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The Fellowship of the Ring (again) Grading Project 2006

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Ok guys, I know, I know... 4 book-cuts of LOTR are quite enough, but I just can't get rid of my urge to keep editing The Lord of The Rings! It's just too fun!

I present to you a new almost-going-to-start project called the "FOTR Grading Project"... my goal here (because I really do not like the filmmaker's flat coloring choices) is to create a great and NATURAL looking FOTR movie that sticks to the original film material as closely as possible.

Recently I was watching the old FOTR trailers, in wich the scenes weren't properly graded yet... and holy mackerel... those shots look ALOT more: cinematic, sharp, LOTR-ish, and rich! I thought Andrew Lesnie was a "meh" cinematographer because of all those flat colors and glows digitally added to the film, but when I saw the original ungraded footage, wow, that's alot more natural and textured! So, without further delay I'm starting to try to restore most of the film's colors as it used to be (and altering things to my liking) for this version...

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/7687/lotrtrailerfilmcompare1lf5.png

it's not confirmed wether this should be a new book-cut... but I strongly think so because my older FOTR book-cut is full of glitches and stuff of that nature.

Anyone happy about this?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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Never!! They are FREE FREE FREE! Hoo-hah! Apology accepted... charging for such things is evil...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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I don't care if these are the theatrical cuts, extended editions or truer-to-the-books cuts - I would love to see an FOTR set without all the overdone grading. Natural colors would be nice to see in these films. Are you doing just the one (FOTR), or all three?

To contact me outside the forum, for trades and such my email address is my OT.com username @gmail.com

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It depends on If I feel like it... but most definetly all three...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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Are you still doing a book cut re-edit for Return of the King to go with the other book cuts?
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Yay! I've already posted here multiple times about how much I hate the color grading in those films. So are all the clips in the trailers not graded?
I don't have a very advanced photo editing program but I gave a few images a try. Bottom are mine.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/248be54d6d.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/8943c06716.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/0206e6e979.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/582884b9b2.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

This needed more contrast.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/dfa503057f.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/c44c95c1d1.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/3e4e92a046.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/aa1b7732b7.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/e3e546a6bc.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/271d002406.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

More color and contrast. EE shot I think.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/ddb15e59e9.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/d7dc4cac47.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/ca6314205b.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/cd4a501392.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

What color is Gandalf the Grey's beard? Same as Tantive IV walls in '04 ANH.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/96e8cca2ff.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/0574019970.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

The blue cast isn't so bad for the snow, but it reduces contrast with the people.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/66b687fec6.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/5c62a63654.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/4d7981466d.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/3c52fa2944.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/bc6b370443.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/9215d293e8.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

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Originally posted by: chuck88
Are you still doing a book cut re-edit for Return of the King to go with the other book cuts?


I'm curious to know this as well. I was really looking forward to a book cut of ROTK.
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I don't know, but I do know that some the things I've already changed are this:

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/4192/lotrfotrgrad01qc1.jpg

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/2016/lotrfotrgrad02ir8.jpg

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/484/lotrfotrgrad03sh6.jpg

yeah exactly... the trailers ARE in color aren't they? I never noticed Saruman's window is Magenta/Green until I've seen that screencap... wow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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Lord Phillock, please tell me what program you are using to do redo the grading on these films. This looks fantasctic so far.


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Impressive! Im excited for this.
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Originally posted by: Marvolo
Lord Phillock, please tell me what program you are using to do redo the grading on these films. This looks fantasctic so far.

I use the good program called Vegas. It does many great and underrated things!

and thank you... I'm taking extra care in grading and editing of this... it will be extra special!


and another thing... here's something I've been DYING to KILL OFF! The yellow glow on the scenes at Rivendell!
So far so good... especially this shot... although it shows a lot of grain like this... I'll try to fix it.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/1034/lotrfotrgrad05tl1.jpg

also, do not be fooled. It may look great on that small picture... but if shown in full screen... it gets quite ugly... so I'll have
to work out something... don't worry!

Originally posted by: chuck88
Are you still doing a book cut re-edit for Return of the King to go with the other book cuts?


I did a ROTK book-cut... and I found out that it's in terrible form. Some sloppy editing and some scenes that are off-sound and some shots that
are really ugly in terms of pixel-quality. I'll do it again... but if you really want it, I might go up and leave them at demonoid sometime.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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Originally posted by: Lord Phillock
Originally posted by: Marvolo
Lord Phillock, please tell me what program you are using to do redo the grading on these films. This looks fantasctic so far.


I use the good program called Vegas. It does many great and underrated things!

and thank you... I'm taking extra care in grading and editing of this... it will be extra special!



I have Vegas but I have never tried anything like color grading, maybe I should. Also, that Rivendell shot looks soooo much better!


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I have Vegas too (version 4). I'm surprised it took me so long to discover the Color Balance video fx, that is very helpful for fixing something that's too far one color.
That Rivendell shot has always bothered me. One of the trailers has it ungraded. If it was grainy before, it's going to look grainy now. Unless your correction is introducing the grain. I know heavily using the Chroma Key did that for me. Or it could be that the compression is just more noticeable without everything being the same color.
I assume you're using the video from the Extended Edition as 2 discs makes it much less compressed.
Galadriel looks like a ghost in the last official shot.
Here's another photo edit.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/8bade0e66b.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

I found a few behind the scenes photos.
http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/c43219a7b6.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/20814d28e8.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/4820c86a48.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/b4d2922bd4.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/1a45374328.jpg[url=http://www.uploadfile.info][/url]

Most if not all are from a site called Fantasy Planet. Not sure what language it's in, I found them on a "lotr trailers" google image search.

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

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Here are some new updates on what's being graded and done so far.... I'm about 50% done grading everything... and the reason it's happening so slow is because I'm not necessarily grading things twenty four seven, however, if that was true, I'd be done and you'd be able to enjoy graded goodness! But not at the moment...

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1020/lotrfotrgrad06ck1.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7979/lotrfotrgrad08im0.jpg

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/1460/lotrfotrgrad09qy4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Lord_Phillock/starwarssig.png

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Thos pictures are alot sharper looking especially the one of Frodo.


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Nice.

I actually like the idea of whqat they did with the colours but they did go too far causing some nice details to be hidden and also cause a flat look. I've become quite interested in this project having seen these.
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I was never able to grab the book cuts in the first place, so I am really looking forward to this. I actually really liked the first LOTR movie, the pacing, the music, the setting.... a nearly perfect movie, except for that arwen nonsense (I hadn't read the books, but I could tell this was Hollywood). 2 & 3 had their moments, but they kinda lost the feeling for me. But I'd be excited to see them edited closer to the books and graded properly.

Phillock, is there any chance of you doing Pay-In-Forward to Germany, when you are done?
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I found a site that compared the Pal & NTSC versions. It also mentioned around the middle of the page that some of the color was retimed. (that's the same thing as grading, just an older way, right?)
http://videophile.info/Review/FOTR/FOTR_01.htm
I hope the behind the scenes photos I posted were helpful to you. I found a few more but I posted the ones from scenes that were most heavily graded, especially Elrond in the flashback sequence.

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

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I too liked the look generally of (at least) FOTR. I'll need to see the others again. This is, though, an eye-opening look. The exterior shot of Rivendell particularly is amazing to see what was done. I will say this, though: I saw the extended FOTR today for the first time, as well as seeing FOTR in widescreen for the first time, and I think the Arwen/Aragorn bridge shot is absolutely gorgeous. I don't know if you're planning to mess with that or not, and I'll still be interested in seeing it, but I do think that is one of the most effective places where it seems they may have tinkered with the look a bit. It's just wonderful. I'm interested to see where this goes.
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