Lowepost

During pre-production, I remember DP, Philippe Le Sourd getting in touch with me regarding the best format to use on this commercial. He was shooting with the Alexa and wanted to know if they should shoot ProRes or ARRIRAW. I strongly suggested ARRIRAW considering the amount of post that was involved and also the greater details in highlights and lows. But at the time, the ARRIRAW was a lot more expensive to work with throughout production and post. During the first session, we referenced a few spots that Fabien Baron had directed: Giorgio Armani 'Acqua Di Gio' and Calvin Klein 'Collection'. These references were used more as a warm up, as the Encounter spot was a new fragrance so we needed to have a new vision and look for this product. A visual treat From the beginning, Fabien's vision was to make a scene that could have been taken from a movie. A visual treat more than a commercial. The color palette was found pretty quickly, and I think the palette is what makes it special. The main objective was to make a very moody and interesting look that was sensual and mysterious but not menacing or scary. It's a very dark spot and what I would call a silvery night. The amount of saturation is very low and the colors are very restricted, yet not monochromatic. As per Fabien's vision, this should look like a sequence taken from a movie so the look had to be very unified and consistent throughout the spot. I usually use the snapshot function or wipe every shot with the master reference shot, to make sure they all stay consistent. It's important to always have a sort of double proof, so I use the hero beauty shot to match everything and then I use the surrounding shots to check the consistency. Grading technique I work mostly on Baselight, and I started the session without pre-balancing the shots. We established the look on a few shots and then matched it all. Sometimes I'll use the AlexaV3_ K1S1_Log to Rec709 LUT, but on this, I probably used a film grade or curve to get the Log to Rec709 stretch. The curve controls are insanely powerful, and when not using a LUT, this is where I do my main look. I also use curves at the back end when doing minor tweaks because it's more precise than the video grade or film grade. READ: Mitch Bogdanowicz about LUTs I think the level of darkness was the most challenging part of this job. The amount of contrast and black level were adjusted and changed so that it would play nicely on multiple platforms. We had four sessions where we went back and forth with the levels. Playing it safe and lifting the blacks was not a solution, and we certainly didn't want to lose details and have the picture completely buried. Beauty We wanted the skin tones very desaturated so it would fit very well with the dark grey night, and they were isolated in every shot to be matched as close as possible. I used a Lum to Lum S-curve, kept the blacks dark and stretched the gamma. The sweet spot is hard to get but by slowly adjusting the curve you'll find it. I used the curve to clip the highlights at a low level using a luminance curve in both the background and the skin tone, which is the reason why it looks very silvery. But it's a controlled clipping so for some elements I added another layer unclipped to add a bit of shine. I think it fits the mood very well, but it's very unusual for an American beauty/fragrance brand. I also enhanced the contrast in her hair and lifted the skin tones a bit. I only remember one exterior shot where we used a window and a few key frames, and that was because Fabien wanted to increase the headlights on a rock when the car arrives at the house. On beauty work, we tend to over analyze and put windows everywhere. At the same time, I hate when clients walk in my room asking for three different passes before we've even graded the first shot. To me, separate passes are something from the past and the last resort. The picture will always look better in one pass. Damien Van Der Cruyssen All images and clips copyright © 2016 Baron + Baron

It Follows was scheduled to be colored at Tunnel Post in Santa Monica. So the people at Tunnel put me in touch with the director David Robert Mitchell and the cinematographer Michael Gioulakis and we had a lengthy conversation about the mood and tone of the film, a few months prior to principal photography. It was a wonderful experience to be brought in so early in the process and I wish all of my cinematographer friends would do this! Three stripe Technicolor At first, David's idea was to give the movie a three stripe Technicolor look, but at the same time, feeling contemporary. My challenge was to fuse both worlds together and make it work. Michael began sending me stills from the dailies and I experimented with different looks on my Davinci Resolve system at home. Once the film was cut and ready for color, I sat in the large theater at Tunnel with Michael and David and we began to try out the Technicolor look. It was interesting, but not exactly right for the film. It was a little over-the-top and too extreme. We didn't want to call attention to the look, so after trying a few different looks, we came up with the one that was correct. A look that had a Technicolor-like feel, but was a little "off normal". Some directors will bring in a "look book" at the start of the film and that's a good way for me to quickly get inside the mind of the director and what he or she likes to see regarding color and contrast. This was not the case for It Follows. We discussed each scene and talked about what we were trying to accomplish in regards to the mood and tone and created a look that was appropriate scene by scene. It was a great experience and one that I hope to have again soon. The film was shot with Alexa, and I really enjoyed Michael's framing and the variety of colors he used in his art direction and lighting. The movie has a "timeless" feeling, in that they used props from all eras (older TV sets, etc...). He gave me a great palette to work with and I got to further enhance the look, stylistically. I started creating a LUT that got us close to what was on the digital neg and from there, began the fine-tuned crafting of each image. I worked in the Log toolset in P3 space. I do work with printer lights quite often and It Follows was no exception. Favorite shots One of my favorite shots in the movie is when they go to this old, abandoned house and as they're walking up to it, our lead character, played by Maika Monroe, looks back and briefly stares at the camera to see what's behind her shoulder. That moment is such a beautiful image in the film and IS the film. When I first saw it, I said: "Guys, this is your poster!" Because that one single frame says it all. That sinking feeling you get when you think something is following you, but you cannot see it. I also like the scene where she is strapped to the wheelchair. This is the first scene that we began setting and creating our looks for the movie. It has that perfect blend of feeling both 1950s and contemporary at the same time. Pool Sequence In the end pool sequence, we gave it a very ominous, darkish-blue feeling to accentuate the horror that was taking place. It’s a layered process that involves first balancing out the scene as shot, with nice, rich skin tone. Then subtracting the red/adding the blue to get the right look without it looking like a wash or a tint. The trick is to keep the skin tone intact within that “look”, otherwise, it looks like you just threw a layer of blue over the whole scene. In life, you still see colors around you on a cloudy day. Those colors are just muted on the cloudy day, not as vibrant, but they don’t disappear completely. Consistent shots I do not color any movie the same as I colored the one before. Each movie moves and breathes differently and you have to attack it according to how it was lit, framed and exposed. Once we have the looks set for each scene of the movie, my job is to keep every shot consistent within those scenes and make sure that it flows smoothly, from the shot, keeping the viewer's attention on the story being told. I always go through the entire movie to make sure that the saturation level we set at the beginning follows through until the last reel of the film. I also usually keep my whites clean unless there is a motivation to add color to them, such as sunlight coming in through a window. Then, of course, there might be a bit of a “sunny” feel to the white highlights. Overall, every scene should look like it belongs to the same movie unless there's a reason to go outside of the world you've created in a particular scene or moment. That being said, it's just a matter of making sure all scenes look like they are from the same "world" that you have created. It's quite a shock to the audience if there is a shot or scene that suddenly looks "out of place" from the film they've been watching unless that is the director's desired intention. But, sometimes, there is a reason to have different saturation levels within different scenes. Skin tones For me, skin tone is the absolute most important thing in the frame. Once I get the skin right, everything else seems to fall into place. I generally like a warm, yellowish glow for most skin types. But since this film had a dark, ominous look to it, it was more appropriate to let skin tones go a little bit more "rosy" than I normally would. It did fit the atmosphere of the film. As for skin tones, it should be there already in the digital neg once you’ve correctly balanced the image. If, for some reason, the skin tone is still not pleasing (like pale skin, or skin that’s too ruddy & red) that’s when I apply an HSL key to adjust accordingly to the light in the shot. There are many times I have to “soften” skin with a diffusion key or draw a shape around a blemish, then blend & track it in. I also find myself throwing on Power Windows as a spot light on just the face, in order to lift shadows in the eyes or bring them out a bit to separate them from the background. Mark Todd Osborne All images and clips copyright © 2016 Visit Films / Another World Entertainment

Differences between operating on data before and after the LUT In this example, we use a normal film emulation 3D-LUT taking 10-bit Cineon Log data to P3 RGB. If you operate on the data before the LUT, the color corrector is changing the Cineon Log data which is then put through the LUT to determine how it will display. If you are color correcting after the LUT, you are operating on gamma 1.0/2.6 P3 data and the look on the screen would be whatever the colorist desires with the changes. The controls will act differently since the metric of the data is different. Operating on data after the LUT will break the "calibration" Also, the look via after the LUT, in this case, will not translate to the film out process since the film emulation “calibration” afforded by the LUT is broken. By film emulation “calibration”, I mean that the image (Cineon Log) going through the 3D-LUT displays the look (exact match of the digital image on a digital projector to the film image on a film projector) that would be apparent if the Cineon Log DPX code values went to a recorder and then printed and displayed on a film projector. When grading after this LUT, any changes will be apparent on the screen and if only a digital release is required, that’s fine. However, the Log DPX values did not change and if they are sent to the recorder, the film image would not look like the graded after the LUT image. From P3 back to Cineon If, however, the graded P3 image was then put through a P3 to Cineon DPX LUT then the DPX values sent to the recorder will reflect the grading changes. That is why when using film emulation LUT with the anticipation of going to film, the grading is done on the DPX data. Any grading after the LUT can also produce colors that are not attainable on film, grading before assures that the color on the screen will match the film out. Use the control settings that matches the data type Both Primary adjustments and Log controls will work on ANY type of data. The only caution is that the RESULTS will be dramatically different. This is the domain of the color corrector. If it is set up to control lift, gain, and gamma, then it will be most effective on linear images (either “true” linear or gamma linear where the “true” linear data has the inverse of the display gamma applied. This will result in a linear light output on the display. If the color corrector is set up to control Log data, then it will be most effective on Log images. The overall brightness of the image is then controlled by simply adding or subtracting a constant on each channel, analogous but not identical to lift. The “gamma” of the image is controlled by a multiplier by the color corrector, since the Log data is already in a gamma metric, multiplying by a constant will change the overall gamma of the image, analogous to the gain control. The gamma control operating on a Log data image actually preserves the overall gamma between black and white but repartitions it between the highlights and the shadows differently. Numerically, applying a gamma control greater than 1.0 will actually lower the gamma in the shadows (and darken them) and raise the gamma in the highlights (and brighten then). Gamma values less than 1.0 does the opposite. What we consider normal highlight and shadow control becomes a little different than the lift, gamma, and gain model but fairly easy to implement in hardware or software. Bottom line is that it is best to use the control settings of the color corrector that matches the data type of the image. Using other settings may get you to a desirable look, but the colorist must be aware of the consequences. A colorist is an artist and may use any tools available as long as they are fully understood. Mitch Bogdanowicz

C olor timing is the process of balancing the color and density of each shot in a motion picture. This was necessary because motion pictures were filmed out of order from the final edited sequence, over a long period of time under varying conditions (lighting, exposure and film emulsions). Then the film negative was sent to the lab for film processing which also had variables which affected the color and density such as developing time, temperature and chemical balance. When the film negatives were spliced together into the final sequence to make a film print on positive film stock, it needed to be analyzed for color and density to set the printer lights for each shot so the final print would be balanced. Although the technical process of color balancing was done by the color timer, the process of reaching the final color was a collaborative effort involving the timer and filmmakers; usually the cinematographer, director, editor or other production assistants. This was done through screening film prints with the filmmakers, getting their comments and opinions then applying corrections to the film timing till final approval was achieved. This would take from 2 or 3 timing passes up to 10 or more depending on the nature of the film and demands of the filmmakers. The eyes of the color timer The tools needed to color time a film print begin with the eyes of the color timer. Before the first print is made, the film negative is viewed on a film analyzer such as a Hazeltine. This is a machine that reads the negative and presents a positive image on a video monitor. The color and density can be adjusted using knobs which represent the printer lights usually from a 1 to 50-point scale for each color (Red, Green, and Blue). The timer turns the knobs until the color and density look right so the printer lights are set for that shot. This is done for each shot of the film, then a print is made. The film print is screened by the color timer who will analyze with his eyes and make notes to what needs to be corrected. The film print is then put on a comparator projector where it can be viewed scene by scene to make color adjustments by changing the printer lights for the next corrected print. Read: Dan Muscarella about printer lights Some timers use color filters to help make color decisions. The color corrections are not seen until another print is made. Originally, these color corrections were written on a timing card which showed the footage and printing lights for each scene. The timing card was sent to a person who would have to make a paper tape with this information to be loaded into the printing machine. Now this information is input to the computer by the timer as he makes corrections and directly accessed by the printing machine. The length of time to color correct a cut negative film from the first trial to final approval can vary from a couple weeks to several months. This varies based on the number of scenes, how well it was shot, the need for reshoots or effect shots and the filmmakers demands. A typical turnaround from a first trial print to a corrected print including color correcting and printing takes several days. An average film would take 3 to 5 passes for approval which would be about 15 to 20 days total. Categories of color timers First would be the Daily Timer who would get the negatives from each day's shoot (dailies) and using a film analyzer, set printer lights for the daily prints. An Analyzer or Hazeltine Timer sets the printing lights for the edited (cut) negative to make the first print to be screened. The Screen Timer views the first print in a theater on a big screen taking notes for corrections to be made on the comparator. The Comparator Timer (usually same person as Screen Timer) views the print on a small projector and applies the corrections based on the Screen Timer's notes. With all the tools and complexities of today's digital color correction, it is easy to become too focused on micromanaging minor details and losing sight of the big picture. Film color timing was limited to color and density balance with emphasis on the overall scene to scene continuity. I would advise digital colorists to hold off using your specialty tools (secondary correction, windows, and mattes) until the overall continuity of color and density is addressed so the integrity of the cinematography does not get distorted. Now that I have been effectively retired from color timing with the closure of film labs and the industry taken over by digital projection I can only hope that the "art" of cinematography will go on. Working with some of the great cinematographers throughout my career taught me the importance of the image caught using the lighting, lenses, and techniques used by the camera. With the new technologies, it is important that this art does not get distorted by the involvement of too many opinions and people in the digital timing bay. My biggest advice is to listen to the cinematographer. Jim Passon

C DL stands for “Color Decision List”. It is a metadata format developed by the The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), in order to exchange rudimentary colour correction information between postproduction tools. It is sometimes necessary to apply non-destructive look communication instead of colour correcting an image directly. The colour correction is expressed as metadata, and the image is transferred without any creative decisions. This greatly simplifies the versioning of looks, because simple metadata can be updated without the need of re-transferring image data. CDLs are very common in VFX workflows because the VFX artist needs both the ungraded shot and the intended look. The ungraded shot allows the artist to comp in truly linear light, and the intended look is needed to check if the individual plates still hold together after the grade is applied. Slope, Offset and Power CDL defines a parameterised function to individually modify the red, green, and blue channel of an image. In addition, CDL specifies a global saturation. The three tone curve parameters are Slope, Offset and Power. These parameters are simple mathematical operations, which allow the colourist to modify the incoming data. “Slope” is a multiplier to the incoming data “Offset” is a summation to the incoming data “Power” is a power function to the incoming data The formula is: out.rgb=(in.rgb*Slope.rgb+Offset.rgb)^Power.rgb in.rgb = input red, green, blue values out.rgb = output red, green, blue values Slope.rgb = Slope red, green, blue values Offset.rgb = Offset red, green, blue values Power.rgb = Power red, green, blue values A fourth parameter “Saturation” is achieved by converting the out.rgb data in a Luma and Chroma component. The Chroma Signal is then multiplied by the “Saturation” parameter. Film Grade and Video Grade With Slope and Offset you can produce both a Film Grade “Exposure” and “Contrast” and a Video Grade “Lift” and “Gain”. Exposure is achieved by Offset Contrast is achieved by a combination of Offset and Slope Gain is achieved by Slope Lift is achieved by a combination of Offset and Slope Gamma is achieved by Power Formats A CDL Grade is specified by ten values, and they can be stored in different formats. Slope.red Slope.green Slope.blue Offset.red Offset.green Offset.blue Power.red Power.green Power.blue Saturation .cdl .cdl is a text file (with the suffix “cdl”). It has an xml like structure. It defines one CDL grade and looks something like: <ColorDecisionList> <ColorDecision> <ColorCorrection> <SOPNode> <Slope>0.904771 0.931037 1.011883</Slope> <Offset>0.008296 0.017804 -0.026100</Offset> <Power>1.052651 1.005324 0.945201</Power> </SOPNode> <SatNode> <Saturation>0.801050</Saturation> </SatNode> </ColorCorrection> </ColorDecision> </ColorDecisionList> .ccc .ccc is the same concept but can contain multiple CDL structures. .ale CDL values can be stored per shot in an Avid Log Exchange. .edl CDL values per shot can be stored in a CMX 3600 Edit Decision List. Colour Management Unfortunately, CDL does not define the image state and colour management pipeline in which this formula is applied. That means, these ten values describe a colour correction but do not describe the way you apply the values. The values applied in a Log Colour Space with a viewing transform on output will elicit a different result, then the same values applied in Display Space after the viewing transform. This is the reason why sometimes CDL values do not match between applications. In order to make CDL work, you need an additional Colour Management Layer that transforms the image into the correct state, apply the CDL values and eventually convert the image into another image state. In the field, there are different colour management frameworks like “OpenColor IO” or “Truelight Colour Spaces”. Some productions also just create “Lookup Tables” for the input- and output transformation and apply the CDL values by hand. Conforming The only way to automatically apply CDL values to multiple shots is using ALE and EDL. This makes CDL only applicable in very narrow workflows. .cdl or .ccc files do not store camera metadata, which makes it impossible to “bulk paste” CDL values to multiple shots. Often manual copy and paste takes place, which is a dissatisfying and time-consuming task. Some tools offer a smarter copy and paste functionality if the .cdl values are named like the filename or clip names of the shot, so the conforming metadata is stored in the filename. Big VFX Houses use their Asset Management System to deploy the CDL values to the correct shots. Conclusion CDL is a simple concept to describe and communicate a simple colour correction transformation in a software agnostic way. It does not specify or communicate the needed colour management information, nor does it store any shot based metadata. In order to make CDL work, a production needs an additional colour management and asset management pipeline to successfully distribute CDL values between software packages. Daniele Siragusano Colour and Worklow Engineer, Filmlight

Learn how to edit, record and mix audio in DaVinci Resolve Fairlight. This 4 hour long essentials course is taught by the award winning editor, sound designer and instructor Kevin McAuliffe, who works with clients such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and Walt Disney Studios. Expore audio editing basics, recording and mixing techniques the fast and easy way. The course break down complex concepts like equalization (EQ), noise reduction, busses, compressions and limiters, audio bouncing, automation and much more so that you can dive into the world of audio with confidence. This is the ultimate course for film editors, hobbyists, or sound engineers with background from other tools such as ProTools and Logic that are looking to transfer to DaVinci Resolve Fairlight. The footage and assets used in this course are available for download so that you can easily follow along. Download project files About the instructor Kevin P McAuliffe is an award winning editor and visual effects creator with over 20 years of teaching and training experience. Over the past years Kevin has delivered world-class work for clients such as Warner Bros, Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, Universal and Elevation Pictures. Who is this course designed for? Film editors Sound engineers with background from ProTools, Logic etc Audio hobbyists Lessons overview 01: Organization 02: Understading the Fairlight interface 03: The basics 04: Recording Voice Over 05: Working with audio track layers 06: ADR basics 07: Mixing 08: Automation 09: Working with busses 10: Audio bouncing 11: Setting up deliverables 12: Exporting your master audio 13: Working with EQ 14: Limiters vs compressors 15: Noise reduction Software required DaVinci Resolve

My interest in Stereoscopic imaging started in 2006. One of my close friends, Trevor Enoch, showed me a stereo-graph that was taken of him while out at Burning Man. I was blown away and immediately hooked. I spent the next four years experimenting with techniques to create the best, most comfortable, and immersive 3D I could. In 2007, I worked on Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert directed by Bruce Hendricks and shot by cameras provided by Pace. Jim Cameron and Vince Pace were already developing the capture systems for the first “Avatar” film. The challenge was that a software package had yet to be created to post stereo footage. To work around this limitation, Bill Schultz and I slaved two Quantel IQ machines to a Bufbox to control the two color correctors simultaneously. This solution was totally inelegant but it was enough to award us the job from Disney. Later during the production, Quantel came out with stereo support eliminating the need to color each eye on independent machines. We did what we had to in those early days. When I look back at that film, there is a lot that I would do differently now. It was truly the wild west of 3D post and we were writing the rules (and the code for the software) as we went. Over the next few pages I’m going to layout some basics of 3D stereo imaging. The goal is to have a working understanding of the process and technical jargon by the end. Hopefully I can help some other post professionals avoid a lot of the pitfalls and mistakes I made as we blazed the trail all those years ago. Camera 1, Camera 2 Stereopsis is the term that describes how we collect depth information from our surroundings using our sight. Most everyone is familiar with stereo sound; when two separate audio tracks are played simultaneously out of two different speakers. We can take that information in using both of our ears (binaural hearing) and create a reasonable approximation from the direction of where that sound is coming from in space. This approximation is calculated by the offset in time of the sound hitting one ear vs the other. Stereoscopic vision works much in the same way. Our eyes have a point of interest. When that point of interest is very far away our eyes are parallel to one another. As we focus on objects that are closer to us, our eyes converge. Do this simple experiment right now. Hold up your finger as far away from your face as you can. Now slowly bring that finger towards your nose, noting the angle of your eyes as you get closer to your face. Once your finger is about 3 inches away from your face, alternately close one eye and then the other. Notice the view as you alternate between your eyes, camera 1, camera 2, camera 1, camera 2. Your finger moves position from left to right. You also see “around” your finger more in one eye vs the other. This offset between your two eyes is how your brain makes sense of the 3D world around you. To capture this depth for films we need to recreate this system by utilizing two cameras roughly the same distance as your eyes. Camera Rigs The average interpupillary distance is 64mm. Since most feature grade cinema cameras are rather large, special rigs for aligning them together need to be employed. Side by side rigs are an option when your cameras are small, but when they are not you need to use a beam splitter configuration. Beam splitter rig in an "over" configuration. Essentially, a beam splitter rig uses a half silvered mirror to “split” the view into two. This allows the cameras to shoot at a much closer inter-axial distance than they would otherwise be able to using a parallel side by side rig. Both of these capture systems are for the practical shooting of 3D films. Image comes in from position 1. Passes through to camera at position 2. It is also reflected to the camera at position 3. You will need to flip it in post since the image is mirrored. Fortunately or unfortunately most 3D films today use a technique called Stereo Conversion, which is the process of transforming 2D ("flat") film to a 3D form. Conversion There are three main techniques for Stereo Conversion. Roto and Shift In this technique, characters and objects in the frame are roto’d out and placed in a 3D composite in virtual space. The scene is then re-photographed using a pair of virtual cameras. The down side to this is that the layers often lack volume and the overall effect feels like a grade school diorama. Projection For this method, the 2D shot is modeled in 3D space. Then, the original 2D video is projected onto the 3D models and re-photographed using a pair of virtual cameras. This yields very convincing stereo and looks great, but can be expensive to generate the assets needed to create complex scenes. Virtual World Stupid name, but I can’t really think of anything better. In this technique, scenes are created entirely in 3D programs like Maya or 3DS Max. As this is how most high end VFX are created for larger films, some of this work is already done. This is the best way to “create” stereo images since the volumes, depth and occlusions are mimicking the real world. The downside to this is that if your 2D VFX shot took a week to render in all of its ray traced glory, your extra “eye” will take the same. Cartesian Plane No matter how you acquire your stereo images, eventually you are going to take them into post production. In Post, I make sure the eyes are balanced for color between one another. I also “set depth” for comfort and to creatively promote the narrative. In order to set depth we will have to offset one eye against the other. Objects in space gain their depth from the relative offset in the other eye/view. In order to have a consistent language, we speak in number of pixels offset to describe this depth. When we discuss 2D images we use pixel values that are parallel with the screen. A given cordinate pair locates the pixel along the screens surface. Once we add the 3rd axis we need to think of a Cartesian plane laying down perpendicular to the screen. Positive numbers are receding away from the viewer into the screen. Negative numbers come off the screen towards the viewer. The two views are combined for the viewing system. The three major systems are Dolby, RealD, and Expand. There are others, but these are the most prevalent in theatrical exhibition. In Post we control the relative offset between the two views using a “HIT” or horizontal image transform. A very complicated way for saying we move one eye right or left along the X axis The value of the offset dictates where in space the object will appear. This rectangle is traveling from +3 pixels offset to -6 pixels offset. Often we will apply this move symmetrically to both eyes. In other words to achieve a -6 pixels offset, we may move both views -3 instead of one view moving -6. Using this offset we can begin to move comped elements or the entire “world” in Z space. This is called depth grading. Much like color, our goal is to try and make the picture feel consistent without big jumps in depth. Too many large jumps can cause eye strain and headaches. My first rule of depth grading is “do no harm.” Pain should be avoided at all costs. However, there is another aspect of depth grading beyond the technical side. Often we use depth to promote the narrative. For example, you may pull action forward to be more immersed in the chaos, or you can play quiet drama scenes at screen plane so that you don’t take away from performance. Establishing shots are best played deep for a sense of scale. Now all of these examples are just suggestions and not rules. Just my approach. Once you know the rules, you are allowed to break them as long as it’s motivated by what’s on screen. I remember one particular shot in Jackass 3D where Bam gets his junk whacked. I pop’ed the offset towards the audience just for that frame. I doubt anybody noticed other then a select circle of 3D nerds (I’m looking at you Captain 3D) but I felt it was effective to make the pain on screen “felt” by the viewer. Floating Windows Floating Windows are another tool that we have at our disposal while working on the depth grade. When we “float the window” what we are actually doing is controlling the proscenium in depth just like we were moving the “world” while depth grading. Much like depth offsets, floating windows can be used for technical and creative reasons. Firstly, they are most commonly used for edge violations. An edge violation is where there is an object that is “in front” of the screen in Z space, but is being occluded by the screen. Now our brains are smarter than our eyeballs and kick into over-ride mode. The edge of the broken picture feels uncomfortable and all sense of depth is lost. What we do to fix this situation is to move the edge of the screen forward into the theater using a negative offset. This floats the “window” we are looking through in front of the offending object and our eyes and brain are happy again. We achieve a floating window through a crop or by using the software’s “window” tool. Another use for controlling the depth of the proscenium is to creatively enhance the perceived depth. Often, you need to keep a shot at a certain depth due to what is on either side of the cut but creatively want it to feel more forward. A great work around is to keep your subject at the depth that feels comfortable to the surrounding shots and move the “screen” back into positive space. This can have the effect of feeling as if the subject is in negative space without actually having to place them there. Conversely you can float the window into negative space on both sides to create the feeling of distance even if your character or scene is at screen plane with a zero offset. The fish will have the feeling of being off screen even though it’s behind. Stereo Color Grading Stereo color grading is an additional step, when compared to standard 2D finishing, which needs to be accomplished after the depth grade is complete. It is much more challenging to match color from one eye to another on native shot 3D footage. Reflections or flares may appear in one and not the other. We call this retinal conflict. One fix for such problems is to the steal the “clean” information from one eye and comp it over the offending one paying mind to offset for the correct depth. Additionally, any shapes that were used in the 2D grade will have to be offset for depth. Most professional color grading software has automated ways to do this. In rare instances, an overall color correction is not enough to balance the eyes. When this occurs, you may need a localized block based color match like the one found in the Foundry’s Ocula plugin for Nuke. Typically a 4.5FL and a 7FL master are created with different trim values. In recent years, a 14FL version is also created for stereo laser projection and Dolby’s HDR projector. In most cases this is as simple as a gamma curve and a sat boost. The Future of Stereo Exibihition The future for 3D resides in even deeper immersive experiences. VR screens are becoming higher in resolution and, paired with accelerometers, are providing a true be “there” experience. I feel that the glasses and apparatus that are required for stereo viewing also contributed to it’s falling out of vogue in recent years. I’m hopeful that new technological enhancements and a better, more easily accessible user experience will lead to another resurgence in the coming years. Ultimately, creating the most immersive content is a worthy goal. Thanks for reading and please leave a comment with any questions or differing views. They are always welcome. By John Daro

Paint Fixing is the invisible art of removing unwanted objects and improving shots. Digital paint tools can be used to remove actors and logos from a shot, remove artifacts and to replace elements. Paint fixing has become an essential skill to master and DaVinci Resolve has all the tools you need to get the job done. The course content ranges from beginner to advanced, and is taught by Visual Effects Guru Lee Lanier who has written several books on the topic. Both the Color and Fusion module is used to demonstrate the techniques in this course. The footage and assets used in this course are available for download so that you can easily follow along. Download project files About the instructor Lee Lanier has created visual effects on numerous features films for Walt Disney Studios and PDI/DreamWorks. Lee is a world-renowned expert in the video effects field, and has written several popular high-end software books, and taught at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. Who is this course designed for? Editors Colorists Visual Effects Artists Lessons overview 01: Paint fix overview 02: Using the Patch Replacer 03: Paint fixing with a mask in Resolve 04: Keyframing masks in Resolve 05: Paint fixing with a mask in Fusion 06: Paint cloning in Fusion 07: Animating strokes in Fusion 08: Removing dust in Resolve and Fusion 09: Fixing with the Planar Tracker in Fusion 10: Tracking a matte painting 11: Restoring the background Software required DaVinci Resolve