Need Help mimicing 2006's Miami Vice's look at DVinfo.net

Ryan Kincaid · March 23rd, 2009, 12:19 PM

What kind of filters do you think I'd need? I'm thinking Some cooling blues from Tiffen but mixing them with yellow to get the green tint effect. Or should it be done all post?

Craig Lieberman · March 26th, 2009, 01:08 AM

Have you considered doing it in post?

try this:
Add a gradient as the base layer in FCP (assuming you're using FCP)

Then, drop your footage on top of it (on V2) and hit "Composite Mode" and select "Hard Light"

Open up the gradient, hit "Radial", hit "Dither", hit "Gaussian" and then experiment with the colors

Drag the red PLUS sign to the middle of the box and play around a bit...I use this to mimick the Top Gear show but I find it can also mimick many of the Red Giant/MB "Looks" plugins with some some tweaking.

Just a thought...

Ryan Kincaid · March 26th, 2009, 09:45 AM

Hey Craig,

Yeah, I figured I might have to do it during post. I was hoping just on using the filters to do so because i have no clue what to do in Final Cut Pro. But it seems like more and more just shooting Raw footage and using FCP to drop in matte boxes for the aspect ratio and color coding is the way to go now. I was just fearful of the laboring affects when I'm rendering my feature.

I guess I know the answer to this after all.

Luke Frater · April 2nd, 2009, 01:52 PM

Hi there,

this is my first post, but i really wanted to chime in on this. Firstly, i must say that i love the look of Vice, and Collateral is right up there next to it too. Dion Beebe rocks!

Anyway, a few years back me and some friends (we were all studying film....and obsessed with the imminent release of vice) so we went out and shot a hypothetical michael mann film and edited it to the vice trailer music. Its a bit tongue in cheek, but we shot it with no budget, on a Sony Digi8 Camera, no filters, no lights, and only using the light that was available (mostly street lamps).

YouTube - Urban Blackout - A new film by Michael Mann

Its nothing amazing or anything, but i wanted to stress that if you are shooting at night then finding good locations is key, especially if you are using only streetlights. A well lit night scene will give you such a good base to start from that you will find you wont have to do nearly as much in post.

Best of luck with your project!!

Ryan Kincaid · April 6th, 2009, 05:21 PM

Hey Luke, thanks man, that's exactly the kinda look I was going for. Question, what did you use? A steady arm, Fly Cam, just over the shoulder? It mimicked Vice so smoothly.

Luke Frater · April 8th, 2009, 04:33 AM

hey there, thanks haha, its so funny watching that now (seems like it was made so long ago) - and to answer your question, nope, it was all handheld, no steadyarm or jib work, there are a few tripod shots in there, but overall the handheld gives it a raw look, which complements the fast cutting and grittyness of the trailer. I think handheld would definitely be the way to go for your film, but if you are cautious of it, perhaps you could use it sparingly? for key scenes?

Ryan Kincaid · April 9th, 2009, 12:30 PM

Yeah, I had a meeting with DP my guys and I liked (finger's crossed). We won't be using my DVX which I'm sad about but it looks like we'll be doing it hand held although sparingly since his cam is fairly big.

But I agree with you 100%

March 23rd, 2009, 12:19 PM	#1
Ryan Kincaid Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 73	Need Help mimicing 2006's Miami Vice's look What kind of filters do you think I'd need? I'm thinking Some cooling blues from Tiffen but mixing them with yellow to get the green tint effect. Or should it be done all post?

March 26th, 2009, 01:08 AM	#2
Craig Lieberman Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ladera Ranch, California Posts: 115	Have you considered doing it in post? try this: Add a gradient as the base layer in FCP (assuming you're using FCP) Then, drop your footage on top of it (on V2) and hit "Composite Mode" and select "Hard Light" Open up the gradient, hit "Radial", hit "Dither", hit "Gaussian" and then experiment with the colors Drag the red PLUS sign to the middle of the box and play around a bit...I use this to mimick the Top Gear show but I find it can also mimick many of the Red Giant/MB "Looks" plugins with some some tweaking. Just a thought...

March 26th, 2009, 09:45 AM	#3
Ryan Kincaid Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 73	Hey Craig, Yeah, I figured I might have to do it during post. I was hoping just on using the filters to do so because i have no clue what to do in Final Cut Pro. But it seems like more and more just shooting Raw footage and using FCP to drop in matte boxes for the aspect ratio and color coding is the way to go now. I was just fearful of the laboring affects when I'm rendering my feature. I guess I know the answer to this after all.

April 2nd, 2009, 01:52 PM	#4
Luke Frater New Boot Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 13	Hi there, this is my first post, but i really wanted to chime in on this. Firstly, i must say that i love the look of Vice, and Collateral is right up there next to it too. Dion Beebe rocks! Anyway, a few years back me and some friends (we were all studying film....and obsessed with the imminent release of vice) so we went out and shot a hypothetical michael mann film and edited it to the vice trailer music. Its a bit tongue in cheek, but we shot it with no budget, on a Sony Digi8 Camera, no filters, no lights, and only using the light that was available (mostly street lamps). YouTube - Urban Blackout - A new film by Michael Mann Its nothing amazing or anything, but i wanted to stress that if you are shooting at night then finding good locations is key, especially if you are using only streetlights. A well lit night scene will give you such a good base to start from that you will find you wont have to do nearly as much in post. Best of luck with your project!!

April 6th, 2009, 05:21 PM	#5
Ryan Kincaid Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 73	Hey Luke, thanks man, that's exactly the kinda look I was going for. Question, what did you use? A steady arm, Fly Cam, just over the shoulder? It mimicked Vice so smoothly.

April 8th, 2009, 04:33 AM	#6
Luke Frater New Boot Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 13	hey there, thanks haha, its so funny watching that now (seems like it was made so long ago) - and to answer your question, nope, it was all handheld, no steadyarm or jib work, there are a few tripod shots in there, but overall the handheld gives it a raw look, which complements the fast cutting and grittyness of the trailer. I think handheld would definitely be the way to go for your film, but if you are cautious of it, perhaps you could use it sparingly? for key scenes?

April 9th, 2009, 12:30 PM	#7
Ryan Kincaid Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 73	Yeah, I had a meeting with DP my guys and I liked (finger's crossed). We won't be using my DVX which I'm sad about but it looks like we'll be doing it hand held although sparingly since his cam is fairly big. But I agree with you 100%