Support this Newsletter: Like, Tweet, Plus or... um... In =>
|
We're back after our Thanksgiving hiatus. As a result, we've got a bigger Newsletter than normal—but don't feel overwhelmed!
Just remember: This Newsletter is designed to be scanned first, then pick 2-3 to click and read.
[ANNOUNCEMENT]
I'm really proud to announce:
Mixing Light's 'DaVinci Resolve 12 Insights' training will go on sale
Resolve 12 Insights is 100%
recorded in the final shipping version of Resolve 12.0
This is not an add-on to our Resolve 11 training. We
completely re-recorded this title. Plus, we upped the production value, with me, your humble Newsletter Publisher, in studio teaching to camera.
But I also
have to say... this is a really, really long training title.
In fact, it's two training titles
The first, Fundamentals, is what's being released on Monday. The add-on Advanced title will follow before the end of this year. Together, we're talking over 200 movies with a running time over 20 hours.
Yikes! Who has time for 20 hours of training??? Here's the cool part...
Together, both titles are really a half-dozen titles in one
With training so long, it's easy to feel
overwhelmed. But there are also logical threads of learning that can extracted, for much shorter 'mini-titles' centered around common themes.
I've put together a bunch of playlists that combine and recombine short segments of the training to get you up-to-speed on specific themes and topics without having to do the whole title.
You can then come back and fill in the gaps later, when you've got more time or as your experience or needs require.
This is training that gets you started based on what you need to know now... and anticipates what you will need to know later.
The Advanced title also features a mock promo piece for the included Real-World documentary, that we
Grade-Along together
It's a color grading teaching approach I pioneered back in 2010 and continue to do in Colorist Flight School. For many, those chapters alone are worth the price of admission.
Of course you, a Tao Newsletter reader, get a Launch Special discount code on the Bundle
The code: NEWSLETTER
The code expires: Tuesday December 15.
It'll save you money. But only on the Bundle, since as a reader of this Newsletter interested in learning Resolve, you won't be happy with just the base training set.
How much will the code save you? Well, we're still figuring that out... but the code will be active on Monday and you will save money.
[END ANNOUNCEMENT]
Like I said, this post-holiday edition is
a tad long. So scan first, decide what you want to read, then click.
And we'll see you next week.
Happy Grading! |
|
- 100 Years of Color - an inspiring collection, Katie Greenwood studied graphic and colorful trends of the 20th century. Each decade has a page dedicated to the major events that happened and how they impacted the color
palettes. View the colors (fubiz.net). Book available for purchase (amazon.com).
- Meet the Colorist - continuing their series on the craft of color grading, Filmlight interviews Peter Doyle. Best line: “do not discount the technology or the advantages of understanding colour science.” (filmlight.ltd.uk)
- 6 Questions For A Colorist - Tao Managing Editor Jim Wicks answered a film student’s call for help
when he needed answers to 6 questions for a college project—and turned it into a blog post. (jimwicks.com)
- Van Gogh, Colors, & Time - this story puts forth the notion that Vincent van Gogh was a colorist. “The interaction of colour is one of van Gogh's main tools. Strategically placing primary and secondary colours, opposing cool and warm, and using structure to enhance or to break the intensity of a hue.” (monicarotgans-colourpigmentsarts.blogspot.nl)
- Movie Bar Codes, Revisited - this idea is as compelling as ever, turning the frames of movie to show its color pallette over time. I've long wanted to provide these as gifts to my feature clients but never found one that exported high enough quality. Here's an update on this technique and who's doing what. (provideocoalition.com via @stevehullfish
- [podcast] Video in Flux: Calibration in the Coming Age of HDR - this terrific long-running podcast series for home theater geeks always has a high level of discussion. If you're a pro, you need to listen from time-to-time. Case in point: This
terrific interview with 'Calibrator to the Studios' Dave Abrams. I learned a few things about the transition to HDR from a calibration perspective. Dave's a craftsman, indeed. (tunein.com)
|
|
- Assimilate Releases Scratch 8.4 - the biggest news is their new log-style grading tools in ACES workflows and added free-form shapes. (studiodaily.com)
- Premiere Pro CC 2015.1: Unobjective Review of the New Features - a good overview of the new features, including HDR, h.265 and UHD support. (premierebro.com)
- Resolve 12 & Editors - an account of a Resolve demo to mostly union Avid-based editors, pitching them on Resolve-as-a-NLE. (mchristensen.net)
|
S P O N S O R E D M E S S A G E Tao of Color's Official LCD Reference Monitors Flanders Scientific CM250 OLED Reference Monitor The CM250 color critical
reference OLED monitor features a 10 bit panel, 12 bit signal processing , 4:4:4 and XYZ signal format support, 3D Calibration LUTs and 3D DIT LUTs, 3G/ Dual-Link/ HD/ SD-SDI Inputs, plus 18 onboard scopes and meters on all inputs and flexible calibration solutions. FSI CM250
OLED only $6,495 Learn More About the FSI CM250
|
- LG Display Makes Major OLED Investment - they're dropping $1.6 billion on a new plant. That's good news for OLED fans. Article includes projected OLED revenue estimates through 2022.(displaydaily.com)
- 2K, Is It A Total Crock? - John Eremic, Workflow Specialist at HBO,
says 2048x1152 is a bad idea. Click to learn. And seriously, bookmark this. (endcrawl.com)
- The Sad State of 4K Video -"I’d hate to be the person who gets excited about a new 4K television, installs the NVIDIA Shield or the Roku 4, plunks down on a sofa with the remote and a bag of popcorn, and then realizes the selection of movies is abysmal and the quality is not that appealing." Get the sad truth about 4K in the living room. And
forward this to relatives who keep asking you about buying 4K sets this year. (computerworld.com)
- Prepare for the 4K Workflow Transition - free
e-book to download from the storage folks at Quantum. Covers the challenges that come with transitioning to 4K, top 5 tips for transitioning to 4K, and how to build a true 4K workflow. (landing.quantum.com)
- Drone Manufactures Pursue Self-Regulation via Geofencing - an update on how the drone industry is trying to avoid regulations. (etcentric.org)
- FAA Task Force Releases Recommendations on Policing Drones - which can be boiled down to the favorite word of all governments: databases. (etcentric.org)
- Content Producers Debate Future of 4K HDR Delivery - reading this... I'm not sure these industry leaders understand that the 4K HDR rollout is going to bypass traditional distributors; which is all they seemed focused upon. (hdguru.com)
- 5 Things That Keep NYC Post CTOs Up at Night - good stuff in here from a panel discussion, including on hiring post-production talent. (studiodaily.com)
|
|
The stories featured in this section are from MixingLight.com, a companion color correction membership website to TaoOfColor.com and paid sponsor of this Newsletter. Want to read a story listed here but not a member? Sign up for a free 24-hour Test Drive.
- Look Inspiration: Warm Commerical
Look - "“Here in the UK there is an amazing partnership between director Dougal Wilson and colourist Jean-Clément Soret. I find that when they work together they frequently go for a warm commercial look which has been shot on 35mm film. I have always been a fan of their look and decided to dive in and see if I could build it myself!” (mixinglight.com)
- [video] Look Inspiration: Red Filtered B&W - “I learned a brand new technique for Black and White footage this week and I found
it amazingly refreshing . . . The technique is basically called Red Filtered Black & White and emulates placing a red optical filter over the lens when shooting for black and white.” (mixinglight.com)
- Anatomy of a Grading Suite: Additional Technical Setup - “I’d like to conclude the [Grading Suite Setup] series discussing . . . computers, GPUs, control surfaces and other accessories that I’ve found helpful over the years.” (mixinglight.com)
- [video] Setting Up Premiere Pro CC for Color Correction - “As I learned very quickly early in my research, Premiere Pro defaults to working in an 8-bit colorspace. Even those effects labeled as 32-bit float? They’re not float by default.” Plus, how to make sure your previews happen in 10-bit. (mixinglight.com)
- [video] Premiere Pro CC: Creating Custom Workspaces - "you can make a few optimizations to the default Color workspace to really speed up working while color correcting. Is it the same as color grading in
SpeedGrade or Resolve? No. But with a few tweaks you should find yourself moving through your corrections much more fluidly, with an economy of effort." (mixinglight.com)
- Colorist Inspiration: Adding Sunshine - "A common grading request here in the dull and grey UK is adding sunshine to dull footage. I thought I’d break down a dull dark shot and share my favorite techniques on how to add brightness and a drop of
sunshine to the image." (mixinglight.com)
- [podcast] Mixing Light
2015 Holiday Marathon & Resolve 12 Insights Training - Team Mixing Light discusses their upcoming 24 Insights in 24 Days Marathon. And details of their new Resolve 12 training. (mixinglight.com)
- Skin Tone: Essentials - "I want to share with you my checklist for working with skin tone. This is more of a thought process and mental checklist than a look on a particular shot." (mixinglight.com)
- [video] RED HDRx Workflow in
Resolve - "HDRx is two different exposures carried in the same .r3d file. The ‘A’ frame is a normal exposure – usually attempting to get most of the scene properly exposed. The ‘X’ frame is an alternate exposure usually 2-6 steps darker than the ‘A’ frame." See it in action. (mixinglight.com)
|
|
- Why Would You Use A Polarizer? - "learn how to use Polarizing filters to intensify outdoor colors, eliminate unwanted reflections in windows and on water, enliven landscapes, and make white clouds pop out of blue skies." (filmmakeriq.com)
- The Argument for Working for Free - as faithful
readers of the Tao newsletter will know we have featured many stories that warn of working for free. Here's one that is in favor of all work and no paycheck - now and then. (redsharknews.com)
- [video] Better Than Bingo - old filmmakers don’t fade away. Creativity is ageless
as the residents at the Motion Picture & Television Fund home are proving; they’re still making and sharing films through their project, Channel 22. (youtube.com)
- Inside ARRI - want to know how Arriflex makes its cameras? Take a tour of the company’s plant in Munich. (redsharknews.com)
- Be Generous: You'll Be Happier; It's Biology - with the Season upon us, a little
story about the physical effects of acting altruistically. Yes, it's a promotional piece, but the message is nice, just the same. (heartmath.org)
|
|
- Mixing Light: A Year in Review - editor Jonny Elwyn reviewed the Mixing Light site last year just after it had launched. Now, one year later, he updates his review. (jonnyelwyn.co.uk)
|
Current Colorist Control Surface Drivers |
|
|
|
- [video] The Avengers Rom-Com Style - a mashup of your favorite Marvel movies done in the style of a romantic comedy, titled ‘How to Avenge a Guy in 10 Days.’ Don’t tell the Hulk about this. (youtube.com)
- [video] Cartoon Physics - no words. None needed. If only life were this simple sometimes. (i.imgur.com)
- [video] Amazon Prime Air - "it looks like a hoax video, but the company insists the footage is not simulated." This whole thing is weird. (studiodaily.com)
- [video] Why Do People In Old Movies Talk Weird? - a fun look at the 'Transatlantic' accent, which isn't quite American and isn't quite English but was all the rage in movies and theater. (filmmakeriq.com)
|
|
- iPad Pro: Is it really for Pros? - is bigger better? Apple’s new iPad Pro goes under the reviewer’s microscope. (redsharknews.com)
- iMac ‘Semi-Pro’ Versus Mac Pros - "the 'late 2015' 27" iMac 5K has reached a level of performance such that owners of Mac Pro towers are considering it as more
affordable upgrade than the Mac Pro cylinder. Does the latest iMac 5K running pro apps keep pace with the 'big dogs'?" Most of us saw this coming, with the un-upgradeable cylinder. (barefeats.com)
- 4K In The Home - it's the season for buying new tvs. If your parents are like mine and asking about 4K, this classic article is as relevant today as it was two years ago. Forward them this link—and tell them to read the article this post was inspired by. (prolost.com)
|
Are you looking for a steady diet of pro-level color correction education? TaoOfColor.com Presents: MixingLight.com => Learn from a team of professional colorists => New articles and videos presented every week
(like YouTube, but reliable) Click for more details
|
- [video] Harmony on 5th Avenue - like two boxers, Microsoft and Apple have thrown their fair share of punches over the years. Now that the two computer giants have retail stores in New York on 5th Avenue - just blocks from each other - Microsoft made peace with Apple in a holiday stunt that's surprisingly sweet. FYI—it's 'holiday sappy'. (youtube.com)
|
|
- [video] Let the Wookie Win - a NYC-based advertising company is running a series of ads featuring characters from the sci-fi series competing in an election to rule the galaxy. I’m Chewbacca and I endorse this message. (youtube.com)
|
Th- Th- That's ALL Folks! See you next week. Happy Grading! 9,050'ish Stories Now Shared
Support this Newsletter: Like, Tweet or Plus =>
The Book Shelf- Color Correction Handbook, Updated - Alexis Van Hurkman has updated his Color Correction Handbook, which has set the standard for learning all things color correction. (amazon.com)
- Color Correction Look Book - This
is the second part of the Color Correction Handbook, exploring the creative techniques for over 200 different visual looks. A sort-of recipe book for colorists. (amazon.com)
- The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction - Read how a dozen different colorists grade the same footage with the same gear, differently. A fantastic approach to learning the craft of color grading by Steve Hullfish. (amazon.com)
- Autodesk Smoke Essentials - Walk through grading a short sci-fi film (with downloadable
ProRes4444 source material) while learning the ultimate online finishing app... Autodesk Smoke. (amazon.com)
- Color Grading with Avid and Symphony - Written for version 6. Fully applicable to version 7. I was a contributor. (amazon.com)
- Adobe Speedgrade CC: Classroom in a Book - A solid book for a solid grading app. (amazon.com)
- Digital Cinematography: Fundamentals, Tools, Techniques and Workflows - Don't let the title fool you. I'm only a third way through this book and its explanations of how digital images are recorded, sampled and viewed is
essential knowledge for anyone who's craft intersects with digital images. Not light reading. But not filled with math either. I highly recommend this book. (amazon.com)
Have a book you
think should be in this list? Reply to this email and let me know!
FCC Disclaimer: Links in this email to Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or ToolFarm are Affiliate links that help support the TaoOfColor.com. FSI is a paid sponsor. Tao of Color, Inc. is part owner of MixingLight.com—which is a
sponsor. BlackMagic Design is sometimes a client.
We thank you for your support.
|
Managing Editor:
jim@jimwicks.com
|
|
Published by:
Patrick Inhofer: Photon-Wrangler, Fini.tv | TaoOfColor.com | MixingLight.com
patrick@taoofcolor.com
|
Follow:
|
|
|
|
|
