Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule?

Josh Bass · January 2nd, 2021, 09:31 AM

That sounds more like someone avoiding a root/fundamental problem by piddling with silly, less important stuff. They know they have a problem, they know it's a BIG problem, but rather than do the intimidating, arduous work of dealing with head on, they work on everything BUT it, deceiving themselves into thinking they're accomplishing something and sometimes willfully forgetting the root issue exists.

I'm sure there's a more succinct psychological term for it.

Brian Drysdale · January 2nd, 2021, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

Star Wars in 1977 being an early example of this type of digital grading.]

I suspect you're getting "Star Wars: Episode1 - The Phantom Menace" (1999) confused with the first Star Wars film, which in 1977 was before they had the technology for digital grading. Its big impact was the use of motion control for visual effects, which were shot on Vistavision cameras. The Episode 2 in the prequel films was shot using digital cameras, rather than film cameras.

Pete Cofrancesco · January 2nd, 2021, 10:43 AM

At this point probably only a psychologist could help.

Christopher Young · January 2nd, 2021, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

I suspect you're getting "Star Wars: Episode1 - The Phantom Menace" (1999) confused with the first Star Wars film, which in 1977 was before they had the technology for digital grading.

You are right. I should have been more precise. I was thinking of the digital re-mastering of the '77 film. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) seems to the first 100% digitally graded movie according to Codex. an interesting read!

Chris Young

https://codex.online/news/The-histor...l-intermediate

Ryan Elder · January 2nd, 2021, 02:18 PM

Well a lot of movies do color the backgrounds in post when they do not have control over the colors of the locations though and this is normal.

For example in this tutorial here that was shown before:

The walls are white, probably because the filmmakers couldn't paint the walls when shooting. So they color the walls in post, like in the tutorial.

And I know other things matter more like acting, but other movies will color grade in post as well, even if the acting is good. Coloring in post is normal, isn't it?

Josh Bass · January 2nd, 2021, 02:47 PM

So you don't think that, even though they couldn't PAINT the walls, they didn't purposefully choose the location knowing that the colors that were already there would work with their planned color scheme? As opposed to just settling for whatever location was available and hoping and praying and trying to force incompatible colors into their grading look?

Ryan Elder · January 2nd, 2021, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

While I enjoyed the color grading tutorials this actually seemed more relevant to the topic. Btw at 1:03 what is that camera? It looks like a consumer camcorder but I can’t imagine that they would use some low quality on a televised show.

Jokes aside, I once pressed him on why doesn’t he concentrate on getting the basics right. He said he’d rather spend time on areas he enjoys (color grading, sound effects, movie theory). I understand if you don’t have the money, ability or interest to get the fundamentals right the appeal of focusing your efforts elsewhere. This reminds me when I see old, beat up, inexpensive cars that have been modified with expensive low profile rims and a performance exhaust system. The owner of these cars can’t afford sports cars so this is the next best thing.

Maybe Ryan should have his actors put on orange makeup and wear teal outfits?

Well I don't think I would have to have the make up be orange. I thought just regular skin tone would be good, and I could have the outfits be blue, or one of the 3 colors I pick. But I don't think the skin tone should change, but I can ask a make up artist about that.

Brian Drysdale · January 2nd, 2021, 02:50 PM

How much grading that's done in post will depend on the type of production you're doing. Many films don't get involved in that much and many D,P.s don't like it because it's out of their hands,

The use of certain effects will depend on the fashions at a certain time, I suspect when you get to the stage of YouTube tutorials, that's when it's getting well past the time for creative film makers to move on.

Ryan Elder · January 2nd, 2021, 02:55 PM

Oh okay, but move one from what though? I thought that if you want the walls to be a different color than they are when shooting, that that will always be effective, no matter what the time period, isn't it?

Josh Bass · January 2nd, 2021, 03:10 PM

I think he's saying when a look is so omnipresent that there are tutorials on how to create it, a creative person, as opposed to a follower of trends, would search elsewhere for ideas...that look has reached saturation/become boring. It's like when parents started joining facebook, and that was the signal to the kids that facebook wasn't cool anymore.

Ryan Elder · January 2nd, 2021, 03:14 PM

Oh okay I see. But I didn't think I was going for a look that was out ot style. I was just wanting to learn how to recolor the walls, and color them blue perhaps, with red as the accent color for some things, if I choose a 3 color method. But is blue or red, really that much of a fad now?

Pete Cofrancesco · January 2nd, 2021, 03:46 PM

The purpose of color grading is to create mood not color walls. If you were serious about film making you should have long ago purchased an entry level cinema camera like the Pocket 4k and tested all this out for yourself. I'm not sure what you're asking because you were told you could use 8 bit but wouldn't get optimal results, you were shown a tutorial on how to improve qualifications... Like most things it's easy to learn the steps, the hard part is putting it into practice. If this wasn't the case we would become experts after watching a Youtube video. Heavy grading is fraught with all these issues you've run into. You'd be better off sticking to the most basic grades.

Brian Drysdale · January 2nd, 2021, 04:07 PM

Do what you want, no one is stopping you. Just be aware that you may run into limitations and issues that prevent you from having a consistent look.

Ryan Elder · January 2nd, 2021, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

Do what you want, no one is stopping you. Just be aware that you may run into limitations and issues that prevent you from having a consistent look.

Oh okay, how would the look be inconsistent, if I use the grading to try to make it consistent, such as coloring the walls the same color from shot to shot, for example?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

The purpose of color grading is to create mood not color walls. If you were serious about film making you should have long ago purchased an entry level cinema camera like the Pocket 4k and tested all this out for yourself. I'm not sure what you're asking because you were told you could use 8 bit but wouldn't get optimal results, you were shown a tutorial on how to improve qualifications... Like most things it's easy to learn the steps, the hard part is is putting it into practice. If this wasn't the case we would become experts after watching a Youtube video. Heavy grading is fraught with all these issues you've run into. You'd be better off sticking to the most basic grades.

But wouldn't coloring the walls a certain color create mood though? Everything I want to to do in the color grading is about creating mood.

Brian Drysdale · January 2nd, 2021, 05:07 PM

Because it's demanding to keep things consistent as the lighting varies and the characters move around a location.

There are lots of ways to create mood and there are colours other than blue that carry the mood of a seedy police station.

January 2nd, 2021, 09:31 AM	#31
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? That sounds more like someone avoiding a root/fundamental problem by piddling with silly, less important stuff. They know they have a problem, they know it's a BIG problem, but rather than do the intimidating, arduous work of dealing with head on, they work on everything BUT it, deceiving themselves into thinking they're accomplishing something and sometimes willfully forgetting the root issue exists. I'm sure there's a more succinct psychological term for it. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 2nd, 2021, 10:43 AM	#33
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,997	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? At this point probably only a psychologist could help.

January 2nd, 2021, 02:18 PM	#35
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? Well a lot of movies do color the backgrounds in post when they do not have control over the colors of the locations though and this is normal. For example in this tutorial here that was shown before: The secret to perfect qualifications in DaVinci Resolve! - YouTube The walls are white, probably because the filmmakers couldn't paint the walls when shooting. So they color the walls in post, like in the tutorial. And I know other things matter more like acting, but other movies will color grade in post as well, even if the acting is good. Coloring in post is normal, isn't it?

January 2nd, 2021, 02:47 PM	#36
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? So you don't think that, even though they couldn't PAINT the walls, they didn't purposefully choose the location knowing that the colors that were already there would work with their planned color scheme? As opposed to just settling for whatever location was available and hoping and praying and trying to force incompatible colors into their grading look? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 2nd, 2021, 02:50 PM	#38
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? How much grading that's done in post will depend on the type of production you're doing. Many films don't get involved in that much and many D,P.s don't like it because it's out of their hands, The use of certain effects will depend on the fashions at a certain time, I suspect when you get to the stage of YouTube tutorials, that's when it's getting well past the time for creative film makers to move on.

January 2nd, 2021, 02:55 PM	#39
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? Oh okay, but move one from what though? I thought that if you want the walls to be a different color than they are when shooting, that that will always be effective, no matter what the time period, isn't it?

January 2nd, 2021, 03:10 PM	#40
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? I think he's saying when a look is so omnipresent that there are tutorials on how to create it, a creative person, as opposed to a follower of trends, would search elsewhere for ideas...that look has reached saturation/become boring. It's like when parents started joining facebook, and that was the signal to the kids that facebook wasn't cool anymore. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 2nd, 2021, 03:14 PM	#41
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? Oh okay I see. But I didn't think I was going for a look that was out ot style. I was just wanting to learn how to recolor the walls, and color them blue perhaps, with red as the accent color for some things, if I choose a 3 color method. But is blue or red, really that much of a fad now?

January 2nd, 2021, 03:46 PM	#42
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,997	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? The purpose of color grading is to create mood not color walls. If you were serious about film making you should have long ago purchased an entry level cinema camera like the Pocket 4k and tested all this out for yourself. I'm not sure what you're asking because you were told you could use 8 bit but wouldn't get optimal results, you were shown a tutorial on how to improve qualifications... Like most things it's easy to learn the steps, the hard part is putting it into practice. If this wasn't the case we would become experts after watching a Youtube video. Heavy grading is fraught with all these issues you've run into. You'd be better off sticking to the most basic grades. Last edited by Pete Cofrancesco; January 2nd, 2021 at 04:44 PM.

January 2nd, 2021, 04:07 PM	#43
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? Do what you want, no one is stopping you. Just be aware that you may run into limitations and issues that prevent you from having a consistent look.

January 2nd, 2021, 05:07 PM	#45
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	Re: Do a lot of movies use this 3 color rule? Because it's demanding to keep things consistent as the lighting varies and the characters move around a location. There are lots of ways to create mood and there are colours other than blue that carry the mood of a seedy police station.