Matching stocks digitally

[GeorgeSelinsky]

What exact means does a colorist use to get a certain look to a filmstock? Say you want a Kodachrome look to your Vision footage, what digital tools do you use, i.e. do you modify the curves for each color layer, or the "levels"? How about the gamma of each layer?

 

- G.

[David Mullen ASC]

Unless you shot a side-by-side test on color negative and Kodachrome so the colorist can do a split-screen and match the look of the negative to Kodachrome, it's rather subjective as to what a "Kodachrome" look is -- it's what you decide it is.

 

Definitely you'd be adding more contrast, which means playing with the gamma, crushing the blacks, etc. You may be adding more color saturation but actually Kodachrome is not overly saturated, not compared to modern E6 slide films like Fujichrome Velvia.

 

Why don't you shoot a Kodachrome slide and a frame of color negative in your 35mm still camera and scan them into your computer? I'm sure playing around on Photoshop trying to match them would teach you something about the image characteristics of Kodachrome.

 

However, I don't believe a perfect match would ever happen but it may be close enough for your purposes.

 

I always find it's best to speak to the colorist in specifics rather than conceptually, even though you can begin your session by describing a general aesthetic approach. After that though, it really comes down to specific color and contrast adjustments that you want.

[GeorgeSelinsky]

Why don't you shoot a Kodachrome slide and a frame of color negative in your 35mm still camera and scan them into your computer? I'm sure playing around on Photoshop trying to match them would teach you something about the image characteristics of Kodachrome.

That's actually a very good idea, thanks for the suggestion!

 

- G.

[Sam Wells]

One of the best ways I've seen to get a kind of "virtual filmstock" look in Telecine is the First Art Primal box, it's like a hardware plugin for Davinci or Pogle.

 

I took some 7274 negative & with the help of the colorist we were able to invent some imaginary reversal film stocks.... I think Kodachrome, with it's very specific properties would be tricky, but if you had a lot of time (and money :( to play with who knows ?

 

The Telecine of Dr. Moreau ? :D

 

-Sam

[GeorgeSelinsky]

the First Art Primal box, it's like a hardware plugin for Davinci or Pogle.

I'm wondering, what filter algorythms are used in such software plugins? I'm interested to know the technical means that they use to accoplish this, if possible.

 

- G.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Communication about "look" is what the Kodak Look Management System is all about:

 

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/...kManagerP.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/...throughsP.shtml

 

Some people call it the Kodak "PreVIEW" System on steroids, because it is so powerful. B)

[Sam Wells]

I'm wondering, what filter algorythms are used in such software plugins? I'm interested to know the technical means that they use to accoplish this, if possible.

 

- G.

I hope you're not asking me, I don't have the slightest idea.

 

-Sam

 

( The Spirit of Dr. Moreau has a better ring to it)