Soderbergh's Haywire and the Red Camera Look

[notharrylume]

Just saw Haywire this weekend, which was pretty good fun if you take it for what it is. But, the look ...?

Is there something about the Red, which Soderberg used to shoot Haywire, that creates a muddy brownish, somehwat under saturated look that seems to color every shot? I seem to recall a similar look on other Red movies.

What I don't understand is if Red is producing RAW files why there would be a characteristic look to its footage that couldn't be corrected by the colorist.

Is there something going on here is it it just me?

 

[hscully]

I haven't seen Haywire yet believe Soderberg makes unusual choices like use of available light as in Girlfriend Experience, which I think is beautiful. I remember a scene in The Limey (pre RED ) that had GREEN from flourescents in a warehouse scene that looked atrocious and in the director's commentary he said he went with it along with the blown out loading dock. He also made some interesting choices in The Informant! where there were halos and pastel and candy colored scenes. I think he makes choices for the look he gets.

Anyway, this weekend I got to see a french team use RED very differently in Sarah's Key. The footage is beautiful and rich and looked all the world like 35mm film to me. I think that it's continuously variable based on, as you suggest, treatment in post and deliberate choices.

 

[Chris Adler]

Just watched the trailer. They definitely graded everything to look that way. Red footage can be pushed any which way you like. Turdy brown must have been what they were after.

 

[hscully]

I haven't seen Haywire yet. I think Soderberg makes unusual choices like using a lot of available light as in Girlfriend Experience, which I think is beautiful. I remember a scene in The Limey (pre RED ) that had GREEN from flourescents in a warehouse scene that looked atrocious and in the director's commentary he said he went with it along with the blown out loading dock. Others might correct for it. He also made some interesting choices in The Informant! where there were halos and pastel and candy colored scenes. I think he makes choices for the look he gets.

Anyway, this weekend I got to see a french team use RED very differently in Sarah's Key. The footage is beautiful and rich and looked all the world like 35mm film to me. I think that it's continuously variable based on, as you suggest, treatment in post and deliberate choices.

 

[Paul Hudson]

Red Raw can be graded to look just about anyway you want it to look from super saturated to mono-chrome to any flavor between. Haywire, for what ever reason was graded to look this way. I don't like it but apparently Soderberg did.

 

[SPZ]

With everything said, I suggest viewing Pirates of The Caribbean 4, The Muppets and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Tattoo might have some similarities with Haywire in certain scenes in terms of lighting). You will see different looks coming from a Red Camera.