Stefan Sonnenfeld

[Peter]

Does anyone know if there is anything around that shows the techniques that Stefan Sonnenfeld uses? He always seems to get looks that other don't seem to be able create. yes they get close but its never quite the same. I've seen tutorials that show you how to create the 'blockbuster look' etc (teal and orange) but I remember reading a quote from Stefan saying that he sees these tutorials and says that they use too many nodes. He says he keeps it as simple as possible. Has anyone here actually seen him work and have an insight into his techniques?

[Emily Haine]

Remember that most looks can be achieved with a very simple node structure and primaries only. Back in the color timing days they got only global RGB and density controls and made beautiful looking films that are used as references today. It took me years to understand the power of the basic controls.

Stefan got a sixth sense and has stated several times that he can see how an image should look like. Creating great looking images is all about knowing what makes your image look good, not about what buttons to push. Many of the Company 3 colorists use simlar techniques and learn from each other. So it could be a great idea to read some of the premium articles written by the CO3 colorists (Paul Ensby, Tyler Roth, Jill Bogdanowicz) to get some insight into the way they think. I also recommend to read Trish Cahill's article as her style is really close to Stefan's and it's also loaded with technicalities.

 

[Peter]

Yes I believe that the old color timing ways have a lot to teach us. People think because theres so many features in the software the they must use everything. The most valuable technique I've learnt is to use printer lights.

[Frank Wylie]

In traditional color grading, you don't mess with a fixed gamma that has been determined for the project;   you adapt the images to that gamma. 

Added to this is the logarithmic response of the print stock (which has it's own unique palette) the light valve values, trims of the printer and even the influence of local water supplies used in compounding the developer.

This causes some interesting problems for the timer, who has to establish a uniform methodology of bending the subject matter to the will of the director and DP.

The difference between digital color grading and film timing is both aesthetic and locked in the physical properties of the respective mediums.

[Emily Haine]

7 hours ago, Frank Wylie said:

This causes some interesting problems for the timer, who has to establish a uniform methodology of bending the subject matter to the will of the director and DP.

At the same time, the unique palette of the print stock and the other parameters were often creative choices made by the production, so you could say that it was a part of the look development and supposed to be a great starting point for the color timers. Having said, (and what you are pointing out) it was not easy to control those elements so you could say it caused some interesting problems sometimes as well.

[Tom Poole]

There is no secret sauce (technique). Stef uses the same LUTs most of the other guys use. He tends to keep things super simple (few nodes) and doesn't do chroma adjustments in the mids. 

Stef just has a great eye and works with great DP's. Simple as that.

I had an editor stand behind me on a commercial job recently. He said "Don't mind me, I'm just stealing your technique". I laughed and said "No worries, because you can't steal my taste"

 

[Emily Haine]

Most of the linear primary tools will affect the mid range chroma levels in one way or another anyway. Even moving the luminance levels around will slightly affect the same values, unless you isolate them totally. I can't think about a reason why he doesn't want to touch those values directly, but he probably got his reasons. 

[Tom Poole]

Thanks for that lesson

[Emily Haine]

;-) 

[Peter]

I'd be interested to know that too. If you take the attached reference clip and look at it on the vector scope, he get a very narrow scope which seems desaturated because the colours seem to compressed but image feels so rich. Is he desaturating the image first then saturating specific narrow Hues? Am I making sense in what I'm trying to say? Also, when you say he keeps it simple with few nodes, is he doing multiple corrections within a node? Eg, log tools, hue vs hue, hue vs sat etc. Has Stefan or any of the other guys at CO3 (like you Tom) considered making a Masterclass on grading?

Edited June 14, 2017 by Peter

[Joseph Bicknell]

I'd say the best way to break down a look is just to study the final result. That image seems to have a different colour temperature from shadows to highlights, and rich colour (mid- shadow weighted) and no extreme highlights, esp. on skin, which gives a 'creamy' pallete, and also extra depth (sat and hue has a relationship with the exposure). A print emulation LUT would do most of this but they've worked so much with it they likely could build the look from scratch easily.

Obvs that's overly simplified but it's the core of it- also skintones and eyes are nailed (i believe the most important aspect in any shot.)

As Tom says the means are pretty irrelevant, but the taste, characteristics of the raw footage and vision is key. 

Edited June 14, 2017 by Joseph Bicknell

[Adéyẹmi]

On 6/14/2017 at 8:32 PM, Peter said:

I'd be interested to know that too. If you take the attached reference clip and look at it on the vector scope, he get a very narrow scope which seems desaturated because the colours seem to compressed but image feels so rich. Is he desaturating the image first then saturating specific narrow Hues? Am I making sense in what I'm trying to say? Also, when you say he keeps it simple with few nodes, is he doing multiple corrections within a node? Eg, log tools, hue vs hue, hue vs sat etc. Has Stefan or any of the other guys at CO3 (like you Tom) considered making a Masterclass on grading?

Probably, his zoom settings for his scope is different from yours. 

[Luo Liquan]

Compared to focusing on a single scene, it is worth paying attention to the global color change, This is stef most powerful magic.my Immature feeling 😛

[Marc Wielage]

Stefan doesn't give many interviews, but he did chat with Steve Hullfish's book The Art & Technique of Digital Color Correction, and I found a lot of what he said enlightening. My take is that Sonnenfeld works very quickly and uses simpler techniques than a lot of people suspect. He does extraordinarily good work, and there are few other people in Hollywood (and everywhere else) who grasp the importance of client relations, sales, business, and technology and have the ability to balance all of them the way Stefan Sonnenfeld does. 

[Mark Todd Osborne]

As I worked closely with Stefan for nearly 12 years,  what Tom said is correct , he keeps it simple and has great taste,  which any master colorist should possess. 

Edited April 18, 2019 by Mark Todd Osborne

[Thomas Singh]

Is he a nice guy?

[Marc Wielage]

BTW, here's an interesting interview I missed a few months ago where Stefan was part of Panasonic's introduction of their new GZ2000 OLED display:

This is the longest I've ever heard Mr. Sonnenfeld speak about anything. 

[Marc Wielage]

And a newer interview with Stefan Sonnenfeld about Dolby Vision...