Project pitch
Colorgrading of a 5 episodes webseries (each episode is about 10-15mn), shot in Guadeloupe, promoting Slk Blaze’s next album. The story retraces his motorcycle accident, his healing process and his will to fulfil his dream of being an artist.
Creative brief : « I’m looking for a cinematic look, intense colors, heavy film texture – grain, halation. » « There will be different ambiances for each sequence. »
Reference images & moodboards :
A meticulous project prep
Finessing my workflow rather than rushing the initial steps is key to avoiding major flaws in my process, in the middle of a grading session ! I give as much importance to the building blocks of my grade than the final product. I try to keep in mind that, if the project was handed to another professional (it may be an editor, an assistant colorist…), everything should be crystal clear.
Based on the initial client brief and several exchanges to get a better grasp of the project, I receive the files for color and all needed technical informations I might need (cameras used, log profiles, file resolution…).
We both work on Da Vinci Resolve, which ensures a simplified process. My starting point is always project prep : I take the time to watch the project in detail, identifying which camera was used for each scene, setup the groups within the project file (each camera has its own dedicated group). This is the time where I pick a working colorspace and stick to it. After several tests, I chose Da Vinci Wide Gamut Intermediate, which ensures all clips, regardless of their original camera space, are converted to this common colorspace, before being compressed to the display space (here, Rec709 gamma 2.4 which is the web standard).
A futureproof process
The use of this working colorspace ensures the project is futureproof, meaning it only takes the flip of a switch at the end of the process to change the output colorspace : it’s easier to convert a project to HDR, DCI-P3 (theaters), Dolby Vision, etc…
Thus, each camera group is converted from its input camera colorspace to the intermediate/working colorspace, and then compressed down to the display space. All colorgrading is done in between those two transforms.
The look dev : a crucial step
Once the project is fully prepped, it’s time to enter the look dev process, which consists in creating a global look at the macro level which will translate through all shots, regardless of their input camera space, of the sequence or the episode. This ensures harmony , especially with the custom tone curve (contrast curve) which will be applied to the whole piece.
his is also the step where I build my custom palette for the whole grade. I like to use ShowLUTs as my base, which is built by professional color scientists and offers a solid starting point. I picked a LUT that serves the purpose of the story, keeping the creative brief in mind : it introduces split-toning, subtle hue shifts, color density and a nice contrast curve. It’s important to test the look dev on a great variety of shots and scenes to ensure that the base creative grade works on all shots, to avoid having to adjust every single shot.
Next step : Texture. A grade is not only composed of contrast, exposure and color adjustments : texture also has a great impact on the image, especially in this case where the client specifically requested a film look. In close collaboration with Emmanuel, I added 35mm grain and halation. The use of a ProMist filter on set ensured nice blooming highlights right off camera, and soft edges. It’s important to be mindful of the original clips and for that reason, no further work on softening was necessary.
It’s crucial for the colorist to be part of the production process as early as possible, so that he/she can provide insight to the camera crew and anticipate any challenges they may face while shooting. For this project, the care and love put into the project by Emmanuel and his team translates through the original camera footage making it already quite flattering. My role here is to take it to the next level while being mindful of preserving the DP/director’s original intent
Once the global look is set, I create multiple variations of the first look in the form of a lookbook, which contains all different versions created for the said project. This lookbook is then sent to the client as a split-screen view as well as individual HQ stills, so that he/she can pick one of the looks for approval of the final look.
From macro to micro-level adjustments
Once one of the looks is approved, I move on to the individual grade of each shot, which will receive a series of tweaks. These are happening before the look dev, on the clip level, to ensure the look DNA is the very last layer that comes on top of any prior adjustment.
The node tree order is as follows : Conversion of camera original files from their camera colorspace to the intermediate colorspace > shot-level adjustments > revisions/notes asked by Emmanuel (if applicable) > look development > conversion from intermediate colorspace to output colorspace.
At this stage of the project, the main goal is to color correct each shot and create a sense of harmony throughout the whole piece. My workflow is quite simple and is composed of 4 nodes on the clip level : Exposure, contrast (ratio), balance and a node dedicated to HSL curves or any secondary adjustment needed. This node base is common to all shots, but there might be additional nodes for specific shots. We used specific effects for some scenes, for example in episode 2, there is a flashback scene in which Emmanuel wanted a more dreamy look, as in a memory. We tested out a few options and ended up using the « bloom » effect from Dehancer, one of the film emulation plugin I often use.
I then move to shotmatching. My main goal, at this stage, is to create flow and harmony through the whole piece, making sure each sequence, scene and shot match and that nothing stands out. Shotmatching is especially important when several cameras are used on set (in this case, a mix of Sony, Panasonic and drone footage). Drone shots for example needed specific treatment to make them match better with the higher-end cameras. Shotmatching is used to erase any unwanted inconsistencies throughout scenes, cameras and shots, and even sometimes within the same clip whereas lighting or color temperature may have changed on set. At the end, the colorist’s job has to be as transparent and organic as possible, to ensure the viewer doesn’t « feel » the grade.
A collaborative process throughout the whole project
The colorist is here to serve the creative intent of the director and should never impose his/her perspective. Thus, Emmanuel gets to approve each step of the process until we reach the final version. On the other hand, the colorist can share ideas and provide technical insight on what’s doable or not, based on the source material he/she receives. I always make sure each project is experienced as a true collaborative process where communication and benevolence are core concepts in my work ethic.
We made the choice to stay in touch all along the project and establish a day-by-day summary, based on what has been done, what’s next and any challenges I may have encountered on the grade. This ensures we don’t loose track of what’s left to do and that we’re never running out of schedule.
Once my first pass is done, I send V1 for each episode to Emmanuel, as a project file he can open on his side. From there, we review anything that could be improved or changed. Emmanuel can then provide me with a list of revisions and we go through them one by one to discuss and find the best way to achieve those. The core idea at this stage of the grade is to find the broadest, most efficient and less complex adjustment to get the result we’re aiming for.
We proceed this way until final approval, which is given by Emmanuel.
