Color Correction Workflows

Here you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions.

When Does Color Correction Happen?

Typically, we start working on a project once the edit has been locked. Oftentimes, we receive the video portion of the program at the same time the audio has been handed off for mixing. Sometimes we're hired to do an "offline" color correction pass of a project that's still being edited, usually in preparation for an important test screening in front of an audience. However, it's more usual for us to begin work at the conclusion of the edit.

How Are Sessions Scheduled?

Each project's schedule is entirely dependent on the length of the program, the number of shots in the edit, and the extent of work that needs to be done. In order to provide you with the most accurate estimate, give us a call and we can chat about your project. It helps if you can have the following information handy:

Based on this information, we can provide you with a nonbinding estimate of how long the project will take and the rates involved. As you can imagine, the more shots there are and the more stylized the piece, the longer the color correction process will take. You can also click here to open an online form that you can use to get an automated estimate.

Is It Necessary to Recapture My Media?

If you've been editing your media using an offline format of lower quality then your original shooting format, then the answer is yes. However, just because your media is compressed doesn't mean it automatically needs to be recaptured. If your editing format is identical to your shooting format, there is no need to recapture prior to color correction. For example, if you originally shot your project using the DVCPRO HD format, and you captured the media using the DVCPRO HD codec, you don't need to recapture. The same is true for formats like DV-25 and HDV, assuming you've been working with your media in its original format.

When recapture is necessary, most of my clients prefer to save money by recapturing their source media on their own. If you need us to recapture your program for you, video deck rental can be arranged for whichever format is necessary. For more information, see Project Preparation.

How Do I Bring My Project to You?

Once you've prepared everything, all you need to do is copy your Final Cut Pro project file and all the media your project is linked to (.mov files, image files like .tiff and .psd, Motion and LiveType projects) onto a portable hard drive so you can bring everything to my suite. Media managing your project using the Copy option makes this go much faster. Portable hard drives using FireWire 800 make the process of copying files quicker too.

A day or two in advance of the session, we'll copy all your project's media onto my system, open it, and relink all of the files to double-check that everything is there. If there's any missing media, this gives you a chance to bring it with you later.

What Do You Use for Color Correction?

The main application I use for grading film and video projects is DaVinci Resolve, which is a dedicated color correction environment for any program needing comprehensive grading. It provides powerful primary color correction tools for making overall adjustments to each shot, along with numerous features for making detailed secondary adjustments to specific subjects using vignettes, curves, and HSL qualified operations. Lastly, Resolve has numerous specialized tools that make it easy to execute extreme corrections and to apply more aggressively stylized looks to your program such as day-for-night, aged film, dream sequences, restoration of archival media—in short, we can execute practically any type of visual treatment you can imagine.

Describing a Grading Workflow

Here's a brief overview of a typical color grading workflow.

  1. Recapture the source media at highest quality, if necessary, and prepare the edited sequence.
  2. Send the project from your NLE to Resolve using an EDL.
  3. Perform the color correction pass.
  4. Render an alternate set of graded media from Resolve.
  5. Send the rendered Resolve project information back to your NLE and output the final program as an uncompressed, self-contained QuickTime master.

Color Round Trip Diagram

What You Receive At the End of the Process

Most projects we work on request digital deliverables, so it's important that you have a portable hard drive with enough room to fit all of the media we'll be giving you (we can provide you with an estimate of how much drive space you'll need in advance). The deliverables that are included in each quote include:

At additional cost, we can also accommodate: