Re-creating a music video look

[Benjamin Handler]

Hi all,

I'm grading a music video. Have done a 1st pass without notes from DP. Showed to DP and have since been given notes to make the video look more like their reference video: 

 

Here's the MV I'm currently grading with my first pass (my grade isn't close at all to reference):  https://vimeo.com/537971712 password: HL

In a general sense, any notes on how a look like this is done? And specifically, if you had the footage I was working with how you'd do it? 

I've pulled the Rainbow Kitten Surprise video into resolve and observed the scopes. One thing I've struggled with is making such a controlled look with low saturation but still have vibrant skin tones. 

Additionally, I'm guessing they've used some color mixer effect to limit hues outside of orange / blue, as well. and there's a tinting in high cyans.

Any tips would be helpful!

[Santiago Rivero]

Was it shot on R709? or you have the log files? Overall you have a way more contrasty footage, with tons of saturation and a very high white point. You'll have to tone that down a lot. Then color wise, add the teal carefully, compress the hues, key the blues and wines and lower the luma as far as you can and add a bit of saturation. You have a very orange/warm looking image and the reference is quite the opposite blue/cold but you could make it as close as you can. Also the graded of the reference is linear with a bloom on the highlights but you seem to have a film emulation. I hope this helps and it is not too late.

[Tom Evans]

I do agree with Santiago, start with matching the exposure and contrast levels, then level up the overall saturation and then go in and tweek.

[Marc Wielage]

If it's overall cold, but you're trying to preserve somewhat natural fleshtones, the classic solution (in the last 10 years) has been a layer mixer pulling the skin as a key from an earlier source node. Usually the trick is to lower opacity so it's not quite perfect normal skin, but at least halfway there. That way, you don't wind up with blue people. 

One thing you often have to consider is the music video you're using as a reference may have been lit that way on set. The problem with trying to create that look is you may be forcing a look that's never quite going to be equalled. It'll be tough, especially if it involves relighting and situations where there's not enough color separation (or light separation) between actors and background, or foreground and background.

[Nicolas Hanson]

Hi Marc. Any reason why you wouldn't use a parallel node istead of a layer node in this case? I find that by pumping the color I want from the source in a parallel node will give a less destructive result than with a key inside a layer node.

[Marc Wielage]

On 5/23/2021 at 2:31 PM, Nicolas Hanson said:

Hi Marc. Any reason why you wouldn't use a parallel node istead of a layer node in this case? I find that by pumping the color I want from the source in a parallel node will give a less destructive result than with a key inside a layer node.

Yeah, I'd say the reason I'd go with a layer node is that it works better for me. Use what makes the most sense to you. I always say, "only the results matter." (Well, that plus whether the check clears.)

[Benjamin Handler]

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies. This thread has been super helpful just to hear how guys with more experience would approach a problem like this.

An update: I talked with DP and we decided to find a middle-ground between the  grade I'd already done and the reference. I ended just doing a few timeline-wide adjustments, instead of starting over. Added an inverted S-curve and toned down the saturation, mostly. Also a layer mixer node to push orange / blue set to low opacity (not sure if this best way of limiting color palette).

Here's the updated link : https://vimeo.com/549688308 (PW = HL)

A few questions

Santiago: when you say linear does that mean, like, rec 709? This was shot on the Red Dragon 6k and I graded under the Log3G10 to Rec709 LUT. Thing is, I did a bunch of "film emulation-esque" adjustments under the LUT before seeing the DPs reference film, so I kind of shot myself in the  foot there! I imagine I could've gotten closer to the reference without doing those things.

Marc & Nicolas: I've heard of this parallel / layer node pulling. Just to clarify, the workflow would be something like: make a parallel node, with the top node as my "look" and the bottom node used to push skin more towards flesh tone? The idea being the parallel node will prevent the "look" node from effecting the skin, yes? I've tried this but I may be doing something wrong as it's never worked great for me. I'll look up tutorials and investigate but any quick pointers are definitely appreciated.

Thank you guys for taking the time,

 

 

[Marc Wielage]

On 5/28/2021 at 10:14 AM, Benjamin Handler said:

Marc & Nicolas: I've heard of this parallel / layer node pulling. Just to clarify, the workflow would be something like: make a parallel node, with the top node as my "look" and the bottom node used to push skin more towards flesh tone? The idea being the parallel node will prevent the "look" node from effecting the skin, yes? I've tried this but I may be doing something wrong as it's never worked great for me. I'll look up tutorials and investigate but any quick pointers are definitely appreciated.

Yes, a friend of mine (formerly from CO3/Santa Monica) bristles when I say "Orange  & Teal," because he insists it's "Flesh Tone & Teal." Eh, either way, it's two opposites on a straight line on the vectorscope, which provides huge color contrast.

I just do the overall grade as a normalizing grade, then a teal-ish node at the end, then add a layer node and take the flesh tone from the original grade before the teal. Absolutely normal flesh in a teal "world" looks too weird, so generally you need to back it off like with a Key Mixer Output adjustment down to 50% or 60%. It's very subjective. It's not like you're pushing orange/flesh into it... it's actually the original skin as a key, in a world of teal/green or teal/blue. 

There are other ways to do it, but of course it helps if the DP actually lights it that way on set and you have an art director that arranges the set accordingly. You get a bold DP like Lawrence Sher on Joker who's not afraid to use colored gels on set, and you can get some spectacular results.