out different combinations of lighting, camera and post work until they find the way to create the look they want. Spend some time learning about color temp, color correction, editing techniques and camera techniques.
 
yeah, so let's say hypothetically that i knew exactly how to get the look i wanted by either changing the white balance, the scene settings, or CC in post. Is there any advantages/disadvantages to actual picture quality by doing one way or the other? i understand the advantage of doing it in post gives you more flexibility, but aside from that,... purely picture quality in the end - is it going to make a noticeable difference?
 
If you know exactly the look you want, then it's best to get it in-camera, since it'll look better than shooting flat and manipulating in post, and you'll be done with the image you want in the can.

I find myself, I look at the whole process and pick what I'm going to achieve on-set and what I'll do in post to combine to get the final look. There are certain things you can't simulate in post, you must do with lighting, filters, etc. So, if you will both shoot and edit, you can find a good balance. If you have to shoot and hand the tapes over, obviously, you need to get it in-camera.

The good news is, you are obviously looking ahead, and your project will be better off for it.
 
i agree with josh. i suppose i find a middle ground where i will push the image in the direction i'm going with appropriate color temp, the use of gels, practicals, and in-camera settings. but as far as oversaturating or desaturation and crushiing the blacks, i save that for post.
 
My best advice would be to test, as mrblue1022 said. Somethings are ok to adjust in post, other things are going to have negative side effects. Alot of color/image correction in post can add a lot of noise to your image. For that reason it is often nice to handle it in production, where that isn't a concern, but again, that means you have less flexibility when you do reach post-production, so you need to be sure you know what you are doing. So again, test, test, test.
Good Luck
 
OK here is an answer you may find helpful. It is best to optically capture the image as accurately as possible. Do not use camera tweaks, or the fix it in post mentality. Here is why. . . If you boost or cut Hues in camera, you are essentially turning up or down the gain of those specific colors. While it might make it look pretty, it's best to keep the camera settings where the factory put them to get the absolute best quality. While you may not see the difference in quality, a trained eye can, and a blowup will show it even more. The same goes for color correcting in editing programs. While slight adjustments wont affect the quality when balancing from shot to shot, major color adjustments such as sepia from natural color will ruin your quality as well. This is why certain DP's prefer one light to another. Some lights color temperature matches the camera's optimal settings providing a higher quality image. NOW if you're looking to direct to DVD, then I wouldn't bother doing it optically because it can be expensive getting high quality optical filters. If you are going for a film print, or an HD DVD, then I would at least adjust the camera and not rely on post color manipulation, but optical is always best, especially if you can view what your image will look like while filming, ie. and HD camera and monitor, making sure that the image is correct while capturing.
 
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