Hey, All!
I just watched this really cool video essay dissecting how The Ring influenced the color-grading style of MANY movies throughout the 2000s, but without actually using any color-grading themselves. They actually established their look completely in-camera.
What are your thoughts on how the filmmaking team approached establishing this style?
3 people like this
This is really fascinating... Thanks for sharing. Great information... I'm about to shoot my short film and have not decided yet what color grade to actually use.
3 people like this
When I read your post about not color grading I knew they "baked" it into the film. Just didn't know all the ins and outs of how they got the look they wanted, but we learn it was testing before rolling film in production. With digital technology you can also bake in most of your look and then refine it post/color grading. One of the errors many digital filmmakers do is to light the set to get a look that they want, and then hit 'white balance' which knocks out their look. Then when they get to color grading it's a pain in the backside tweaking your hue-saturation levels to get the look back. So the takeaway is if you're going to bake in your look using digital cameras do not white balance.
3 people like this
Fantastic video. Thanks for sharing!
2 people like this
Wow. This was truly fantastic, Ashley Renee Smith. Thanks for sharing.
3 people like this
Great post, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth. Truly informative. Thank you.
3 people like this
That's a great point, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth!
4 people like this
Personally, I feel color grading has been overused recently. It can be going down a rabbit hole sometimes. As I'm working on post for my latest film, I'm actually enjoying the color palette I created with wardrobe and locations. I think the only color grading I'll do is just lighting matches and film emulation. Not a specific LUT or look.
3 people like this
Interesting, William Joseph Hill. Goes to show, better to trust your gut than simply accept the norm.
3 people like this
That is why I loved the Copenhagen Cowboy Ashley Renee Smith
2 people like this
I’ve been hearing the same from a few others lately, William Joseph Hill. I think a lot of indie filmmaking is going to be leaning into more natural looks over the next few years than hyper-stylized aesthetics.