Color grading

Fukurou

Fukurou

Active member
I hope I'm in the right section for this subject...

So, color grading...pretty vast subject I guess...
Personally I always did it by myself, without any real knowledge on the subject, and now that I want to make more pro-looking things, I'd like to learn.
I know it's a job on its own, so it couldn't be learned that easily, but I'd like to know a few basics, things to do/not to do, if there are any good tutorials on the subject on the Net, etc...

Any advice ?

(I'm using Magic bullet Looks, Colorista 2, Mojo, and the Sapphire plug-ins in after effects)

Edit : I'm talking about both color correction and color grading, in fact
 
There's tons we could say... it is a vast subject... but to sum it up in a word...

be subtle.

I guess that's fair for a single phrase.

Coloring is very subjective. You have to be fast but not hasty. and subtlety goes a long way
 
Whatever you decide to do with it, whatever you want your project to look like . . .

Figure it out before you shoot.
 
Know what you want the end result to look like before you shoot. Shoot some tests and grade those tests. See what kinds of lights you need to use to achieve the look you want. Try and do most of it in camera, understanding that you should also try and capture as much detail and information as possible, you can always crush the blacks and throw away information in post.
 
Joe Calabrese said:
Know what you want the end result to look like before you shoot... understanding that you should also try and capture as much detail and information as possible, you can always crush the blacks and throw away information in post.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with the second statement here. I've tried to capture what I wanted in-camera and have regretted it (too much noise in low light with DVX). In my workflow I find it much easier to shoot for as much detail as possible and crush ect like you said above. I know I'll get hammered for stating this opinion but, shooting a flat picture has opened up so many options once I learned Apple Color and the philosophy behind grading.

I'd also highly recommend learning how to use the scopes and relying on them for much of the color
correction work.
 
Before you get started, if you don't know, understand that you can't rely on the viewers in your editing program. You need some sort of monitor calibrated with SMPTE bars, hooked up through a DV camera/deck, or if it's HD, through a video card with the proper output.
I'd also strongly agree with shooting flat, with regards to white balance. I've shot some day for night material and done the underexposure in camera, but I almost always shoot flat and correct / grade in post. If you think you want a certain look and you go for it in camera, then you change your mind later, you put yourself in a difficult situation. Not to mention that getting that look in camera may not even be physically possible.
 
One thing I learned about color from printing 35mm film was not to adjust all three colors. Two was always plenty of control to get the image balanced. This would apply to levels or curves in RGB channels.
 
Olaf99 said:
I'd agree with the second statement here. I've tried to capture what I wanted in-camera and have regretted it (too much noise in low light with DVX). In my workflow I find it much easier to shoot for as much detail as possible and crush ect like you said above. I know I'll get hammered for stating this opinion but, shooting a flat picture has opened up so many options once I learned Apple Color and the philosophy behind grading.
Click to expand...

Why would you get "hammered"? There's nothing wrong with preserving detail to work with in post, especially in night scenes. Where the problems can come in is leaving the entire decision as to what you're going to do, at all, until post.
 
Yeah, I learned about that too, lately.
Sounds obvious in a way but I never thought about it.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the advices.

I don't use the scopes, I really should learn that instead of relying on my eyes only.

I'll take a look at the books too I guess, though the Tao of color tildenm talks about appeals me more...it really looks great, a little expensive maybe, but if the results are here, why not...

About the lights...I know it's stupid but I don't used them...yet ! The problem is I have to manage too many positions (storyboard, filming, editing, and all kind of post-production, sometimes even music), so I'm a little short on time about how to use them.
I really need one more person to do that. Until then, I'll try to learn about that too if I can find some free time.
I only have 3 "basics", cheap lights like this one at the moment, but I guess I can still work something out with that.
But that's another matter.
 
If you want things to look warm, don't just warm up all the lights in the scene or shift your white point towards the yellow/orange part of the spectrum. Instead, put lots of warm things in the frame...It's very difficult to come up with a color palette and a look that is consistent when you're in post.
 
Joe Calabrese said:
Just make everything blue and orange. lol.

Very valid point. Use art direction to your advantage to get the look you want. Color correction, at least as I look at it, is like mastering audio. You can only polish a turd so much.
Click to expand...

No need to use strange colors... just shoot with B&W (really monochrome...) as your final output... Then the only wyrdness is how colors map to shades of grey... shooting under low pressure sodium... no problem... well other than the contrast...
 
most modern movies are corrected in cmyk color profile and they have a lot of cyan/blue/green vs orange in frame.
 
http://theabyssgazes.blogspot.com/2010/03/teal-and-orange-hollywood-please-stop.html

As for black and white, if you shooting in color and do it in post, it doesn't look "true". Shot my DVX and converted it to B&W and a practical in the scene even though it was white, looked like it had a green tinge to it. Everyone that saw it said the same. But the image was in B&W??? I do have to say that my favorite for black and white is Kodak Double X film.
 
Joe Calabrese said:
http://theabyssgazes.blogspot.com/2010/03/teal-and-orange-hollywood-please-stop.html

As for black and white, if you shooting in color and do it in post, it doesn't look "true". Shot my DVX and converted it to B&W and a practical in the scene even though it was white, looked like it had a green tinge to it. Everyone that saw it said the same. But the image was in B&W??? I do have to say that my favorite for black and white is Kodak Double X film.
Click to expand...

For a short film I did with a HMC140 (rental), and then converted to B&W(monochrome...) in post, I did not see any specific duotoning, or other 'strangeness'. I do use "channel mixer", rather than 'desaturation'... don't know what method you used.

I also have not seen that sort of effect with the GH-1 material I've been shooting of late, when I convert to B&W.

I'm pretty sure the camera of choice does not play into it... but I never did do the conversion with material shot with my DVX100.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top