Man! The Most Dangerous Game: color tests, opinons please

[brownpaperbagproductions]

This is for a short that takes place in the late 1800's, on an island in Washington state. The feeling of the era is typically brought out through sepia and vignettes, so thats what we done did. But I was wondering if sepia + cyan shadow is a better choice.


here they are in action: Just the full sepia and original, the cyan needs vignettes adjusted because they're distracting at times. Watch original first it has title and intro sequence.

 

[Chris Adler]

You want to shoot your whole short to visually match old photographs? Is that the idea? There's no need to grade the whole story to try and portray a time period. The costume, props, etc should do that for you.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

It's already shot, but yeah. It seems more interesting to do it that way, it transports the viewer more, O' Brother Where Art Thou is more visceral because of its coloring, the costumes and music do their part, but shouldn't the imagery too?

 

[Ernie LaserHawk9000]

yes. sepia better. cyan one is nice too wish I could see it motion tho.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

Any contrary opinions? They'd be greatly appreciated, I see the video has gotten like 30 more views.

 

[Chris Adler]

I prefer the original look. Everything else feels really forced and artificial to me.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

Is that because its overdone, or just that any grading would feel artificial in this context?

 

[Everts]

You want to shoot your whole short to visually match old photographs? Is that the idea? There's no need to grade the whole story to try and portray a time period. The costume, props, etc should do that for you.

+ 1 totally agree with Snazzy. I ll watch the clips later posting from bb.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

Thanks for the feedback. But I have a counterpoint here that might help.

It's suppose to be forced and artificial, that's the joke. Having a reality show in the 1800's is so blatantly absurd and artificial already because its impossible, no practical motion cameras or editing techniques or tv, there's no way for it to be "not-artificial" by any standard, and the more you try and hide that absurdity/artifice the more punch you take out of the joke, the sepia tone plays up the artificiality/absurdity of the whole premise, and looks prettier IMO.

Which is why I asked if you think it looks forced and artificial because the sepia is badly done or the idea of playing up the artifice is ineffective in being funny, because having a "realistic non-artificial 1800's reality tv show" is an oxymoron and impossible, and the way I feel the more you play up that artificiality the funnier it becomes. Anyone will agree/disagree with me on that?

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

So does anyone else feel its funnier to play up the artificiality for comic effect? Or is it funnier to be as modern as possible?

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

Just got back from True Grit which takes place in the same time frame and they did a very similar grade, just no vignettes, so you can all suck it.

 

[Chris Adler]

Great attitude. You'll go far in the biz. None of the shots in the trailer look like your grade.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

I'm not being genuinely cocky. I knew it would be compared to the trailer, but it's not the same grade. There Will Be Blood's trailer is different from the actual film, which surprised me. It actually highlights this argument because the Blood's trailer grade is the typical DI yellow cyan grade while the actual movie is a traditional chemical process look -which does look better in this case.

True Grit does change it's look from scene to scene almost, but they did the sepia cyan mix a number of times.

 

[boulder]

CC version better IMHO

EDIT: but now reading your "suck it" comment I take it back. Strange to ask for feedback but then to get pissed at people when they offer an opinion. Very odd.

 

[brownpaperbagproductions]

That take back isn't valid as it's not based on an aesthetic evaluation- I'm pulling the Micheal Jackson defense, but like I said I wasn't being serious, like saying "in your face" when your team scores. Because no one liked the sepia grade, I explained intentions, no one commented, 3 months later I see the movie and got the validation there, commented on here knowing no one liked it and now I had some counter point thought it would be funny to say "in your face." Didn't think it was a big deal. Maybe should have used an emoticon.

I sincerely do appreciate someone having a different opinion and discussing what they feel works or misses the mark. But no one liked it or commented for 3 months so I thought the joke of coming back and declaring victory because another movie did something similar was an obvious joke. There's a lot of inflated confidence in True Grit so maybe it rubbed off. So sorry, I'm not trying to be hyper-sensitive bully.