| Issue CDXXIV: The Streaming Media Edition |
| The Tao of Color Grading Newsletter |
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Curated links of news, reviews, thoughts, career advice, and humor
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Two weeks ago I urged this Newsletter's subscribers to participate in a global salary survey of professional colorists (and their assistants) by Up.Grade. This week I heard back from Up.Grade's Dirk Meier.
He thanks us for nearly tripling their total responses! Way to go Team Tao Newsletter! Up.Grade has almost 200 data points right now. If you missed it then you can still click through above. Dirk shared an interesting tidbit...
Prior to this Newsletter's promotion of the salary survey the male:female response rate was about 2:1. The responses from the Tao Newsletter were 99% male.
Dirk wondering what to make of that? I say: Up.Grade is doing a great job of pulling females into their training program - and their initial base of survey respondents reflects that commitment. But the overwhelming majority of pro colorists (and generally, post production craftsman) is male.
If you've been in the business for a long time and worked around multiple shops then you know this is true (although females are heavily represented outside the technical crafts). This Newsletter reflects that reality.
But that reality is changing. I'm enjoying seeing it happen. In no small part, it happens because of programs like Up.Grade dedicated to widening the craft pool.
If you know a female colorist then forward her this email and ask her if she'll participate in the Up.Grade global salary survey? It's anonymous and it's the only way to help new entrants into our business from being ignorant of their worth on the open job market.
Next week is a holiday weekend.
The Tao Newsletter will be back in two Sundays!
Thank you for your support of this Newsletter. You can thank me by visiting one of my Sponsors when you're in the market for their product or service.
Happy Grading & Happy Thanksgiving!
(and remember - if you have a story that's a fit for this Newsletter, hit reply or email it to 'newsletter@taoofcolor.com'! Include a quick reason for the suggested link.)
- Patrick Inhofer
Colorist | Publisher | Coach
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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.
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The members of this cinematographer's organization asked Netflix very frank questions about some of Netflix's original production acquisition requirements. One such question: Why won't you accept the Arri Alexa? (via Thomas Briant Macgregor)
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Netflix original programming deliverables require HDR. This article is based on a festival panel and tends to conflate long-standing digital pipeline problems with unique HDR requirements. But - if it takes HDR awareness to fix some of these problems then our industry will be better for it.
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From a recent symposium of cinema heavy-hitters trying to arrest this long-term downturn, "We’re going to address three questions: What is happening to cinema attendance among young people? Why does this matter? What can be done to regain younger audiences?"
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Do you like your weekly Box Office sales figures? If Netflix has it's way, those days are ending: "Cinemas that wound up showing “Roma” had to do so under a very strict set of guidelines and rules set forth by Netflix . . . that absolutely no box office or attendance was to be reported to anyone other than Netflix." A very interesting read.
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Internet Headline Rule #1: The words 'could', 'might', and 'should' in the headline increases the click-bait factor by 50 - and indicates the article is speculation couched in very few facts. Still - this article is an interesting look into how our industry thinks and has been built.
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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.
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Get a quick overview of the new feature set plus take a gander at the three different pricing models (including a perpetual license). If you buy through Toolfarm, the pricing is discounted.
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This was sent in by a Tao Newsletter reader who said, "I use the 4k HDR scopes with much joy, in large part because of real time error logging letting me know about issues and sort them while I have the eyes [of clients] in the suite". If you have this need, these scopes look very promising. (via Dermot Shane)
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Search our incredible library of meticulously tagged still images by film title, keyword, location, color, or a dozen other criteria to quickly find the exact “shots” you need. Then create “decks” of images that you can use in presentations or share with your clients and crews. (via Thomas Briant Macgregor)
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For most of the Tao Newsletter readership, this item is here for you to bookmark. Then, share it when talking to an Adobe editor who can't work out how to fix one of these problems.
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Why is this presented as a binary choice? How about: Both.
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"If you're a film editor, colorist or DIT there are plenty of ways to save in this round up of the best Black Friday discounts, deals and offers for 2019. Check back often to see what's been added throughout the week!"
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Yes. It's that time, "Here we go again. This is another of PVC’s special 2019 Black Friday BEST deals, with everything from hardware to software. Remember, some of the deals are available for a limited time only."
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I tend not to share sources of free film grain in this Newsletter. They're everywhere. But given we are entering the holiday season, why not this once?
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For my DIT friends, "One important component to . . . maximizing your productivity [is] by getting to know your tools in detail, so you can execute the necessary manual processes with high accuracy and perfect flow. [Learn] 3 ways to improve your productivity when you work with Silverstack Lab to run backups and create dailies"
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Do you doubt your ability to color correct moving images? Are you constantly re-doing your work? Learn what's going wrong and how to fix it.
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Learn how to set up your physical workspace for quick color grading in Adobe Premiere Pro. Plus, optimizing the software for your workspace.
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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 hardware odds-and-ends.
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The headline gives away the conclusion. Click through to learn 'the why'.
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Non-Resolve coloring, HDR needing colorists will be very interested in this software release.
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Because our DP clients often like talking about the latest gear...
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Should you opt for the base build of Apple's refreshed MacBook Pros? Or should you consider the optional upgraded models?
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For my Mac-based readers, if you're deciding between the 2.3GHz laptop with 4GB of RAM or the 2.4GHz laptop with 8GB of RAM then you've got some tests here on the performance difference.
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Not yet shipping but something to put on your Santa list - if you're looking for a seamless dual display with integrated KVM for dual workstation setups.
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Oh. This definitely looks like a way less expensive alternative to a superwide display with KVM.
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Trust me when I say: Clean power is the key to long-term happiness with your PC build.
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| Sapphire OFX Plugins for DaVinci Resolve |
Sapphire 2019 is a set of over 270 visual effect plugins, featuring a revamped Lens FlareDesigner tool complete with over 30 professionally designed flares.
Compatible with macOS, Windows or Linux and accelerated for top GPU performance with CUDA, Sapphire OFX plugins are the artist’s choice for VFX, compositing,and editorial workflows.
Annual subscriptions start at $495.00.
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| Take a Free Trial of Sapphire |
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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.
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(videos) What does it take to get nominated for best music video at the Grammys? Besides the music, apparently, a strong VFX component. These don't disappoint.
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Tao HQ is just 2 weeks away from being free of our DirecTV contract. That makes this discussion about a new website very timely.
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This is precisely like the title says. Just plug in your headphones, choose your song, grant permission to your microphone, belt it out - and then get judged by an AI algorithm.
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| Th- th- th- that's all folks! See you in two Sundays! |
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