Bad Boys 2

Sean Azze · July 16, 2005

Bad Boys has a look to it where the colors are so saturated (I believe thats the corect terminology) It has a distinguishing look. Anyone whose seen it knows what I'm talking about.

My question - how did they achieve that? Does that have something to do with a digital intermediate? Or the processing? Does lighting have anything to do with achieving that look?

Thanks

Sean Azze · July 20, 2005

I take it no one knows what I'm talking about.

Nevermind...

David Mullen ASC · July 20, 2005

Well, I was hoping Greg Irwin would show up and take a crack at answering it first, since he was the 1st Assistant Cameraperson on it. He used to post here.

Since there weren't any AC articles on it, I can only guess.

But it appears to be a combination of high-contrast, colorful lighting enhanced by digital color-correction (therefore a D.I. for the theatrical.) It was shot in Super-35 and cropped & blown-up (again, probably digitally) to 35mm anamorphic for release; Michael Bay's previous feature, "Pearl Harbor", was shot in 35mm anamorphic.

The look is mainly the result of the lighting -- just look at "Armageddon", which didn't do a D.I. but has a similar look -- but enhanced, augmented in the digital color-correction. For interior scenes, it's easier to just light for that effect, but for day exteriors, digital color-correction can help you continue that high-contrast, saturated, "slide film" look.

They may have used some 200 ASA stock for interiors instead of 500 ASA, when there was enough light, but I don't know for sure.