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There is a lot of interest these days in post color-correction in photography to simulate vintage photography, cross-processing, bleach bypass, split tones, etc.

In addition, movies get a lot of attention from colorists who color grade them to create a mood. One trendy look that's been going on for years is the orange skin / cyan shadows look described in this video, Creating a Summer Blockbuster Film Look

One part of what makes Alex Roman's The Third and the Seventh look so great, in addition to his patience and eye, is his post color grading.

How much of your Maxwell work is straight out of the renderer, and to what extent do you do additional post work to create the final look?

For my work, 75% of the work is maxwell and 25% is post.. Although that 25% is what really makes the image REALLY look good. That Post process work is really the most important part of the process, IMO. The rendering is just giving you a canvas to work woith.

are there any good tutorial / sites / movies / books / theory? that explain some of the insider tricks. I usualy get stuck at jerking the levels around and sharpening the whole bunch.

Bige wrote:are there any good tutorial / sites / movies / books / theory? that explain some of the insider tricks. I usualy get stuck at jerking the levels around and sharpening the whole bunch.

On one level, there's the psychology of color. I just orderd this book some people recommended
If It's Purple Someone's Gonna Die

As far as color grading techniques go, from what I've seen a few things are in effect:

1) Independent hues, often complementary hues, between brights and darks in the image, using luminosity masks.
2) Affecting neutrals more than areas with chroma through the use of (inverse) saturation masks.
3) Specifically protecting one hue more than others from being affected -- often the skin tones.
4) Sometimes lowering saturation in the brights using luminosity masks.
5) Sometimes increasing saturation in the duller colors without blowing out the already saturated colors using saturation masks.

Hi,
Is "Post" always done in AfterEffect like Alex Roman did?
AfterEffect is so expensive, is there any cheaper technique to give a bit of life to the movie?
In the "third and the seven" what looked so nice were the difference in focus, was this all done in post?
Is there a software that allows that?
Also the trees/leaves were moving was this post?Is it possible on Maxwell?
Thanks

I'm not sure if there is a cheaper option than After Effects. I haven't really looked for one, though.

arthurmani wrote:Hi,
Is "Post" always done in AfterEffect like Alex Roman did?
AfterEffect is so expensive, is there any cheaper technique to give a bit of life to the movie?
In the "third and the seven" what looked so nice were the difference in focus, was this all done in post?
Is there a software that allows that?
Also the trees/leaves were moving was this post?Is it possible on Maxwell?
Thanks

I believe I remember reading that in the "third and the seven" that there was a specific plugin or program used for the DOF. I'm not 100% sure about that though.

thanks jfrancis,

i will give it a go when doing some more colorfull works, recently i'm more into black and white. But a full B&W presentation with one eye popping color render would be nice..

I think he used Frischluft Lenscare or Magic Bullet Looks, and I think both have a plugin for Photoshop.
I don't think the trees motion is post, there's a wireframe of one of his scenes (Tado Ando one) somewhere, and it seems he used animated proxies.

Bige wrote:thanks jfrancis,

i will give it a go when doing some more colorfull works, recently i'm more into black and white. But a full B&W presentation with one eye popping color render would be nice..

If you chose very subtle colors, the 'Duotone, Tritone, and Quadtone Images in Photoshop ' function can make some interesting and sophisticated looking 'black and white' images.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/photoshop/toning.htm

http://www.communities.hp.com/online/bl ... oshop.aspx

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutor ... tone.shtml

Lady Gaga - new 'Alejandro' video definitely in the 'green/cyan' camp -- with the very low end blue before heading off into black.

Other colors, particularly red, cooled somewhat, but generally preserved.

http://www.youtube.com/v/niqrrmev4mA
nsfw, probably

Motiva RealCamera is good free tool too.
http://www.motivacg.com/recursos/realca ... ni_en.html

sandykoufax wrote:Motiva RealCamera is good free tool too.
http://www.motivacg.com/recursos/realca ... ni_en.html

awesome; thanks!

my mustang video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZkl7XzXX5A was color graded using Magic Bullet (many of the shots using the Blockbuster film look)

Leonardo wrote:my mustang video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZkl7XzXX5A was color graded using Magic Bullet (many of the shots using the Blockbuster film look)

You mean THIS Magic Bullet?