Desktop Color Correction - Extreme Examples from KERBEROS

Been a while since I posted... still working on the EX1 feature KERBEROS. Never said I was fast!

Here's a bit of specific information for working on your own projects, with a pretty extreme example of image manipulation that in my mind saves the scene (from KERBEROS - a digital feature shot on the EX1)

I constantly see examples of wonderfully lit and shot footage on these forums, and hats off to all who are 'doing'.

As people start moving into bigger and better camera (i.e. more expensive) like the EX3 and the iterations of the Red camera, just a quick reminder to keep pushing the 'post' processing and color grading for nearly all footage so as to maximize the story telling ability of whatever formats and cameras we shoot on. Rarely can the success or lack of success on a movie (short, feature, or music video) these days be attributed to the shortcomings of a camera.

Story, story, story... then acting, acting, and then the 'art' of the frame... (at least equal to if not more important than the image is sound) - but back to the footage...

I am posting a few shots from KERBEROS - before and after - presented at 50% size and compressed with a med quality jpeg setting. These are 'normal' shots - no effects or action. Shot on EX1 with stock lens in a variety of lighting situations - all certainly helped with some subtle and some not so subtle post - time consuming but worth it to my eye. I've tried to add a few basic notes and will get more detailed in subsequent pages.

Many (and maybe most) the time I am trying to make up for my mistakes or rushed shots - not everyone will have as many - but if I deleted all the mistakes, I wouldn't have a movie at all!

For those interested, here is a link to the graphics created for the title sequence - predominately footage from the film manipulated and composited using various transfer modes to control.

I feel the use of these processes is so vital to our filmmaking that it goes beyond post production and can inform our decisions on many steps in the planning, filming, and delivery.

If it helps, then feel free to repost, link, quote... knowledge belongs to those who can grasp it...

Basic Image Correction and Manipulation

A dozen more before and after examples...

Titles from Kely McClung's KERBEROS

I hope it helps! The entire KERBEROS site including the blogs are meant to help in any way they can...

back to making movies!

Kely McClung

Director's Bites

BLOOD TIES
KERBEROS

for those who want to see a bit more in motion, there are high rez clips on the website and of course even more on YouTube

hope it all helps!