Colour Grading

Prairieboy

Prairieboy

Veteran
Hey Folks
This is part of a meassage of mine in another thread that I just wanted to know how people here thought of. I am very curious how others feel of this processes increasing importance to filmaking.

A trend lately that I am not sure how I feel about is colour grading.  I was blown away by Amilie, but after watching the DVD features and seeing the raw images, and how it was graded I believe that the timer/grader was much more valuable than the DOP.  The exact same thing goes for the LOTR.  I think the finished product looks great.  But once again the raw images that are shown on the extras look washed out and rather flat.  Although they were probably pulled from the edit suite and the images are not at their finest.
I am sounding old (and I am not) but I am worried that the art of cinematography is going to be lost due to grading.  It is relied on too much.  Much the same way that the Yoda puppet looks so much better that the damn digital one ( sorry it just drives me crazy).
Now the technology looks great.  It has made some films be put in anybodys top ten list.  But the credit has to go to where it is deserved.  To a fellow, or gal in a nice cozy room infront of a computer, not by some one set who has to make a decision about filtration, or ratios while a crew of a hundred wait on their every move.
Alright that was my rant to start off the year.  Like I said, I think colour grading looks great, but it is not necessarily great cinematography.
 
Re: Colour Grading

Don't want to sound stupid, but what is color grading? ???

I agree about that craptastic digital yoda. Imagine how it would have looked though if a muppet yoda took on Count Dooku? Man...I really sound like a dweeb. :-/
 
Re: Colour Grading

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"Offended, I am. My wrath, you will feel!"
 
Re: Colour Grading

Ok, take a short I'm working on for instance...

color grading can be the difference between:
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before
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after
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sorry to hijack the thread with my awesomeness... but i had to
 
Re: Colour Grading

Colour grading is the image being manipulated by a computer. For films the neg is scaned, then tweaked. Any colour can be changed, exposure, contrast. If you can imagine it, it can be done. My whole thing is this is not cinematography, this is great computer work. But we all fall in the trap of calling it great cinematography.
 
Re: Colour Grading

I think road to perdition had great cinematography, I also thought it had great color correction. I don't think they're the same thing. There is a difference in relation to a conscious look, and a subconscious look.

Conscious look would be: blown out highlights, shaky camera work throughout the film.

Sub conscious: Color correcting footage - if you do it well, people shouldn't know it's been CCed unless they see before/after shots
 
Re: Colour Grading

Perdition was shot by one of the best DOPs . Conrad Hall was a master. But that film was more timed than graded, I believe.
 
Re: Colour Grading

Conrad is a hippie therefore he is able to pull off smooth, sweeping crane shots.

Timed than graded? Erm, I must beg your pardon, but by timed you mean what?
 
Re: Colour Grading

A lot of times, the DP and the Director are in total control of the color correction, since you don't know exactly how your final picture will look like until you see it. it's about the Director's vision on how the film should look. I think the color correction is a very important part of the cinematography.

Ecoloco
 
Re: Colour Grading

One of the last stages of a film is the colour timing.  Once there is a picture lock, the DP, along with the director will go to the lab and sit with a colourist to set the colour, and overall exposure tweaks.  It is a three light system.
With grading it is a digital process.  You can change idividual colours , hues, exposure on certain parts of the frame.  You can do anything that you can do to a still in photoshop.  It is a fairly new process that really was not realistic until you could scan a whole film.
 
Re: Colour Grading

Yah, color correction, on something like a Davinci 2k, I know people who did that for Target's commercials
 
Re: Colour Grading

Murderapolis, I only say that because about a month ago, there was a double homicide on my block, and a rape 2 weeks before that
 
Re: Colour Grading

[quote author=monte link=board=Offtopic;num=1104639823;start=0#10 date=01/01/05 at 21:20:16]Conrad is a hippie therefore he is able to pull off smooth, sweeping crane shots.
[/quote]

was.

why are hippies able to pull off smoother sweeping crane shots?
 
Re: Colour Grading

Rich - One word...
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It's all about hittin the bong and finding your inner peace... so i guess the word would be peace... I dunno i just stumbled through this sentence, its all good tho

Prairie - Nice, I'll have to take you guys out for drinks
 
Re: Colour Grading

A bong and jib work. Ah that would be a good time.
That would be sweet. Just have to wait until I get my damn greencard. Until then I can not even come down to visit. A true pain in the ass.
 
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