Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
03-11-13 | 12:33 AM
#26
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
So many Blu-ray transfers have been hurt by questionable digital color grading. It's become a crutch in Hollywood for many things, since it can be applied after a production has finished shooting and it's cheap. A bad color grading can actively hurt how entertaining a movie may be.
03-11-13 | 11:08 AM
#27
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Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
I don't know enough about Color Grading/Timing in film but all of the movies listed, I've definitely noticed the saturation of blues, orange, green, whatever color it is for that certain movie. It's definitely come to the point that I like certain movies more if every color pops out and looks like the color it's supposed to. Just like when a pratical blood spray is used rather than a horrific CGI blood spray.
03-11-13 | 03:43 PM
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03-11-13 | 07:22 PM
#31
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03-12-13 | 12:51 PM
#32
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Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
Something needs to be clarified in this thread.
Movies from the mid to late 90's (when this trend started) achieved their look by photographic and photochemical processes...analog processes, not digital color manipulation.
Seven and Saving Private Ryan did something called "bleach bypassing" when they made prints of the film. I don't know exactly what bleach bypassing, maybe someone can explain better, but it’s a chemical process performed to the celluloid itself.
Three Kings achieved its distinct look "in camera" by using different types of film stock. I believe for the most stylized portion they used a Kodak Ektachrome film that was really only manufactured to be used in still cameras.
These days computers can make these color corrections more easily and with greater control. The older processes were a bit risky and you couldn't control exactly what you'd get. I believe Oh Brother Where Art Thou was the first to do this digitally.
Furthermore, some films that originally used photochemical processes (I'm thinking of Seven) have subsequently been redone, that is re-colored using computers to achieve a similar look to the photochemical version and in some cases make things "even more" to the filmmaker's intent.
Movies from the mid to late 90's (when this trend started) achieved their look by photographic and photochemical processes...analog processes, not digital color manipulation.
Seven and Saving Private Ryan did something called "bleach bypassing" when they made prints of the film. I don't know exactly what bleach bypassing, maybe someone can explain better, but it’s a chemical process performed to the celluloid itself.
Three Kings achieved its distinct look "in camera" by using different types of film stock. I believe for the most stylized portion they used a Kodak Ektachrome film that was really only manufactured to be used in still cameras.
These days computers can make these color corrections more easily and with greater control. The older processes were a bit risky and you couldn't control exactly what you'd get. I believe Oh Brother Where Art Thou was the first to do this digitally.
Furthermore, some films that originally used photochemical processes (I'm thinking of Seven) have subsequently been redone, that is re-colored using computers to achieve a similar look to the photochemical version and in some cases make things "even more" to the filmmaker's intent.
Last edited by Mabuse; 03-12-13 at 05:16 PM.
03-12-13 | 01:05 PM
#33
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
That's correct, the introduction of digital intermediates into the production process around the early 00's gave rise to the digital color grading on almost all modern Hollywood films. Practically anything made before then was handled photochemically. What has happened is that older films are now also given the digital color grading process when a new transfer is made, which is why some purists don't think newer transfers replicate the original theatrical colors very well on Blu-ray.
Since digital color grading is so cheap to perform on a movie, traditional photochemical processes are becoming extinct in Hollywood.
Since digital color grading is so cheap to perform on a movie, traditional photochemical processes are becoming extinct in Hollywood.
03-12-13 | 01:12 PM
#34
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasan...lm)#Production
http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/C.../the_colorists
03-12-13 | 04:33 PM
#35
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
You know, I loved the look of movies like Se7en and The Matrix when they first came out, but these days I'm starting to hate these one-note palettes. And so many horror movies the last fifteen years or so, especially in the 'torture porn' and Japanese horror subgenres, that now I cringe when I see another horror film lazily resorting to the effect. I think color grading can be effective if used in moderation, but I hate the overuse of the 'cold blue' style in films like Underworld. I know the idea is to make it look 'gothic', but when the whole movie looks that way we never get any real sort of contrast against the color scheme to make its use effective.
03-12-13 | 05:01 PM
#36
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Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
I believe Tony Scott's movies are done by photochemical process.
I can't remember which movie it was but there a behind the scenes look and they explained how it worked.
It was fairly complicated because the cinematographer had to know in advance what it looked like once it was dipped and adjust accordingly. That's a lot of risk and it takes a pro do it with the actual film stock.
I can't remember which movie it was but there a behind the scenes look and they explained how it worked.
It was fairly complicated because the cinematographer had to know in advance what it looked like once it was dipped and adjust accordingly. That's a lot of risk and it takes a pro do it with the actual film stock.
03-12-13 | 05:11 PM
#37
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
There are milestones in this wiki article about the DI process. I have a lot of the AC articles about the movies in question, I should read them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_intermediate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_intermediate
03-12-13 | 05:55 PM
#38
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Color Grading/timing in film. The good and the bad.
I believe Tony Scott's movies are done by photochemical process.
I can't remember which movie it was but there a behind the scenes look and they explained how it worked.
It was fairly complicated because the cinematographer had to know in advance what it looked like once it was dipped and adjust accordingly. That's a lot of risk and it takes a pro do it with the actual film stock.
I can't remember which movie it was but there a behind the scenes look and they explained how it worked.
It was fairly complicated because the cinematographer had to know in advance what it looked like once it was dipped and adjust accordingly. That's a lot of risk and it takes a pro do it with the actual film stock.
