fun with grading....

[christopher witzke]

I'm on the final stretch of editing Peter Searcy's latest music video... was a blast to shoot and edit... but I'm having a bit of a hard time picking my color grading for it. I'm leaning toward "clean"... whatcha think?

http://www.chriswitzke.com/red/gradetest.mp4

 

[Graeme Nattress]

I like "Grade 3" especially on the light hitting the side of the guy's face. I'd be tempted to go with "clean", but I like the face in "Grade3" although I'd have gone warmer on the light. This is just thinking visually with the info as given - I don't know the context of the shot or what you're trying to say with it...

Graeme

 

[christopher witzke]

Thanks Graeme!

So... grade 3 with a bit of warmth added? I can do that. It's close to your own G-Film plus.

And... I'm thrilled to get a comment from the Wizard himself!

 

[Solomon Nero]

I like grading 2 and 6. I would say 2 with even a little cooler colors in the skin tone. I am biased I suppose because I like the film noir-desaturated kinda look. The only reason I would say that is because it seems like a stressful or depressed mood from the character. But thats just me! cool looks man!

 

[Joel J. Feigenbaum]

FWIW, Grade 2.

 

[Jonathan Stevenson]

3 or 4

 

[Vico Martin]

3 for sure! cool and filmic, nice work.

 

[Tony Bacak]

grade 5 and 6
because in the 2nd shot the light is not hitting his hair from behind ( wet look )
gives the edit a more continuing ambiente and feeling
best ones

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

3...with a touch of warmth in highlights on the second shot.

IMO...

 

[jake blackstone]

Regardless witch grade you decide to use, I'd widen the highlights desat. selection a bit and ease up a bit on the crashing the blacks.

 

[Louis Maddalena]

not knowing the context I like the way you are going with 6...

 

[Paul Hazlett]

not knowing the context I like the way you are going with 6...

very true, context would help here, but i like 3 or 6 depending.

 

[Richard Foster]

Color tones in 3, only a touch warmer and less crushing of blacks. Actually in some ways clean is the closest and warm a touch and put a bit of toe in the curve.

 

[christopher witzke]

clean is straight from a light grade in redcinex..... amazing!

Thanks folks!

 

[jimhare]

No matter what, I would stay away from grade 1 as it looks like you were trying to mask MiniDV footage by crushing it up.

I felt grade 3 was the most pleasing while still being edgy.

 

[Peter Matthes]

I like 3.

 

[christopher witzke]

3 it will be then.... Thanks all! Love you guys!

 

[Christopher Barrett]

Hey Christopher... just curious, did you lay any grain over this or am I just seeing a little high iso noise? I don't find it objectionable at all. Also wondering what iso you shot at?

In most of the grades the blacks feel a little over crushed to me. I'd like a little more 3/4 detail before the shadows drop off... a softer toe, but then I'm a total geek for shadow detail. Unless of course you're specifically choosing to heighten contrast to emphasize the mood of the moment... for me it makes the character a little more desperate and harder to emphasize with.

Nice stuff, Man!
CB

 

[Matt Sibley]

Christopher in my opinion grade 3 is the best as other chris said it could do with being a bit softer but only a tad softer. thats just my 2c, I think it looks vey cool!