Why Color Correct?
Patrick Inhofer
Why?
It’s a question so simple. so fundamental that if you can’t answer it – you don’t really understand the subject.
So when I’m asked, ‘Why should I color correct?’ a big grin comes across my face. It’s my opening.
It means the person asking that question is open to the idea of color grading… even though they don’t immediately see a problem with their images. But it’s important that I have an answer at the ready.
But if you struggle with the answer to Why, read on.
The image looks fine, so why bother?
What isn’t immediately obvious to our ‘un-intiated’ clients is that a shot / scene can be graded in a multitude of different ways.
What elements in an image are important?
And which can be ignored?
It’s a fundamental question the audience asks itself after every edit point. Color correction is how visual storytellers provide that answer—and depending on if you’re selling a soft drink or in the middle of a horror-thriller, the same shot will be graded very very differently.
Answering the question, Why?
Making the case is a GREAT blog post from Charles-Etienne Pascal in Montreal on his website, ISeeHue.com.
In a blog post title, ‘Grading Wide Shots’, Chuck evaluates the challenges of grading wide shots when compared to close-ups. He offers sage advice on how to deal with this trickiest of shots. He uses several examples from a few different types of projects and lets you in on what a colorist is thinking while grading.
If you struggle with answering the question of Why Color Correct? Absorb what Chuck has to say – not only will he give you some good color grading tips, these are great talking points.
