The Tao Colorist

Editor's Note: Welcome to the Best Of 2010. All the stories below were among the top 3 most viewed the week they were released. I'm deep in the middle of recording Resolve 8 training... we'll be back with a full Newsletter next week! Enjoy this walk down memory lane...

The Craft

• Think Different: In Color - If you're unfamiliar with how to use Parade Scopes for grading... spend a little quality time with Steve Hullfish in this article. (weynand.com)

• Color Bit Depth Explained - 8bit, 10bit, 12bit, this is a great article on color bit depth, dithering and the many ways your working bit depth can be torched. If you're a working colorist (or aspire to be one) this is stuff you need to know. Cold. (jdvandenberghe.com)

• When Colorists Hit The Wall - Kevin Shaw addresses the issue of creative apathy. What happens when you find yourself using the same techniques, tricks, and approaches over and over again? What can you do to re-energize yourself, inspire your artistry, get out of the rut? (iColorist.com)

• Color Grading with Gradients - Photoshop techniques are a great way to develop grading skills. Richard Harrington demos a nice technique that can be used on moving images. (TipSquirrel.com)

• Coloring "The Lie" Part 1 - Colorist Ayumi Ashley takes us inside the grading suite on the film"The Lie". A RED originated feature that had potential clipping issues. (PrepShootPost.blogspot.com)

• Grading A Documentary Shot on 5 Different Formats - Yup. Sounds like a typical day. Though really, this article is more about about general project workflow. Still, a good read. (icolorist.com)

Tools We Use

• Levels: Avid vs FCP - Why does footage look different between Avid & FCP & Quicktime Player? What should you set your FCP timeline settings: White, SuperWhite, High-Precision, RGB processing. Oliver Peters walks you through the basics of digital signals. (DigitalFilms.wordpress.com)

• Grading A Movie With Apple Color - A nice "tick-tock" color grading story with some good Before / After shots. (iColorist.com)

• Colorista II:  A Post Lighting How To - The creator of Colorista II has a series of video tutorials on re-lighting shots in post using CII in After Effects. The techniques work in other apps as well. (PrepShootPost.blogspot.com)

• Calibration Training - Looking to expand your services? Calibrators are in short supply. THX and ISF both offer training. (HomeTheater.com)

• Strawman Alert: Final Cut vs Color - With a newly affordable color grading app DaVinci Resolve on the market, there's much chatter about the tools we use. Much of it is presented as false choices. It's time to knock down some of those Straw Men. (TaoOfColor.com)

Edumacate Yer'self

• Why Take A Class, Just Read The Manual - What you'll learn in an ICA training class. (iColorist.com)

• Understanding Video Compression - A pretty good roundup of what content creators need to know about compression. (DPReview.com)

The LM-2461W is an affordable 24" color critical reference monitor featuring 10bit color depth, 3G/HD/SD-SDI Inputs, 12 onboard scopes, and DCI P3 support. All standard and all for just $4,995.

Outside The Box

• Using Geometry In Motion - If you haven't used Apple's Motion, here's a great demo of some of the power and (potential) simplicity of Motion. I find this demo interesting because it (unwittingly) also shows why so many people decide to bail on it. (appleMotion.squarespace.com)

The Business

• Hourly Rate Calculator: How much should you charge? This online Rate Calculator will help you organize the data you need to know to determine an hourly rate that will support your lifestyle. (FreelanceSwitch.com)

• 7 Signs You Shouldn't Be A Freelancer (CreativeOverflow.com)