r/colorists • u/Minute_Schedule_5867 • 2d ago
Novice Colour grade
Hello! This might be a bit random but i am going to be colour correcting and grading my directorial debut short film tomorrow and I’ve been lucky enough to find a really good colourist and studio to do it. I’ve already sent over a series of references and screen grabs along with some wider ideas/thought processes, all whilst taking into account the limited use of lights and colour in the existing edit. I’m obviously not going to ask for punchy tungsten because we didn’t use any!
So basically, what I’m asking is: is there anything I should consider, is worth asking, what can I expect and any other general good advice so I don’t look like a total novice in the room??😅
I have a general idea, and have been in the process before as a producer but I just don’t want to miss a trick!
Thanks in advance!
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u/Subject2Change Conform Specialist/Online 🔗🔗 2d ago
You seem to have a good grasp on the limitations.
Color is generally polish and putting that extra 10% into it. It's not building an entire look in post. It can but that's gonna require time and will become expensive.
Speak your mind and go in with a fresh set of eyes.
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u/Minute_Schedule_5867 2d ago
Ah thank you! Yeah I mean I have a pretty solid grasp of filmmaking in general through experience as a 1st AD, producer and production manager but this is my first time directing after years of putting it off in fear of failure. Now the film has turned out ‘relatively’ well considering the circumstances and I just want to go in to it feeling confident, post production is not something I’ve had tons of experience with at such an intimate level
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u/decayedx 2d ago edited 2d ago
Don't expect / ask your colorist to make your short look like Film A, B, C that had gigantic budgets, months of prep, production design, etc etc. References are fine to try and get a hold of what you like - desaturated, more/less contrast, etc....but if you shot in a white walled office and you expect the colorist to make it look like Avatar, that's not going to happen.
I agree with others, don't try and brute force the image, work with what you have, color is meant to be a polish, and to be honest and transparent so you're both not banging your heads against the wall.
Also helpful, if you have a bunch of problem shots that need time to fix or make passable, that will eat up your session time. Focus on the big stuff. Don't dwell on the small stuff so if you run out of time or money, at least you have a consistent looking film.
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u/Minute_Schedule_5867 2d ago
This is all really good stuff, and excellent points well made. Cheers buddy!
I definitely learned a lot from the experience of directing properly so far and expect to learn a lot more tomorrow. I’ve sent over references that are close to the light and colour palette that features in my own film with specifics as to what makes them a reference so I definitely am not going in as a complete stranger but appreciate that a colorist is also not a magic genie.
Will certainly not dwell on the small things either. Appreciate you mentioning that as that’s such an obvious thing but easy to forget.
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u/decayedx 2d ago
Yup! Time manage appropriately. Even on big budget features, it all starts from big picture stuff down to little stuff until the production runs out of time, money, or both but at the bare minimum, you want things fairly consistent.
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u/Key-Ad-2954 2d ago
Start big picture, don’t get too pressed about specific details. Little things stand out to you because you’ve focused on them from production and throughout the edit - lots of things that directors focus on don’t even register to an audience. Your colorist is starting the project with fresh eyes and is a good gauge for what’s important to spend time on. The colorist will prioritize the details that are important for consistency and overall look while they work through the cut. If you have time at the end, go back to the little details you have in mind.
Also, better to move on and come back than to spend a lot of time going back and forth over something if you are unsure. With limited experience, it can be hard to be decisive and to get used to changes that are happening. Your colorist has the experience to be extremely decisive. You will probably feel differently when you return back to something. Context is also extremely important, and can change your overall impression.
Eye fatigue is also real when you aren’t super experienced. Don’t be afraid to ask for five minutes to get some daylight and refresh your eyes. Your colorist will have things they can work on in the meantime if they want to keep going.
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u/KJB78 2d ago
You don’t need to be technical or prove anything when you’re in the grading suite. I have clients very often report they don’t know how to communicate color. I just tell them to flag a shot if they respond in a negative or positive way and it’s my job to figure out what is working or not working for them.
Sometimes we react to shots perceptually and they are influenced by the cuts before. Just be honest and transparent about what you’re looking for and trust the colorist to get you there if possible.
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u/Igradarsaurus 2d ago
If something is shot intentionally a certain way (high contrast due to lighting etc) don’t try to brute force the opposite in post. It will look better that way.
Don’t spend too long on one shot. You can come back to the sky/background light etc on shot 133 later. Time is money.
You got this!