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How would you grade this?


mercer
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I've been working with some of the new color tools in FCPX while practicing color grading and trying to lock down a look for my short film. So, I figured we haven't had one of these threads in a while... why not see what others might do with it.

Background: 5D Mark III with a modified Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 lens, shot wide open at ISO 100 with a variable ND. I processed the footage through Resolve to ProRes as BMDFilm.

 

 

Marina Foreground UnGraded.jpg

Marina Foreground Graded.jpg

And here's a tiff file of the uncorrected/ungraded shot...

 

Marina Foreground UnGraded.tiff

And while I'm at it, I'm hoping to get some advice... I have searched and searched online for an answer but I can't find what I'm looking for... So I edit with a MacBook Air. I calibrated the monitor to Rec709 using the computer's settings. I know I should get a real calibration tool, even though i don't even know if it would work with a MacBook Air? But I am finding that my images look decent in FCPX and on my laptop when I export the frame, but whenever I upload the file online, there's a discrepancy... mostly with contrast (the image gets darker) 

Now in FCPX, it states that it exports as Rec709, and I assume it should be sRGB for the web? I end up spending a bunch of time lightening the original file just to get the same representation I was seeing in FCPX... but even then it never looks the same. Any ideas? Pointers?

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Hi!

If i understand correctly, you are saying that there is a difference between the exported frame you upload and the one you see in FCPX.

I imported the ungraded tiff in FCPX and the image i see inside the program is identical to the one i see on my browser (safari).

Can you share the graded tiff also, to compare?

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@Stathman yes that is what I mean. I have to raise the midtones a ton to get the uploaded graded jpeg to look the way it looks in FCPX. I reverted it back to the original, but here is the tiff file and the jpeg if I were to leave it how I like it in FCPX... But to be honest, I don't love any of these grades any way... just messing around with the image.

Marina Foreground Graded.tiff

Marina Foreground Graded.jpg

And here's a screenshot of the image in FCPX...

 

Screen Shot 2018-02-20 at 6.08.09 PM.png

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I tried to reproduce the issue with no success.

The image i see in FCPX is identical with the one i see in Safari.

But i did realise this. The uploaded image is completely different when it is small. it's like you described it. Darker with more contrast maybe? When you click on it, it's ok.

Don't know why though... :)

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@kye This is what i was thinking also. 

I don't know nothing about the movie, story, scene etc.

Don't have a clue what feelings wanted to be expressed on this scene.

I was just playing... 

@mercer The 1st one is warmer and the 2nd is cooler. Combine them and you are at point 0 again. Just kidding :)  

Lovely frame btw. And what about this bokeh!

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30 minutes ago, kye said:

Surely if we were to attempt a grade, it would be helpful to know what kind of movie it is?  Rom-com vs psychological thriller might attract a different look surely! :)

Good point... it’s a supernatural thriller. Although I’d love to see your Rom-Com interpretation. 

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I like the lift of the shadows on the third one by @Stathman

Might not be brooding enough though... somebody remind me where the "Pensive" slider in resolve is again...

34 minutes ago, kye said:

Surely if we were to attempt a grade, it would be helpful to know what kind of movie it is?  Rom-com vs psychological thriller might attract a different look surely! :)

 

3 minutes ago, mercer said:

Good point... it’s a supernatural thriller. Although I’d love to see your Rom-Com interpretation. 

Just pointing out you missed the perfect opportunity to write, "And stop calling me Shirley!"

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30 minutes ago, Stathman said:

@kye This is what i was thinking also. 

I don't know nothing about the movie, story, scene etc.

Don't have a clue what feelings wanted to be expressed on this scene.

I was just playing... 

@mercer The 1st one is warmer and the 2nd is cooler. Combine them and you are at point 0 again. Just kidding :)  

Lovely frame btw. And what about this bokeh!

Haha, I like the cooler background, but I like your skin tone better than mine. 

Thanks, this FD lens is kind of annoying me... I’ve had some shots turn out great with it and others... meh. But it’s so cool to have an FD lens on an EF camera. I was surprised to see well well it matches EF lenses... not as sharp but the same color tonality. Here’s a couple more screen grabs from this lens and ML Raw...

7E1732ED-3BC5-4D5D-A4E6-A7F943A0FB48.jpeg

5B0DCAA5-C931-4843-8389-0D489D7F8CAD.jpeg

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I've had a bad headache tonight and messing around with this provided some nice distraction Glenn so thanks. 

In no particular order we have-

The quarter pounder with cheese:

Marina1.thumb.jpg.2301cbe72816677e595bf80353c0bf1d.jpg

 

Didley Scott:

5a8cdb1387caa_Marina90s.thumb.jpg.ce11aca6ce2cc0a2b13f7e08881afd03.jpg

 

Let's kick some ice:

marina_iceman2.thumb.jpg.a974acb0591d5d028a455756d5594227.jpg

 

My only attempt at subtle:

marina_cleanfilm2.thumb.jpg.fb35b7c63ffee4d48214619de5456d55.jpg

 

Mr Anderson:

marina_newneo2.thumb.jpg.37946d1859f900bb7d677f01d33ef2b2.jpg

 

Aaaaand finally, "Michael get-out-of-my-edit Bay"

marina_MBay.thumb.jpg.2f120612014ae1eed7526fec71df36e0.jpg

 

 

 

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Not spoiling anything, I asked for other attempts because I didn’t like what I was getting. But yeah, I think it’s flawed... maybe the lens... maybe because I exported the files out of Resolve as ProResLT... I don’t know. 

@webrunner5

4 minutes ago, Geoff CB said:

My attempt, It's what I would have for a thriller.

Resolve:
Basic Correction with dropped mids -> Resolve's Rec 709 fuji LUT at 25%  ->  Color and sharpening to face.

gradedotherproject_1_32.1.thumb.jpg.219526cb89dc308e2d35e33eecf791f3.jpg

You have the winner so far... so did you mask out the face and add sharpening?

Man I need to read a book on color correction/grading or take a workshop or something... I’ve been tinkering for far too long now. 

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