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Color Correct: Avid Symphony vs. DaVinci?


Ben Hayflick

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Hi,

 

> Now for a potentially silly question: How can I tell if the monitors have been properly

> calibrated?

 

That's actually very tricky. In a DI kind of situation you could have a colour management facility like Truelight, which involves a probe on the monitor and sundry clever mathematics. Thereafter, a filmout projected in a properly set up facility will closely resemble what you saw on screen.

 

The problem with calibration for video output is that almost never will it actually look like what you did in the real world, because domestic TV sets are often very poorly set up. At best you're aiming to put the image in the middle of the "acceptable" range so that it looks reasonable on the largest possible number of TV sets. A decent monitor - there's a general calibration procedure for black and white points, colour purity and other basics - set up with the usual colour bar techniques is more or less all you can do, then keep an eye on the scopes to ensure what you're doing is in the middle of the "acceptable" range.

 

Phil

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Hi again,

 

If you are going to a professional company who do use their symphony / FCP to grade, then you can expect them to have their monitors calibrated (within reason). As Phil mentioned, ultimately what your grade looks like is very dependent on how the home viewer has set their contrast and color settings. I raised the point of cailibration because all those at home with a mac who "can color grade because they have color controls" often aren't really using suitable monitors.

 

Why not ask your operator for a reel showing what he has graded? If they say "erm - he hasn't got one", then hes probably working somewhere that doesn't grade much outside of telecine. In this case, head for DaVinci.

 

All of our "online / compositors" have grading reels for this purpose because it is very common here in London to be grading outside of telecine. More to the point is that people are after "looks" (styles) that often aren't entirely achievable in telecine alone because they involve more than just colour changes.

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