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4k77 - shot by shot color grading (a WIP) — Page 12

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That looks freaking amazing Dre! 😄

Correct me if I’m wrong but I assume you’ll be colour correcting the full non-DNR versions of the 4K projects which someone can then make DNR versions from if they want?

Val

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Valheru_84 said:

That looks freaking amazing Dre! 😄

Correct me if I’m wrong but I assume you’ll be colour correcting the full non-DNR versions of the 4K projects which someone can then make DNR versions from if they want?

Val

Yes, indeed!

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 (Edited)

While working on new shots for the shot by shot regrade of 4k77, I often discover that some shots are too dark, or otherwise wonky, and you end up re-evaluating the shots you believed were finished:

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I know you didn’t post a 4K version of your Single Reel Correction 4k77, but when your shot for shot color correction comes out, could you please release it in 4K as well as 1080p?

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Danfun128 said:

I know you didn’t post a 4K version of your Single Reel Correction 4k77, but when your shot for shot color correction comes out, could you please release it in 4K as well as 1080p?

That is the plan.

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So excited to finally see this when you’re finished! DrDre, you and this project are one of the reasons I made an account here to begin with, the efforts are yielding results only matched by Mike Verta!

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Looks splendid! As others have said, very excited for this! Great work DrDre!

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 (Edited)

I’m creating a similar set of previews for 4k77 that I did for 4k83, such that those interested can get a better idea of how the color grading will look across the entire film. Here are the first six shots:

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DrDre said:

I’m creating a similar set of previews for 4k77 that I did for 4k83, such that those interested can get a better idea of how the color grading will look across the entire film. Here are the first six shots:

You could probably say it’s a little too warm, but I love that about it.

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I really like your overall results, Dre.

But I’m also wondering how Luke’s collar got so pink in Docking Bay 94. Not necessarily from color correction, but what conspiracy of lighting and fabric could do that? Or maybe he just wore a pink shirt that day.

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Now that you mention it Catbus there does seem to be a noticeable shift to an overall pink tone felt in the images and you can see the white cloth Han is holding in that same shot has a slightly pink hue to it.

Overall the samples look great even though there is a subtle but noticeable pink cast to it all.

Val

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Valheru_84 said:

Now that you mention it Catbus there does seem to be a noticeable shift to an overall pink tone felt in the images and you can see the white cloth Han is holding in that same shot has a slightly pink hue to it.

Overall the samples look great even though there is a subtle but noticeable pink cast to it all.

Val

I don’t see any pink cast in the other frames, but the pink in the docking bay shot stems from the bluray:

As Neverar noted, it’s pretty easy to get rid off. I’ll adjust it for the next batches of frames.

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 (Edited)

If this thread is about color correcting 4K77, why are you using the Bluray as your source? I mean, I understand that once it’s corrected you’ll match 4K77 to it, but isn’t that extra work - having to deal with the magenta instead of just adjusting the actual target colors?

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Williarob said:

If this thread is about color correcting 4K77, why are you using the Bluray as your source? I mean, I understand that once it’s corrected you’ll match 4K77 to it, but isn’t that extra work - having to deal with the magenta instead of just adjusting the actual target colors?

That’s why I’m actually not that worried about the magenta, because it won’t show up for 4k77 anyway. The reason I’m using the bluray is 3-fold:

  1. I don’t have access right now to the 4k77 for a few days.
  2. At this stage I’m simply creating reference frames, so it doesn’t really matter what source I’m using.
  3. I will also be using these reference frames to correct the bluray (preferably using Neverar’s color grading as a source), and so I want to also see where the challenges are for those frames, since if the bluray can be done, 4k77 will be a peace of cake.
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Here’s an update of those shots:

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Everything looks very yellow/orange now, and too much blue has been taken out of the image. It just doesn’t look right…

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 (Edited)

hairy_hen said:

Everything looks very yellow/orange now, and too much blue has been taken out of the image. It just doesn’t look right…

The technicolor print is very yellow and warm in its tones. All the technicolor frames I have confirm this, as do the color calibrated photos Mike Verta shared of a projected technicolor print.

Some of my frames:

Three of the Mike Verta photos:

So, although the colors might take some getting used to, I believe they are quite accurate.

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Hal 9000 said:

DrDre, have you ever put out a rudimentary color corrected version of the BluRay?

No, I haven’t. 😉

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Didn’t Mike Verta say that the Tantive walls were very white but with a hint of mint? The photo makes them appear very yellow.

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Turisu said:

Didn’t Mike Verta say that the Tantive walls were very white but with a hint of mint? The photo makes them appear very yellow.

The early shots on Tantive IV are generally warmer than the later ones, and the hint of mint is subtle, but noticable.

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 (Edited)

Yes, I know. I’m in favor of a warm look for the movie, because that’s what the prints looked like. You’ll recall that when people tried to take the yellow out of the cantina scene, I argued against doing that, because it was obviously put there on purpose, and getting rid of it would defeat the intentions of those who made the film in the first place. But in your more recent screenshots, a good deal more blue and green have been removed from the image than appears justifiable. It makes everything look strangely lifeless.

It is important to be wary of overcorrecting. It is inevitable that when trying to reverse a problem with a source, it will always end up going too far in the opposite direction at first. Everyone was always trying to take the blue out of the DVD/Bluray versions – and then when unfaded film sources finally became available, it turns out the movies tended to be a lot more blue than anyone realized. And I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve worked on audio sources with excessive high end, and found myself turning the treble down to try to balance them, only to overdo it and end up with a muffled and muddy sounding result. It is only after taking a step back and listening again later with fresh ears that I could hear how I’d messed it up in the opposite way, and then find a balance in between the extremes.

I believe you’re on the right track with the warm look and the overall color scheme, but I would advise caution so that you don’t overdo it. An image can appear warm without having cooler colors taken out of it so extremely. Be careful that you don’t make the picture appear lifeless in the name of chasing accuracy, that’s all I’m saying.

Editing to add: I keep forgetting that the shots you’re posting are Bluray-sourced, and not from the film print. The general crappiness of that source may be enough to explain why they look ‘off’ to me, and applying similar colors to the print source directly will probably be better. But my advice about overcorrecting is valid in pretty much all situations.

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has anyone taken a shot at rendering a preview of their regrade as a .gifv, so we can see what the color correction looks like in motion (without having to render a FHD oR UHD mp4 preview, etC)?

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DrDre said:

Valheru_84 said:

Now that you mention it Catbus there does seem to be a noticeable shift to an overall pink tone felt in the images and you can see the white cloth Han is holding in that same shot has a slightly pink hue to it.

Overall the samples look great even though there is a subtle but noticeable pink cast to it all.

Val

I don’t see any pink cast in the other frames, but the pink in the docking bay shot stems from the bluray:

Maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me after staring at the frame mentioned by Catbus, probably not helped by some magenta in the window glare behind Obiwan’s head, and a magenta-ish section of the paneling to the right of Motti’s head and therefore I assumed it was affecting all the frames:

In your corrected frame Han’s cloth now looks white but Luke’s collar still seems pinkish, maybe it was just the lighting on set that day with the collar reflecting some pink light?

Val