If you don't know, these two 1986 French films comprise one story, which revolves around a disasterous scheme of two farmers to steal their neighbor's land in 1930's Provence. Sounds simple, but they're really amazing films, with classic performances from some fo the best French actors of our time.
Sadly, they've never received a proper DVD treatment, least of all in the U.S. The subtitles paraphrase at best and mangle at worst., and the recent R1 release, while anamorphic and crisp, has an awful color grade. If the various editions were compiled, given a top-notch translation, and color-corrected, it could really be something. So that's my project, in a nutshell.
I'm a graphic designer with a good grasp of color theory. Is it feasible that if I purchased Vegas I could apply some simple color-correcting to these movies? Is this the kind of thing someone could tackle with a little bit of help from you guys? All I want to do is tone down a golden cast throughout the film.
Old R1 release:
New R1 release:
My Photoshop approximation of what I want:
The top print is too grainy and washed out. The new print looks great, good clarity, except for a heavy emphasis on reds and yellows. It gives the whole film a gold look which does suit the languid and old-fashioned feel of the movies, but it's a bit much. In the carnation blossoms seen all throughout the movies, the reds are blooming in the worst way - pun intended. I'd like to make the color wash a bit more subtle, which is what I've tried to do with the third image. It approximates the more natural look I'm going for while still hanging on to the most subtle skew toward the warmer tones.
If you visit http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare/jeandeflorette.htm you can see what I'm talking about. Scroll down until you hit the comparison screen caps.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated!