My Exercise Model Looks Yellow (Settings Help)

Dave Sperling · September 22nd, 2011, 09:05 PM

Vincent,
It's not just the wedding shooters who don't have enough time. It's every production company that receives an overly ambitious finishing schedule as a requirement for getting the job, or needs to keep editing right up until they cna just barely make the last Fedex. Sure, it would be great to color correct everything the way I used to do when I shot film, but economic realities of production often dictate that projects be completed in a shorter time frame than I used to have just to view my dailies.
As a DP, I need to take the completion schedule into consideration when working to give my clients the best lookig footage I can create. If I know they have time and $$ for a color correct, I may have a bit more leeway in my exposures and use of gamma settings, but getting the color spot-on and matching cameras on multi-camera shoots are things I'd really rather not leave to postproduction, no matter how generous the budget.
And I have to agree with Doug, that the idea is really to do it right the first time and every time.

Vincent Oliver · September 23rd, 2011, 12:04 AM

Don't get me wrong, I can see the point of getting footage right at the time of shooting. I know what it is like to show the art director or client the footage before it has been graded, it really doesn't give a new client a feeling of confidence that you were the right man for the job. I often have to do a quick sample grade to show how the end result will look.

Knowing what your gear can and can't do is vital to any assignment, and yes, using Doug's excellent profiles I too can produce good looking clips straight out of the camera, and have done so on numerous jobs. But now with the introduction of HDSLR cameras, cheaper HD camcorders and price concious clients , I see many "bread and butter" jobs going to guys who can knock it out cheaply. I made the effort to raise my game looking at everything from better sound equipment and sound editing to learning about colour grading. It has taken time but now I can command a higher fee and produce a better end result. I may spend extra time adjusting the colours and grading, but I charge for that time.

I still have a lot to learn, but I am getting there. The key to success is to try all the permutations and see what works best for you.

Steve Kalle · September 23rd, 2011, 02:35 AM

I think many are being too simplistic about grading. Grading is not just a simple 3-way CC or curves adjustment. Spend 10 minutes watching a Colorist and you will see how much is involved in 'simple' shots.

There is absolutely no way to 'grade' in-camera.

Personally, I can spend little time grading in Premiere and AE, but the results can make a huge difference. For most projects, I give myself a fairly workable/adjustable image. Because everything gets edited together in one project, I don't understand how or why there would be any time or space wasted with renderings.

Shooting flat takes all of 2 minutes in post to add contrast and saturation back into it.

However, 'Grading' has become a fad where people with $200 monitors think that they can grade their DSLR footage like the Pro's do with film and R3D. I agree with others that we just don't have time for some projects to tweak color in post. Some of my broadcast work must be 100% legal and ready to air right out of the camera; so, I have a PP for that.

September 22nd, 2011, 09:05 PM	#16
Dave Sperling Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tinton Falls, NJ Posts: 780	Re: My Exercise Model Looks Yellow (Settings Help) Vincent, It's not just the wedding shooters who don't have enough time. It's every production company that receives an overly ambitious finishing schedule as a requirement for getting the job, or needs to keep editing right up until they cna just barely make the last Fedex. Sure, it would be great to color correct everything the way I used to do when I shot film, but economic realities of production often dictate that projects be completed in a shorter time frame than I used to have just to view my dailies. As a DP, I need to take the completion schedule into consideration when working to give my clients the best lookig footage I can create. If I know they have time and $$ for a color correct, I may have a bit more leeway in my exposures and use of gamma settings, but getting the color spot-on and matching cameras on multi-camera shoots are things I'd really rather not leave to postproduction, no matter how generous the budget. And I have to agree with Doug, that the idea is really to do it right the first time and every time.

September 23rd, 2011, 12:04 AM	#17
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Re: My Exercise Model Looks Yellow (Settings Help) Don't get me wrong, I can see the point of getting footage right at the time of shooting. I know what it is like to show the art director or client the footage before it has been graded, it really doesn't give a new client a feeling of confidence that you were the right man for the job. I often have to do a quick sample grade to show how the end result will look. Knowing what your gear can and can't do is vital to any assignment, and yes, using Doug's excellent profiles I too can produce good looking clips straight out of the camera, and have done so on numerous jobs. But now with the introduction of HDSLR cameras, cheaper HD camcorders and price concious clients , I see many "bread and butter" jobs going to guys who can knock it out cheaply. I made the effort to raise my game looking at everything from better sound equipment and sound editing to learning about colour grading. It has taken time but now I can command a higher fee and produce a better end result. I may spend extra time adjusting the colours and grading, but I charge for that time. I still have a lot to learn, but I am getting there. The key to success is to try all the permutations and see what works best for you. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

September 23rd, 2011, 02:35 AM	#18
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Re: My Exercise Model Looks Yellow (Settings Help) I think many are being too simplistic about grading. Grading is not just a simple 3-way CC or curves adjustment. Spend 10 minutes watching a Colorist and you will see how much is involved in 'simple' shots. There is absolutely no way to 'grade' in-camera. Personally, I can spend little time grading in Premiere and AE, but the results can make a huge difference. For most projects, I give myself a fairly workable/adjustable image. Because everything gets edited together in one project, I don't understand how or why there would be any time or space wasted with renderings. Shooting flat takes all of 2 minutes in post to add contrast and saturation back into it. However, 'Grading' has become a fad where people with $200 monitors think that they can grade their DSLR footage like the Pro's do with film and R3D. I agree with others that we just don't have time for some projects to tweak color in post. Some of my broadcast work must be 100% legal and ready to air right out of the camera; so, I have a PP for that.