Uncertain as to the use of ChromaDuMonde in a scene with non-white light

[John Stamets]

How does using a ChromaDuMonde help if you are shooting a scene with stylized lighting (say moonlight, or a fiery scene)? Any tonal changes in the scene lighting would shift the chart, so how does shooting it help? Do you shoot the chart with 5600 or something prior to shooting the scene to "calibrate" the shot? Haven't had the requisite epiphany yet. My background is lighting design for the stage, so I understand color theory, just not how it translates into a camera/workflow.

Any insight would be much appreciated.

Thanks

John

 

[Christopher Mills]

Within this review
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?54918-DSC-Charts-REDCAM-BOOK-REVIEW
is the note from Graeme that the chart should be lit in the same way that the talent is lit.
It provides you a full set of reference information for later grading.

 

[Nick Gardner]

That is true if you are going for a neutral look, and you want the colors on the chart reproduced accurately. If you were shooting say a fire light scene, you would shoot your chip chart under 3200 degree light. You would set a light just for the chart, shoot the chart, then remove the chart light and shoot your scene. If you shot the chart under the same lighting as the fire light scene, the guy making the dailies or the colorist would time out your nice warm fire effect and it would just be normal white light. Likewise, if you are going for a blue moonlight effect, with HMIs, or gelled tungsten, shot the chart under 3200 degree light, or they will time out the blue.

When NOT shooting for an effect, and looking to faithfully match color, shot chart under the same lights as the talent.

Nick

 

[John Stamets]

Thanks for the info - it was useful.
Ok. I follow the logic for matching multiple angles or multiple cameras - you have a consistent measure. But I still am fuzzy on how the colorist uses the chart within a stylized scene. My limited understanding of grading is that the colorists first step is to correct the image, much as you might flatten a room in audio prior to sweetening the sound. So, if the colorist pops open the scopes and makes everything go where they are supposed to, wouldn't that "undo" all the lighting? For example, would all the fire in the scene be corrected back to white?

 

[John Stamets]

That is true if you are going for a neutral look, and you want the colors on the chart reproduced accurately. If you were shooting say a fire light scene, you would shoot your chip chart under 3200 degree light. You would set a light just for the chart, shoot the chart, then remove the chart light and shoot your scene. If you shot the chart under the same lighting as the fire light scene, the guy making the dailies or the colorist would time out your nice warm fire effect and it would just be normal white light. Likewise, if you are going for a blue moonlight effect, with HMIs, or gelled tungsten, shot the chart under 3200 degree light, or they will time out the blue.

When NOT shooting for an effect, and looking to faithfully match color, shot chart under the same lights as the talent.

Nick

Thanks! Getting clearer!
Our posts crossed. Do you mean shoot 5600 to avoid timing out the blue?

 

[Nick Gardner]

Well if you were shoting 3200, with HMIs, or gelled tungsten, then it would look blue. If you shot the same thing at 5600 it would look white. So if you are going for the blue, shot the chart under 3200 degree light, and then when they time for that, it will look blue, as intended.
Nick

 

[John Stamets]

Well if you were shoting 3200, with HMIs, or gelled tungsten, then it would look blue. If you shot the same thing at 5600 it would look white. So if you are going for the blue, shot the chart under 3200 degree light, and then when they time for that, it will look blue, as intended.
Nick

Ah, got it. Thanks!

 

[Nick Gardner]

No problem. Now if I can figure out how to type Shoot instead of shot I will be all set ;-)