Technicolor CinemaStyle: Best Practices

Can someone email me the picture style? I've tried on 3 different computers to register on the technicolor site to download it, but their site has a bug right now it seems and I can't submit the damn form. rory@roryblanchard.com
 
Thanks! I complained to the Technicolor site in case anyone else has the same problem trying to submit the form like we did in our office.
 
Hi
Great thread. Just my 2 cents.

1 Think there is WAY too much emphasis on using the 'official' Technicolor LUT. It's just an S curve that approximates 'normal' looking footage. But the dynamic range, distribution of tonal values is different everytime you shoot. Simply create your own S curve that you use across your shoot.

2 I still think there is confusion over when to apply the LUT. The official Technicolor FAQ clearly states you apply the LUT at the last step, and even Joshua Pines from Technicolor reiterates this in this excellent issue of fxguideTV
http://www.fxguide.com/fxguidetv/fxguidetv-111-technicolor-cinestyle-examined/
The important thing for best results is to apply the LUT(or your custom S curve) as the LAST step in the render chain.
ie in After Effects simply apply the LUT-sCurve as a topmost adjustment layer.
 
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I applied the profile in my T2i in both video and manual modes but with different results.
Does anybody knows why is different the image in Video Mode and Manual Mode applying the same settings in both.
The Manual mode image always looks brighter even if all the settings shutter, iso, aperture, are exact.

BTW I use Magic Lattern May 25 version. But try without ML with same results
 
eco_bach said:
1 Think there is WAY too much emphasis on using the 'official' Technicolor LUT. It's just an S curve that approximates 'normal' looking footage. But the dynamic range, distribution of tonal values is different everytime you shoot. Simply create your own S curve that you use across your shoot.
Click to expand...

+1. I created 4 different preset curves from heavy correction to less severe. They each apply to different images.
 
Dump question. How do you create such curve in Final Cut Pro? Do you apply it then with LUT buddy?
 
kostas said:
Dump question. How do you create such curve in Final Cut Pro? Do you apply it then with LUT buddy?
Click to expand...

I use a PC with Adobe Premier. The curve editor is really small and difficult to create accurately which is why I started saving presets. I'm not sure the procedure with Final Cut.
 
Your curve is going to change for every shoot, if not shot. This is what grading is. Applying a preset is completely pointless as it wont necessarily give you the look you're after, you might actually want to keep that low contrast look for something, the LUT with this won't give you that. I think Cinestyle is great for giving a base to work from, but if all you're doing is applying a preset for your grading, you may as well shoot with the standard canon profiles and save yourself a lot of grading and render time.
 
TooTallTim said:
Your curve is going to change for every shoot, if not shot. This is what grading is. Applying a preset is completely pointless as it wont necessarily give you the look you're after
Click to expand...

That's why my presets start from one similar to the Technicolor curve, but the additional preset curves graduate to a series of much less contrasty presets. This gives me a number of quick choices to drop on the timeline to see where I am. In a few seconds I can see if the curve is even necessary or to go back to simple contrast and brightness controls.
Speed is everything. We tend to accumulate huge numbers of camera files and they all have to be graded. Anything we can do to save time like a library of custom made presets to just drag and drop can cut you workload in half.
 
just out of curiousity, has anyone shot green/bluescreen wit the cinestyle preset. I did a quick test and found it a pain to get enough of the green back in the
image to get a clean matte. I didn't spend much time on it but some of the other standard presets on the 7d (landscape or portrait srry can't remember) did a better job IMHO.
Anyway info is appreciated. Maybe cinestyle is not worth the trouble under controlled lighting circumstances?
 
From yesterday, a lot of contrast & grading brought in but still all the details in the sky unclipped, and nothing crushed or gone in the dark areas to the right. I've tweaked the LCD for cinestyle so it's easier to eyeball the scene without having to swtich to a "normal" style to get exposure.

Still, it's a TOOL and like all other tools you gotta pin down if it works for your given situation. These cameras are very noisy already, and cinestyle makes it worse. Stick to your ASA's and below 640.

cinestyle.jpg
 
Hey Martin

ASA?? You must have been doing this kind of stuff about as long as i have :) In the image you show it surely makes sense to use the cinestyle in order to keep some
detail in the foliage on the right and the sky. Since i am relatively new to the video side of things i ask a lot of questions. But i suppose it is just like in still photography....

There is no one setting that does it all? Cr@p i could have known :)
 
johne said:
just out of curiousity, has anyone shot green/bluescreen wit the cinestyle preset. I did a quick test and found it a pain to get enough of the green back in the
image to get a clean matte. I didn't spend much time on it but some of the other standard presets on the 7d (landscape or portrait srry can't remember) did a better job IMHO.
Anyway info is appreciated. Maybe cinestyle is not worth the trouble under controlled lighting circumstances?
Click to expand...

I've had to shoot a lot of greenscreen for work recently and I ended up just going with landscape. Keys really nicely, and then you can desaturate to taste if needed. Not sure CineStyle is worth the trouble in this instance either, although I hope to shoot a test sometime.
 
Oedipax said:
I've had to shoot a lot of greenscreen for work recently and I ended up just going with landscape. Keys really nicely, and then you can desaturate to taste if needed. Not sure CineStyle is worth the trouble in this instance either, although I hope to shoot a test sometime.
Click to expand...

Landscapes really does separate the greens. Good call for green screen work, but I would dial the sharpness, contrast way down for fine details like hair.
 
ROCKMORE said:
Landscapes really does separate the greens. Good call for green screen work, but I would dial the sharpness, contrast way down for fine details like hair.
Click to expand...

A very good point. I'll be dialing those back next week. Fortunately I didn't have any issues with keying footage from this past week, but I think that's more down to lucking out on the subjects' hairstyles.
 
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