Should I try to talk this director into doing this differently?

[Ryan Elder]

I don't like to come off like I am judging or criticizing another director I am working for, I just want to make the best product I can for them, when I say this. I was hired to be a colorist on a web series project, and it's a good paying job so far. However, the director wants me to color grade it all on a cellphone. I can't use a computer because all their computers are being used by other people in the crew. And they do not want me putting the footage on my own computer.

So therefore, they supply the computer the footage is on for me to grade, but instead of providing me a computer they give me a cellphone to do it all on. I just find grading tough to do on a small screen and hard for me to use a cellphone keypad to do it as opposed to a computer keyboard and mouse.

I told them this, but the director really wants me to do it on a phone. I didn't get the producers take on it, but felt it's not my place to ask them, and just stick with working with the director, but what do you think? Should I try to convince them more that a computer would work a lot better for this? Or is a cellphone adequate and just do what they want even if it's more difficult that way?

[Donald McPherson]

Walk away. Even I know it's impossible to colour grade on a phone. And this far to late for an April fool.

[Paul R Johnson]

Real people doing this job spend LOTS of money on accurate monitors - the kind I certainly don't have or could remotely justify. I can't believe these people are so clueless as to pay money for something that is pointless. They sound like they know job roles and use the jargon but clearly have no clue whatsoever what a colonist does. The are suffering from paranoia too - they wan t you to work for them but are so protective about the material they won't allow it to be on anything other than a phone. What kind of phone can store the length of a movie in 1080, let alone higher qualities - a movie length feature will be giga bites of storage and that won't fit on a phone. The image can't be displayed on a phone at realistic or accurate colours - phones simply do not have the capabilities, and even more - will the popular colonists software run on a phone?

Sometimes Ryan you nee to learn to stop taking people at face value - because working with idiots like these just confuses you more. I do know that if I was offered a colourist's role, I'd not take it because I know little about it, other than I'm not good.

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

Real people doing this job spend LOTS of money on accurate monitors - the kind I certainly don't have or could remotely justify. I can't believe these people are so clueless as to pay money for something that is pointless. They sound like they know job roles and use the jargon but clearly have no clue whatsoever what a colonist does. The are suffering from paranoia too - they wan t you to work for them but are so protective about the material they won't allow it to be on anything other than a phone. What kind of phone can store the length of a movie in 1080, let alone higher qualities - a movie length feature will be giga bites of storage and that won't fit on a phone. The image can't be displayed on a phone at realistic or accurate colours - phones simply do not have the capabilities, and even more - will the popular colonists software run on a phone?

Sometimes Ryan you nee to learn to stop taking people at face value - because working with idiots like these just confuses you more. I do know that if I was offered a colourist's role, I'd not take it because I know little about it, other than I'm not good.

Yeah the entire movie is not stored on a phone at once, I just take edited clips and color them a few at a time. But yes they do not know a lot about filmmaking, and hired others who know more to help, but they do not want to take my advice, if it means getting me a keyboard and monitor. I had one the first two days, they just changed their mind on the third day and have to have someone else use that one, for the last few days now, and me with the phone.

[Brian Drysdale]

You can't grade on a phone.

If they can't operate in professional manner you walk away. You're the one who'll get the blame if they get criticism because of poor colour correction. As Paul says, the colour correction software won't work on a phone so you just have to tell them.

There are some productions that are worth struggling with basic kit, but this is less than basic.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, but I am on a signed contract, and it's a paying job, and because of covid, I do like having a job where I am making money at the moment. But I see your point.

In the industry if a person is blamed for bad color, for example, or even bad cinematography, do the people who are blamed ever say they were just giving the director what they asked for, or is it not good to say that? I could also go over the director's head in a sense, and go to the producer and voice the concern and show the producer a side by side comparison, of the first days when I had a proper coloring suite, compared to the last few days of the cellphone, and show the first two days were much better, as it will be obvious, unless I should not do that?

[Paul R Johnson]

This is like taking a live sound job and being handed a megaphone instead of a PA system, or a camera job and being handed a twenty year old Sony 8mm. If they have gone to the trouble of issuing contracts - then asking for the correct tools to do the job is contractually sound - the contract presumably gives the job title - so ask for appropriate equipment to protect your reputation.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Ryan Elder

In the industry if a person is blamed for bad color, for example, or even bad cinematography, do the people who are blamed ever say they were just giving the director what they asked for, or is it not good to say that? I could also go over the director's head in a sense, and go to the producer and voice the concern and show the producer a side by side comparison, of the first days when I had a proper coloring suite, compared to the last few days of the cellphone, and show the first two days were much better, as it will be obvious, unless I should not do that?

Giving what the director what he wants visually or stylistically is different to being told to use a tool which is totally inappropriate and is slowing you down. Using a phone as a camera is different to using it as a post production tool. Yes, you can do it, but it's a pain.

Given the tools now available at pretty low cost for remote editing, there's no reason to be using a phone for colour correction..

If the director won't listen, you should discuss the matter with the producer, because it's going to affect their schedule.


.

[Donald McPherson]

You could go to the Director. Oh wait. You are the director?
"For a feature film, I feel that I cannot direct the entire thing myself and that I need another director to direct some of it. I was advised before not to have a co-director because it's a bad idea, but is can I have some sort of second in command director, or I am I stuck directing the entire movie myself, and that's the best way to go?"

[Brian Drysdale]

To be fair, this appears to be different to the feature film. This involves other people, although, it does seem to have the same bottom end issues.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh yes, I am working for another director and producer.

[Greg Miller]

On a cellphone?! Are these people for real? Is your question for real?

Perhaps the director is intentionally making the job miserable in an effort to get you to break your contract. Maybe he wants to be rid of you, but for legal reasons he doesn't want to be the one to break the contract.

Others have advised you to get yourself out of this mess, and that seems to be a good idea ... if there are no bad repercussions.

Before you signed the contract, did you have your attorney review the language? Maybe now would be a good time to do that.

[John Nantz]

It may be possible to view the editing application on a monitor or TV screen with the use of an adapter for the smart phone. For the iPhone there is a nifty HDMI adapter called “Apple Lightning to Digital AV adapter” that should be available locally, either for an iPhone or the type that you’re using. Connect it to your existing monitor and there’d be a lot more area to work with.

Then get a keyboard to work with the phone to use the keyboard shortcuts with the application, then you’re almost there (like working on a computer).

[Keith Rollinson]

Originally Posted by Ryan Elder

I don't like to come off like I am judging or criticizing another director I am working for, I just want to make the best product I can for them, when I say this. I was hired to be a colorist on a web series project, and it's a good paying job so far. However, the director wants me to color grade it all on a cellphone. I can't use a computer because all their computers are being used by other people in the crew. And they do not want me putting the footage on my own computer.

So therefore, they supply the computer the footage is on for me to grade, but instead of providing me a computer they give me a cellphone to do it all on. I just find grading tough to do on a small screen and hard for me to use a cellphone keypad to do it as opposed to a computer keyboard and mouse.

I told them this, but the director really wants me to do it on a phone. I didn't get the producers take on it, but felt it's not my place to ask them, and just stick with working with the director, but what do you think? Should I try to convince them more that a computer would work a lot better for this? Or is a cellphone adequate and just do what they want even if it's more difficult that way?

I think you are pulling our legs - no one in even 3% of their right mind would ever suggest CC on a phone. Absurd! Or perhaps you are relaying a bad dream you've had - but this cannot be for real.

[Josh Bass]

It’s real.

Source: see EVERY OTHER RYAN THREAD