This is the first of a two-part discussion I had with Richard Muller. He is a DIT based in Germany now, but like me started out in South Africa. He has a wealth of experience from working on shows like: Chappie, Avengers, Dark, Tribes of Europa , 1899, and more recently The Phoenician Scheme, where he was a virtual production supervisor.We discuss the role of the Digital Imaging Technician and what in involves and also some testing he is doing with film and video acquisition combined with virtual studios. We discuss the quirks of various markets regarding the DIT.Richard’s Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3415527/We discuss:(00:00) - Intro.
(00:53) - Richard intro.
(01:35) - Interview starts.
(01:02:40) - Working in South Africa and abroad.
(05:38) - Solutions for jobs.
(07:12) - Starting out.
(09:11) - Film vs digital exposure guidelines.
(10:25) - Post production experience.
(13:51) - Early digital cameras.
(15:47) - Is the role of the DIT easily defined?
(16:21) - Read the fucking manual.
(17:25) - LED walls, a complex color management task.
(22:26) - LED wall calibration.
(23:49) - Shooting tests on film.
(29:03) - Film scanners.
(32:33) - Color management and approaches to HDR.
(37:54) - Watching exposure.
(42:22) - Onset dailies grading.
(46:20) - Effect of a show LUT on production.
(52:32) - The many tasks of a DIT.
(56:47) - Backups and data security.
(01:02:58) - Q-take operator rather than DIT in Germany.
(01:08:17) - Cost saving of a DIT.
(01:09:50) - Reality shows and concerts.
(01:12:33) - Misconceptions about DIT’s.
(01:15:23) - Is the DIT part of the camera department?
(01:16:56) - Confidence booster.
(01:17:44) - Color pipeline collaboration.
(01:19:02) - Makeup artists.
(01:22:08) - The look of Dark.
(01:23:32) - Daniele’s look design talk for Filmlight.
(01:25:48) - Difficulty of grading on set.
(01:27:40) - Show LUT options and LUT’s of lore.
(01:29:48) - Outro.
(01:31:05) - End.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
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1:31:06
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1:31:06
Interview with Menno Dreischor
In this episode I interview Menno Dreischor, a chemical engineer based in Amsterdam. His company TIPb offers engineering solutions for a wide range of industries. Menno’s interest in film led him to develop an algorithm to help with restoring the faded color on old film scans. It analyses the pixel distribution of a supplied source and target image and generates a matching LUT. It is currently in a beta testing phase and has many potential applications from restoration, shot matching and creative look design. He also has a second algorithm that tries to predict the aspects of an image that will induce visual cognition effects such as simultaneous contrast, assimilation and others effects. In the interview we discuss both projects and their potential applications.Menno’s Color matching examples:https://www.youtube.com/@colormatchinghubWe discuss:(00:00) - Intro.
(00:53) - Menno introduction.
(02:51) - Interview starts.
(04:08) - Background in chemistry.
(05:29) - Connection to film.
(06:09) - Unofficial Star Wars restoration.
(08:46) - Matlab.
(10:25) - Drug analyzer.
(13:49) - Color Matching Project.
(15:30) - The matching process.
(16:45) - Histogram matching.
(21:12) - Theoretical basis.
(27:38) - Link to look design parameters.
(31:15) - Does it use machine learning?
(32:52) - Parameterization.
(40:54) - Entropy.
(48:26) - Open-source vs closed source.
(56:29) - Integration into current workflows.
(01:07:01) - Will this tool help or hinder creativity?
(01:13:34) - Over emphasis on matching.
(01:15:14) - Need for test footage.
(01:19:51) - Matching examples.
(01:31:39) - Visual cognition introduction.
(01:32:25) - The significance of cognition.
(01:33:47) - Does it affect the matching project?
(01:37:10) - How was it implemented?
(01:38:50) - Kernel based approach.
(01:40:50) - Assimilation's relation to resolution.
(01:42:21) - Visual cognition as a summary.
(01:47:14) - Matching is always done in context.
(01:48:46) - Uses of the cognition algorithm.
(01:53:41) - Discussion about compression and noise.
(01:55:41) - Screwball ideas on streaming.
(01:57:29) - Wrap up.
(01:59:58) - Outro.
(02:00:25) - End.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
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2:00:27
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2:00:27
Interview with Akiyoshi Kitaoka
In this episode I relate a written interview I had with Dr. Akiyoshi Kitaoka, a Professor of Psychology based in Japan. He does research on visual perception and makes visual illusions. His work embodies a fascinating combination of creative and technical aspects. I’d recommend viewing this episode on YouTube rather than as an audio podcast as there are many visual demonstrations.Color Mentor is on YouTube or your favorite podcast provider.Dr. Kitaoka’s website:https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/index-e.htmlWe discuss:(00:00) - Intro.
(00:53) - Introduction to Dr. Kitaoka.
(03:45) - His teachers.
(05:32) - His research.
(07:37) - Color space visualizations.
(10:33) - HCV Color model.
(15:51) - Chromostereopsis.
(16:59) - Reproducibility.
(17:34) - Ostwald color model.
(20:19) - Screen printing.
(22:10) - Color mixing.
(23:22) - Screen printing project.
(29:08) - Color constancy.
(30:55) - Monge.
(33:45) - Reduced gamuts.
(35:53) - Histogram manipulations.
(37:25) - Image creation.
(39:28) - Vection.
(41:17) - Illusory colors.
(44:31) - Translucency and transparency.
(46:18) - Maxwell's spot.
(48:17) - Additive and subtractive systems.
(01:00:18) - Pixel grids.
(01:04:39) - Faces.
(01:09:26) - Plans for the future.
(01:09:58) - Treasures on his website.
(01:12:17) - Outro.
(01:12:45) - End.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
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1:12:46
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1:12:46
Interview with Kevin Shaw - Part 2
In this second part of the interview with Kevin Shaw I talk to him about the Colorist Society, and around the drive for our industry to organize itself in general. We talk about local and global issues, trade unions, recognition and awards, development and training and much more. I’m keen to hear your experiences with industry organization attempts in the past, let me know in the comments.Here is the IMDB petition if you would like to add your comment:https://community-imdb.sprinklr.com/conversations/data-issues-policy-discussions/could-we-please-have-a-separate-colorist-department/5f4a7a328815453dba9d9d1aWe discuss:(00:00) - Intro.
(00:48) - List of Issues.
(02:04) - Facing your competitors.
(02:37) - Members benefits.
(03:18) - Formal or informal?
(03:49) - Running Costs.
(04:41) - Local and Global.
(05:25) - Production Optimization.
(06:22) - Development and Training.
(07:11) - Mentorships.
(07:30) - Silos in Production.
(08:34) - Recognition and awards.
(08:57) - Industry Personalities.
(09:26) - Transparency and governance.
(09:44) - Efficiency and decision making.
(10:05) - Become a trade union?
(11:00) - Standardizing rates.
(13:28) - Organization process.
(13:53) - Film Funding.
(15:43) - Copyright.
(15:59) - Legal Assistance.
(16:18) - SAFAITS case study.
(17:46) - Interview starts.
(18:02) - The need to organize.
(19:10) - Educating clients.
(19:44) - Not represented, not recognized.
(20:29) - Colorists on panels.
(22:29) - Choosing a name.
(25:10) - Who do you call?
(26:35) - Film credits.
(28:39) - Colorist mixer.
(29:38) - Filmlight Awards.
(30:43) - Colorists and Cinematographers.
(32:41) - Organize yourself.
(34:27) - Needs of different markets.
(36:52) - Stabilizing prices.
(39:45) - Many challenges.
(42:32) - Proving a platform.
(43:50) - Making connections.
(45:22) - How far have we come?
(48:34) - Sustainability.
(50:48) - IMDB Petition.
(55:36) - Color Department.
(58:13) - The last touch.
(01:01:35) - Need for more awareness.
(01:06:27) - Accreditation.
(01:13:25) - Colorist test.
(01:17:18) - Outro.
(01:17:45) - End.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training.
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1:17:46
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1:17:46
Interview with Kevin Shaw - Part 1
In this episode I chat to Kevin Shaw. He is a well know colorist and educator in our industry. He has also been a key figure in setting up and promoting the Colorist Society, which is the topic of our following episode. In this episode however we discuss telecines. Kevin started grading 10 years before I did, at a time when color grading was either telecine or film lab based. We discuss various stages that the industry has gone through since then, all the way up to the present.We discuss:(00:00) - Intro.
(00:48) - Introduction to Kevin and telecines.
(02:39) - Interview starts.
(04:37) - Telecine engineers.
(06:30) - Music videos.
(07:34) - Study.
(11:11) - Telecine Limited.
(12:15) - Analog Davinci.
(13:13) - One new feature per year.
(13:43) - Davinci product demos.
(14:08) - No freelancers.
(14:53) - What is a telecine?
(17:24) - Blue Moon.
(17:45) - Tape playouts.
(18:44) - Facility life.
(21:00) - Abekus and frame store.
(23:12) - Long hours.
(24:21) - Tools.
(27:55) - Picture encoding.
(29:12) - God monitor.
(33:21) - Titles and finishing.
(35:01) - Low contrast prints.
(36:45) - Telecine as loss leader.
(42:55) - Show it on the wall.
(44:02) - Quality vs convenience tradeoff.
(48:21) - Taller gamut volumes.
(52:12) - Film restoration.
(57:07) - Software color correction systems.
(01:01:02) - Film lab profiles.
(01:05:01) - S curve and other tools.
(01:06:08) - Introduction of log spaces.
(01:10:38) - ACES archives.
(01:17:01) - Rocket science.
(01:20:45) - Art need limitations.
(01:23:10) - Bezier envy.
(01:23:38) - Tastes and trends.
(01:32:06) - User manuals.
(01:34:19) - Telecine calibration.
(01:40:16) - Scopes and visualization.
(01:45:21) - Technical vs creative transforms.
(01:49:43) - Skin and tone curves.
(01:51:24) - Hue vs Lum.
(01:53:41) - Unorthodox telecine techniques.
(02:00:45) - Psychology and resetting.
(02:05:17) - Grading suite dynamics.
(02:15:05) - Evolution of new tools.
(02:16:39) - Linking pre and post.
(02:20:06) - HDR monitors on set.
(02:21:07) - Recent work.
(02:26:00) - QD OLED and HDR.
(02:29:34) - Future of HDR.
(02:35:03) - HDR in cinema.
(02:39:04) - Hole punches and punch tape.
(02:42:45) - Outro.
(02:43:12) - End.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training.
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