One of the many aspects of cinema that sparks creative debates is the practice of color correction. For those of you who don't know, this is the art of shaping how an image will ultimately look through adjustments in color and exposure. Color can profoundly impact how an image can make you feel and communicate an intended mood or style. The vast majority of color correction work is done in post-production when all of the footage and special effects have been captured. However, there is another means of achieving the desired color style that not many filmmakers seem interested in trying. While adjusting color and exposure is relatively simple to accomplish in post-production, it is now easier than ever to apply the desired color style in-camera, as little to no post color grading may be required. Each approach has its pros and cons, but even so, why is setting up the desired color style in-camera so unpopular?
First, let’s go over the basics.
Movies that are captured on digital cameras are typically recording in a color profile known as LOG. This creates an image that is incredibly washed out and bland. The purpose is to have a raw image with as much information as possible, as in the maximum amount of details within the highlights (the brightest part) and the shadows (the darkest part). When viewing an image in LOG format directly from the camera, it looks like this:
However, when you take the same image and apply one of the many methods of post-production color correction, the image can look more like this:
Shooting in LOG provides the editor with the maximum amount of “wiggle room” for manipulating the image. It offers tons of creative freedom and allows the opportunity to fine-tune the final image for the best desired visual impact. When it comes to creative control, LOG offers the most.
Even so, one of the most overlooked and underrated capabilities of digital cameras, including those with LOG capabilities, is the equal amount of freedom and control to create this same (or as close as possible) color style within the camera.
A prime example of this practice is a fan-made trailer for a potential film concept. The filmmakers shot the trailer on a Canon camera with a downloadable picture profile called “Cinelook,” which provided a cinematic color style that was “baked” into the image rather than added in post-production.
Take a look for yourself at the link below:
Now, setting aside the lackluster acting chops from the whole cast, the trailer's entire visual style was created in-camera. Moreover, it was achieved utilizing a picture profile developed by a third-party and used on a consumer camera not originally designed for cinema. And yet, you likely would never have known just by watching the trailer.
One of the undiscussed benefits of having a color style set in-camera is saving time and money with post-production. Committing to the desired look out of the gate with little to no adjustments required after the fact can lead to faster turnouts and higher recognizable quality. It can also encourage creators to spend more time focusing on making everything look its best on set rather than waiting to adjust it all in post-production.
Like every aspect of the arts, how you choose to accomplish your color style is based on preference and ability. All I have to say is that we should not allow ourselves to feel as if one method is superior to the other. While post-production color grading is the most widely used and popular method, it is not the only one. Don't allow yourself to believe that cinematic style can only be achieved through any single method.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
P.S.
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