Color Correction Styles Across Today’s Film Restorations (1 Viewer)

[Konstantinos]

An interesting article on tealing and yellowing of contemporary restorations of films.

Seeing Eye to Eye: Color Correction Styles Across Today’s Film Restorations | Filmmaker Magazine

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[david hare]

I have real problems with this piece. The writer is finally covering a subject that has been up to now a scandal, but he seems to convey the sense that the people doing these appalling color gradings at Eclair and Bologna are really doing a wonderful job, and are only limited by things like deteriorating positive answer prints or general lack of elements etc. That's funny because every other post house and grading facility in the world seems to to readily able to easily find one means and another to determine correct and faithful as possible color grading, density, saturation and correct white and black levels. In France for instance Hiventy never has a problem in reproducing Eastman stock printing from the 60s to 90s, as does Digimage. Elsewhere every American and British post house doesn't have these problems, nor Prasad in India. Pity the author doesn't simply acknowledge it's the egos of a handful of people sitting at the desks and directing the techs to apply these outrageous LUTs. It really is a scandal.

 

[Robert Harris]

I have real problems with this piece. The writer is finally covering a subject that has been up to now a scandal, but he seems to convey the sense that the people doing these appalling color gradings at Eclair and Bologna are really doing a wonderful job, and are only limited by things like deteriorating positive answer prints or general lack of elements etc. That's funny because every other post house and grading facility in the world seems to to readily able to easily find one means and another to determine correct and faithful as possible color grading, density, saturation and correct white and black levels. In France for instance Hiventy never has a problem in reproducing Eastman stock printing from the 60s to 90s, as does Digimage. Elsewhere every American and British post house doesn't have these problems, nor Prasad in India. Pity the author doesn't simply acknowledge it's the egos of a handful of people sitting at the desks and directing the techs to apply these outrageous LUTs. It really is a scandal.

I found the piece odd, and in some ways confusing, as I’ve never had a problem with any facility with whom I’ve worked toward matching my selected reference on a shot-by-shot basis. I’ve been fortunate to work with superb colorists and other technicians, and with their help, we’ve always found a way to get where we needed to be.

One overriding take-away sounds as though projects are ending up in the hands of colorists who have their own styles and base desires.

It’s all about the original film, which doesn’t lie.

It should not be about the individual leading the restoration, or any archivist or colorist. It’s simply about precisely reproducing the appearance of an original approved release print as a DCP or video master. Same color. Same black and white levels. Same grain structure.