5 top tips to getting the grade you want




Generally speaking, a grade session can be broken down into two distinct parts - managing the people involved and managing the grade itself. As colourists, we know that unless both of these criteria are satisfied, it is likely that the client will walk away from the project unhappy and not return to us with the next job. The first step is to manage the people who would be involved in the grading process. Most importantly, colourists would speak to the principle stakeholders involved in the production, whether it be a film or TV show. This would typically be the director of photography (DOP), director and producer in order to get a feel for the project and a good understanding of their creative vision. It's vital to involve these people as close to the beginning of the grading process as possible to ensure that the project will run smoothly.

To clearly articulate what the client is expecting the grade to look like, the colourists must be able to access how realistic their expectations are. To do this, usually several creative briefings or meetings are scheduled to plan the grading requirements but nowadays almost nothing is impossible in the post production world, given sufficient time and investment. Usually clients will almost have a complete idea of what they want and it will be the colourists' job to make that vision a reality. A key tip to remember is to always remain positive with clients, even when you are saying no to them. This can be achieved by suggesting a different approach or methodology as this will lead them in a more appropriate direction as trying to move them from their main goal or vision can often fall on deaf ears.

Needless to say, most grading jobs will fall somewhere between where the client will have a strong idea about what they want and where the colourist has made suggestions to take the lead on the look of the film. Colourists must understand their clients and work together to achieve the ultimate goal of a perfect grade. Having understood the client and the job, it's time to move on to the grade itself and managing time scales is the key to success. For most jobs resources are limited, therefore it is important to use the allotted time appropriately. There is no point having a perfectly graded first five minutes, if the subsequent 85 minutes are patchy and mismatched due to bad time management. The client may be looking for a stylised look but it is really important as a colourist to get well-balanced images first, before adding the technical elements. A very moody or dark look may be very appealing to the client but when working with footage that includes actors, their features can be lost which can forfeit the purpose and drama of the whole production. Below are five top tips to remember when grading: 1. Don't try to run before you walk when it comes to grading techniques 2. Be very wary of presets and 'looks' which will depend on the client's vision 3. Know the camera and let the photography do its job 4. Keep the grading simple before reaching for the bells and whistles 5. Remember that consistency is key A last piece of advice would be to refresh yourself when working on a grade. This means coming out of the grade environment periodically to give your eyes a break. When you return, you can revaluate your work and this will give an indication as to whether you're on the right track and following the clients creative vision.

Tags: iss121 | grading | top tips | Tom Russell

Contributing Author Tom Russell

Read this article in the tv-bay digital magazine

Article Copyright tv-bay limited. All trademarks recognised.
Reproduction of the content strictly prohibited without written consent.

Related Interviews

Davinci Resolve 14 with Fairlight from Blackmagic Design at NAB 2017
Digital Vision on BroadcastShow LIVE at IBC 2013
Cintel at IBC2011
Image Systems at IBC2011

Related Shows

Bubble and Squeak: Live and Loud from Monday at IBC 2013

Articles

Your two week editing future

So here we are - January again! Usually a good time to reflect on the year just gone by, and a good time to look forward to the coming months as the new year begins.

When I was reflecting on my 2018, and when thinking about what to write for my first article for Kit Plus - I kept coming back to one theme - organisation.

Contributing Author Alex Macleod

Click to read or download PDF

The making of The Heist

Shine TV has never been one to shy away from a challenge, be that in terms of using new technologies, filming ideas or overall formats: we pride ourselves on being ambitious and risk-takers.

Contributing Author Tom Hutchings

Click to read or download PDF

21st Century Technology for 20th Century Content

A big challenge facing owners of legacy content is rationalising and archiving their tape and film-based media in cost effective and efficient ways, whilst also adding value. Normally the result of this is to find a low cost means of digitising the content – usually leaving them with a bunch of assets on HDD. But then what? How can content owners have their cake and eat it?

Contributing Author James Hall

Click to read or download PDF

Grading BBC Sounds

The BBC has launched its new personalised music, radio and podcast app with a campaign that follows one listener’s journey from meeting Kylie Minogue in a lift to Idris Elba on a bus.

BBC Sounds offers a single home for the BBC’s thousands of hours of audio content, including live and on-demand shows and special music mixes curated by artists.

BBC Creative, the broadcaster’s in-house creative division, took the brief to agency Riff Raff Films and Megaforce directing duo of Charles Brisgand and Raphaël Rodriguez who in turn brought on board regular collaborators Time Based Arts.

Contributing Author Simone Grattarola

Click to read or download PDF

Switching to Internet Based Distribution

"An IP status check for the broadcast industry", "Resistance is futile", "IP points the way forward for the broadcast industry"...

Yes, we've read the headlines too. But rather than force you into submission, scare you, or leave you feeling like you have no other choice, we want to give you the information that helps you to make a sensible decision about Internet-based distribution.

So what’s stopping you from making the switch right now?