How to Prepare A Film Trailer For Color Correction

How to Prepare A Film Trailer For Color Correction

December 3, 2013

Learn how a professional colorist evaluates a project (film trailer) before a single shot is color corrected - a critical step for smooth sessions.


Series

Day 3: 20 Insights in 20 Days Holiday Marathon

Prepping a Film Trailer for Color Correction

As I kick off this series of color correction tutorials – featuring the newest tools in DaVinci Resolve 10 – it’s very tempting to dive directly into color correcting! After all, that’s why you’re here at MixingLight.com, right? Right.

Well, I’m here to say, “Not so fast, laddie!” If you want a smooth color correction experience – especially if you have clients sitting with you – then I have some advice to offer:

One of the most important parts of color grading any project is assessing the edit and collaborating with the director or producer to highlight any major issues or challenged with the project. In this Insight I cover the issues and notes from the director on my fake trailer.

Are you working with mixed codecs or frame rates ?

Once critical aspect of evaluating a project is to determine the makeup of the source material. As I run through this fake film trailer you’ll notice the varied mix of codecs and cameras we’re using. I quickly realize, one of the critical steps I need to take is to prepare my Red Dragon footage for a more responsive color correction session. If I don’t do this with my RED footage, my color grading session is likely to become an exercise in frustration. And if I have a client sitting in with me, my frustration will show – and they’ll get upset as well.

Check out the video to find out more about evaluating projects BEFORE color correction begins!

– Dan

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Comments

Homepage Forums How to Prepare A Film Trailer For Color Correction


  • Remco Hekker
    Member

    Hi Dan, Thanks for another interesting series. I can’t wait to see the preview of the trailer. Unfortunately both video’s on this page load as the “before the grade” video.


  • Dan Moran
    Guest

    Hey Remco,

    Sorry about that! Just fixed that for you so hopefully its all good now!

    D


  • Remco Hekker
    Member

    LOL that was great!
    can’t wait for the rest of the insights.

    Thanks for the quick response.


  • clay
    Guest

    not seeing the list of links to the footage?


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    I’ve emailed Dan to have him update this page with those links. Sorry about that!


  • Dan Moran
    Guest

    HI Clay, I’d added the links for the footage available online just below the video. Enjoy!


  • Guest
    Guest

    thanks. Where is the bridge footage? I don’t see that in the links


  • Guest
    Guest

    thanks. I don’t see the opening shot/bridge footage?

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