Tao Colorist Newsletter #390: The Phoenix Rises Edition

Published: Sun, 02/03/19

Issue #390: The Phoenix Rises Edition
The Tao of Color Grading Newsletter
Curated links of news, reviews, thoughts, career advice, and humor 
for professional Video / Film Colorists & Finishers. Delivered Sundays.
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Two weeks ago I used this space to pay homage to the men behind the NAB SuperMeet. They helped define modern community-building for our business.

For 18 years the NAB SuperMeet was held on the Tuesday night of NAB week. With its cancellation, many in the post community were wondering:

What will I do on my NAB Tuesday night to meet other like-minded post pros?

Before I give you an answer to that question - I'm sharing a little Tao Newsletter back story...

A few years ago I got a call from Sam Mestman, founder of LumaForge. He said he's a Tao Newsletter subscriber since 2010. He loves it. He learns from it. And now that he was in a position to do so, he wants to support it.

LumaForge has been a regular Sponsor of this Newsletter ever since.

Sam also built his own filmmaker supporting community in L.A., We Make Movies. So it's no surprise to me that when the SuperMeet formally announced its end, Sam rose to the occasion.

LumaForge Rising: NAB Tuesday Night

This week LumaForge announced the 'Faster Together' event. They are taking over the SuperMeet stage at the Rio hotel.

It's a completely different format than the SuperMeet. It seems it'll be less about product demos (which can be seen on every manufacturers website or YouTube channel) and more about problem solving and decision making in today's complex production, post production, and delivery workflows.

I'm proud of the Sponsors this Newsletter attracts.

FSI and LumaForge serve in the spirit of the modern visual communications creative. I'll share more details on the Faster Together event as they are released. Just be sure to pencil it into Tuesday night on your NAB calendar. You'll see me there!

Speaking of which...

2019 NAB Colorist Mixer: Sunday April 7

Don't forget that the Sunday night of NAB is the Colorist Mixer! Tickets will officially go on sale March 7. Readers of this Newsletter will get early access, before the official sale date.

It'll be at Virgil's, again. Doors open at 7p and it's located right by the Vegas High Roller Observation Wheel.

Enjoy the Newsletter and I'll see you next week.

Happy Grading!

- Patrick Inhofer
  Colorist | Publisher | Mentor
The Craft
Featuring the work of creative craftsmen, the theory of color, and industry news. Learn practical workflows, useful theories, and actionable insights from existing (and emerging) leaders and teachers in our industry.
This Newsletter recently paid respects to the now defunct SuperMeet. In its place comes LumaForge, a sponsor of this Newsletter. They are filling the SuperMeet vacuum with a new 'big' gathering. Keep your calendar open for Tuesday, April 9. I'm sure I'll see you there!

"My best advice to anyone in a creative field is this: it doesn’t matter if you are colorblind. With enough persistence and dedication you can overcome just about anything."
Lots of great details about the on-set color management process, camera choices, and client communication with DIT Chris Bolton.
"While HDR is filled with promise, it's inevitable that empty promises will be made." That's the critique for the HDR implementation of a hot new video game with a really bad SDR > HDR conversion. (via Dan Moran)
Sponsor
LumaForge + Resolve = Collaboration
We've spent the last 3 years designing a shared storage device for color, editorial and VFX workflows. We call it the Jellyfish. With an integrated database server, it's perfect for Resolve's groundbreaking Collaborative Workflow.

It can now be purchased on apple.com.
 
Jellyfish Shared Storage Systems start at under $10,000.
 
CLICK to LEARN MORE about the Jellyfish at Lumaforge.com
The Tools
Our craft keeps changing. And growing. Learn about updates to your favorite software. Discover new tools to help you work faster or more creatively. Build your toolchest with new techniques and approaches. 

This release seems focused on performance updates in playback, saving, h.264, and some new shortcuts. Link is to the Read Me.
As someone who has produced one of the only online DaVinci Resolve Certification programs that includes 100% of the 'required' outline (for Resolve 14) - I can say I did NOT have prior warning of this but I'm not the least bit surprised by it... BMD is releasing all their official certification books & courseware for free. Click through to their site, download the materials, and get certified.
(video) The final part of this series covers the settings that beginners should look at when getting started with DaVinci Resolve.

A good overview of how to move beyond Resolve's default YRGB color management options.
This is a new Course that has a solid syllabus. I haven't seen any of the training from Lowepost but I've heard good things about their latest releases.
With consumer TVs starting to integrate test patterns, with calibration wofkflows becoming affordable for the masses, and with PQ-based imaging standards - how long before NTSC (Never Twice the Same Color) becomes a distant memory? Answer: Not soon enough! Very exciting.
(forum) Are you a happy, dedicated Scopebox user? The developer, Mike Woodworth, is looking for reviews from customers. If you're a long-time customer, think about giving them a hand. They're good peeps and a friend of the Tao (from before there was a Tao). Click through for the details.
(forum) ProRes rendering is now supported with SGO. Add to that the Adobe support and there's a glimmer of hope for Windows Resolve users.
Sponsor
Flanders Scientific XM310K True 4K HDR Reference Monitor
The 31” XM310K is a true 4K resolution HDR reference monitor that qualifies as a Dolby Vision mastering monitor. With a peak luminance of 3,000nits it is the brightest commercially available professional HDR monitor on the market.
 
LEARN MORE About the FSI XM310K 4K HDR Reference Monitor
Pushing Photons
These stories are from MixingLight.com's membership Library. It's a color grading website (Tao Of Color is co-Owner). Do you want to read a story listed here but not a member? Sign up for a free 7-Day Test Drive.​​​ There's also a free Resolve Course and color correction Practice Projects.
(video) Dan wraps up his behind the curtain series with a watch-through and matching pass on the whole video to make sure it flows.

(video) Learn how to avoid two problems when color correcting using Premerie Pro's Lumetri workflow. It's all about recovering clipped detail.

Take an introductory look at the Color Decision List (CDL) and learn about the strengths and weaknesses of an ASC-CDL based workflow.
(video) Isolate an object for a black & white film, isolate its color, and use keys to shift hue, saturation, and gain. How hard can that be?
The Gear
Stay updated on the latest hardware that's shipping - because the craft of color grading isn't just about software. Plus, keep an eye on future equipment trends and camera odds-and-ends.

This update "is intended to manually set CPU core speeds and therefore reverts any Overclocks(OC) to the default 'TurboBoost' settings. If you have an OC on your x99 platform then after the update your systems CPU speeds will revert back to default set by the manufacturer." Click through for the full story.
(forum) Looking for a film telecine? They've got a few they're giving away to the right person. Located in Norfolk, United Kingdom.

(video) Are you a Mac user wondering why so many colorists gravitate to PCs? This video shows how to keep your investment running years after initial purchase.
Sunday Fun(nies)
Random thoughts, tidbits, and fun stuff that caught my attention this week. Maybe it's color grading related. Maybe not. Ya got'ta read to the end of the Newsletter to find out.

How much would a 'space roasted' cup of Joe cost? Click through and decide if this is a step too far?
An interesting report detailing streaming bit rates, rebuffering problems, and delays in start time. Also includes adoption rates of various streaming boxes. I've been very happy with AppleTV 4K. But for the trained eye, UHD BluRay is the superior imaging device.
Every time a neighbor tells me how they 'cut the cord' using a Dragon Box device, I lecture them on property theft. I'm happy to see this service finally get its cord cut.
 
Th- th- th- that's all folks! See you next week!