Ok, so I know this is not a new topic and there are many resources online especially YouTube and Vimeo that go into depth on these subjects. Why might you ask, am I going into it as well? Well I’ve been out a few places and have heard people refer to color grading and color correcting as the same thing. NO it is NOT, NO I SAY AGAIN IT IS NOT!
To put it in layman’s terms if I may, Color Correction is the process by which you fix any white balancing issues that may or may not be there. Increasing the contrast maybe, adjust highlights and even saturation. In most cases, a simple COLOR CORRECTION can help an alright piece of footage look GREAT! Now I’ve just scratched the surface on this portion because I want all of you to go out and check out for yourself what I’m talking about it.
Ok so now on to Color Grading. Color Grading is done after the primary color correction is completed and can be part of the color correcting process. Color Grading sets the overal style of your movie. SinCity had a highly stylized grading that most people remember. It actually helps to tell the story. Transformers, Star Trek, Avatar and Lord of The Rings are all examples of movies that used a color grading scenario to convey a feeling or aid in the telling of these stories!
If you are still confused and you say Michael “What the heck” are you blabbering about. Here are some examples from our friends at Film Riot and oh if you didn’t know Emily is BACK! I love Emily…if you don’t know who Emily is the make sure you watch the clips below!
A little back story on some color correcting tools. In most NLEs (Non Linear Editors) Final Cut, Premiere, Sony Vegas, AVID and the likes, come with a form of color correction, usually a 3 way color wheel of some sort. Final Cut Studio 3 had the wonderful Color application that to me at first was a little intimidating with its bland opening screen and scary interface. Then Red Giant came on the scene with Colorista which was so powerful everyone was talking about it. Then they also came up with Magic Bullet Looks which had a stable of preset looks that you can apply to your project and then tweak if you wanted something more. For the most part all of these tools can be used. It’s up to you to choose your weapon!
Now if you are one of those that don’t have the time or the patience to learn yet another thing pertaining to this business, then there are lots of Colorists out there that specialize in this field. Had the pleasure of meeting a few at the last Atlanta Cutter’s event.
Remember, this is a learn as you go industry. Even right out of school, different directors and producers go about things differently. Be adaptable to all circumstances if you are able. Learn as much as you can and when the time is right, ask questions, please not during a take…you’ll be asked to leave the set!
I’ll be talking more about this subject later as it is important!
Happy Coloring!
Director of Photography 