A number of clients have handed me projects over the past few months that have involved A LOT of prep work to get them into the DaVinci Resolve system here at the Color Suite. So... I've finally made a "how to" video on getting your finished Final Cut Sequence ready for Resolve. Prepping a project for color correction in DaVinci Resolve involves making your project "EDL" compliant. What's an EDL you might ask? Good Question. Check out this video and take a look!
Also, check out the official Basher Films Final Cut Pro Project Prep Specs in the previous post below (or click here).
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Official Basher Films Final Cut Pro Sequence Prep Specs for Color Correction
Here they are, the official Final Cut Pro project Prep Specifications for Basher Films. I've included a link below to download the PDF directly as well. Take a look, as these specs will greatly aid in getting your FCP project smoothly in to DaVinci Resolve quickly and easily (saving you TIME and MONEY, and me a HEADACHE).
Official Basher Films Final Cut Pro Spec Sheet PDF: http://www.basherfilms.com/pdfs/Basher_FCP_Project_Prep_Specs_2011_PDF.pdf (right click and "save as" or "save target" to download)
Also be sure to check out the "how to" video made by yours truly, found here: http://www.vimeo.com/19235313
COLOR CORRECTION PREP SPEC SHEET FOR FINAL CUT PRO PROJECTS
1. BACKUP YOUR PROJECT - Please make a backup copy of your original final project and your final sequence and keep it somewhere safe (as in don’t bring it to basher films!).
2. CONSOLIDATE VIDEO TRACKS TO A SINGLE TRACK USING - Take your new copied project and/or sequence and consolidate all your video tracks down to 1 VIDEO TRACK with any extra media such as stills, VFX shots, text generators, etc, on TRACK 2. Please be sure that all your master media for color correction is consolidated down to these two tracks as it greatly aids in preparing your sequence for color correction. (if you’ve used superimposition effects or have layered video effects you may leave those on Track 2 if consolidation down to 1 track is prohibitive). Please be sure that you’re final sequence is “EDL compatible” and uses CUTS AND DISSOLVES ONLY (try to change any opacity transitions to cross dissolves as those translate better for color correction). Please see a “how to” video for this process made by Chris at: http://www.vimeo.com/19235313.
3. NOTE ALL FILTER EFFECTS , SPEED CHANGES, AND STILLS - Please make a not of any shots that have a Final Cut Pro video filter on them (including simple size changes, etc) as well as shots with any speed changes or still images. Ideally these shots would be re-export as consolidated quicktime files by using the “export – quicktime movie” command and then bringing the new “flattened quicktime back in to the final cut sequence and replacing them in to track 01. Regardless, any shots that are not re-exported in this fashion must be made known to Basher Films.
4. TRANSFER PROJECT TO EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE - Please take this new consolidated sequence and all its referred media and transfer to an external hard drive (NO USB DRIVES PLEASE, either firewire 400/800, or ESATA) for delivery to Basher Films. Please refer to the media manager instructions in step 5 for instructions on how to do this.
5. USE THE “MEDIA MANAGER” FUNCTION - Please use the “MEDIA MANAGER” function in Final Cut Pro to media manage your final sequence (and only your final sequence) to an external hard drive (please do not use USB hard drives as they are notoriously slow, firewire 400, firewire 800, or ESATA will work much better). Select “copy media”, use 2 second handles for your clips, and direct all the new files to the external hard drive.
6. DOUBLE CHECK MEDIA ON DRIVE - Please double check and make sure that the new project and the project files are both located on the external hard drive that you will be bringing to Basher Films and that all the relevant media is linked to them.
Official Basher Films Final Cut Pro Spec Sheet PDF: http://www.basherfilms.com/pdfs/Basher_FCP_Project_Prep_Specs_2011_PDF.pdf (right click and "save as" or "save target" to download)
Also be sure to check out the "how to" video made by yours truly, found here: http://www.vimeo.com/19235313
COLOR CORRECTION PREP SPEC SHEET FOR FINAL CUT PRO PROJECTS
1. BACKUP YOUR PROJECT - Please make a backup copy of your original final project and your final sequence and keep it somewhere safe (as in don’t bring it to basher films!).
2. CONSOLIDATE VIDEO TRACKS TO A SINGLE TRACK USING - Take your new copied project and/or sequence and consolidate all your video tracks down to 1 VIDEO TRACK with any extra media such as stills, VFX shots, text generators, etc, on TRACK 2. Please be sure that all your master media for color correction is consolidated down to these two tracks as it greatly aids in preparing your sequence for color correction. (if you’ve used superimposition effects or have layered video effects you may leave those on Track 2 if consolidation down to 1 track is prohibitive). Please be sure that you’re final sequence is “EDL compatible” and uses CUTS AND DISSOLVES ONLY (try to change any opacity transitions to cross dissolves as those translate better for color correction). Please see a “how to” video for this process made by Chris at: http://www.vimeo.com/19235313.
3. NOTE ALL FILTER EFFECTS , SPEED CHANGES, AND STILLS - Please make a not of any shots that have a Final Cut Pro video filter on them (including simple size changes, etc) as well as shots with any speed changes or still images. Ideally these shots would be re-export as consolidated quicktime files by using the “export – quicktime movie” command and then bringing the new “flattened quicktime back in to the final cut sequence and replacing them in to track 01. Regardless, any shots that are not re-exported in this fashion must be made known to Basher Films.
4. TRANSFER PROJECT TO EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE - Please take this new consolidated sequence and all its referred media and transfer to an external hard drive (NO USB DRIVES PLEASE, either firewire 400/800, or ESATA) for delivery to Basher Films. Please refer to the media manager instructions in step 5 for instructions on how to do this.
5. USE THE “MEDIA MANAGER” FUNCTION - Please use the “MEDIA MANAGER” function in Final Cut Pro to media manage your final sequence (and only your final sequence) to an external hard drive (please do not use USB hard drives as they are notoriously slow, firewire 400, firewire 800, or ESATA will work much better). Select “copy media”, use 2 second handles for your clips, and direct all the new files to the external hard drive.
6. DOUBLE CHECK MEDIA ON DRIVE - Please double check and make sure that the new project and the project files are both located on the external hard drive that you will be bringing to Basher Films and that all the relevant media is linked to them.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Anatomy of a Grade - Episode 04 - The Ring Halloween Spoof for DisneyLiving.com
Here it is Episode #4 of Anatomy of a Grade! In this episode I take a look at an online Halloween commercial I recently graded for DisneyLiving.com. The spot was part of a series of 3 others that spoofed famous scenes from Horror Films (namely, The Ring, The Shining, and The Sixth Sense). Shot on the red camera, the original footage had a very neutral look to it and it had to be severely altered to achieve the blue/green high contrast look of The Ring that has become synonymous with the film. Below you can check out the webisode, as well as all three Disney Living Halloween Spots. These were a blast to work on, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Anatomy of a Grade - Episode 3 - Correcting Underexposure with RED RAW
Very proud to announce episode 3 of The Anatomy of a Grade Web Series. This episode takes a look at a shot from the feature film "Trail of Blood" directed by Justin and Joseph Guerreri, shot by DP Collin Brink and executive produced by Gremlins Director Joe Dante. This shot was done at the end of the day with fading sunlight, but is supposed to look like it was done at midday with much brighter light levels and warmer tones. Using the power of the raw RED .r3d files we were able to dramatically change the look of this shot and make a seemingly unusable image work well for the film. Take a look!
Also check out the Trail of Blood website at http://trailofbloodmovie.com where you can find out more about the film and view the trailer.
Also check out the Trail of Blood website at http://trailofbloodmovie.com where you can find out more about the film and view the trailer.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Anatomy of a Grade - Episode 02 - Skin Tone Correction
Episode #2 of Anatomy of a Grade is up. In this episode we look at a cosmetic color correction from the short film "A Crossroad Called Manzanar" where an actors skin tone doesn't match the "look" we've set for the film. After a bit of primary and secondary correction (along with a bit of tracking) we're able to achieve some subtle yet substantial results! Take a look.
Again, you can check out more from a "Crossroad Called Manzanar" at http://www.acrossroadcalledmanzanar.com
More Anatomy of a Grade videos are on the way! Subscribe to the vimeo channel to be alerted to new ones when they're added at: http://vimeo.com/channels/138648
Again, you can check out more from a "Crossroad Called Manzanar" at http://www.acrossroadcalledmanzanar.com
More Anatomy of a Grade videos are on the way! Subscribe to the vimeo channel to be alerted to new ones when they're added at: http://vimeo.com/channels/138648
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Anatomy of a Grade - Episode 01 - A Crossroad Called Manzanar
Well its finally here, Basher Films is proud to announce the "Anatomy of a Grade" web series! In this series we take a look at some of the tools, steps, and decision making strategies behind the color correction process. These videos are intended to give directors, producers, cinematographers, students, and even fellow colorists alike some insights into the often nefarious world of color correction and what's possible in the color suite. This is by no means a "tutorial" on how to color correct, instead this series focuses on specific examples from Basher Films current and past projects to illuminate techniques and strategies of color correction and break down the various steps that are combined to make a "color grade."
Episode 01 looks at a shot from the short film "A Crossroad Called Manzanar" directed by Cindy Fang and shot by cinemtographer Jay Visit. This short narrative period piece (shot on RED) takes a look at the Japanese internment on the west coast during WWII through the eyes of two young girls.
In the first episode we look at a particular shot that needed some signficant primary and secondary correction to achieve a "warm, late-day, sunset look."
If you liked what you see here you can check out and subscribe to future webisodes on the vimeo "Anatomy of a Grade" channel found here: http://vimeo.com/channels/138648
Also to learn more and check out the trailer for "A Crossroad Called Manzanar" visit the film's web page at: http://www.acrossroadcalledmanzanar.com/
Episode 01 looks at a shot from the short film "A Crossroad Called Manzanar" directed by Cindy Fang and shot by cinemtographer Jay Visit. This short narrative period piece (shot on RED) takes a look at the Japanese internment on the west coast during WWII through the eyes of two young girls.
In the first episode we look at a particular shot that needed some signficant primary and secondary correction to achieve a "warm, late-day, sunset look."
If you liked what you see here you can check out and subscribe to future webisodes on the vimeo "Anatomy of a Grade" channel found here: http://vimeo.com/channels/138648
Also to learn more and check out the trailer for "A Crossroad Called Manzanar" visit the film's web page at: http://www.acrossroadcalledmanzanar.com/
"Finding God in the City of Angels" wins Audience Award at Urban World
Proud to announce that the documentary "Finding God in the City of Angels," which was color corrected at Basher Films, (and involved a bit of DP work by Chris Hall as well) won the audience award at the Urban World Film Festival in NY City last month. Congrats to directors Jennifer Jessum and Simon Joseph! You can check out the trailer here:
And check out the review published in the Huffington Post!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-nusbaumer/from-black-panthers-to-fi_b_733530.html
To learn more about the film check out the "Finding God in the City of Angels" Website: http://www.findinggodinthecityofangels.com
And check out the review published in the Huffington Post!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-nusbaumer/from-black-panthers-to-fi_b_733530.html
To learn more about the film check out the "Finding God in the City of Angels" Website: http://www.findinggodinthecityofangels.com
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Chris Hall Color Demo Reel 2010
Well its finally up, the Chris Hall demo reel is now online at vimeo. Check it out:
Chris Hall Color Correction Reel 2010 from Chris Hall on Vimeo.
Color Correction Reel for 2010. Projects include RED and HD footage, and were all finished and conformed in 2K and/or 1080P. Please visit http://www.chrishallcolor.com for more info.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Basher Films Color Correction Blog
Well it only took me 3 years, but finally I joined the 21st century and started a blog! Hopefully I can keep it up to date with projects, comments, updates, etc and give Basher Films a bit of home on the net! I feel so stuck in the 90's... who'd ever heard of blog in '98... I still had aol on my computer for heavens sake!
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