|
final product needs to be produced for multiple outlets for over-thetop ( OTT ), movie theatres , TV and a whole host of ‘ channels ’ for viewership .”
Viewers today , driven by the on-the-go viewing habits of millennials and the rise of OTT services , have affected how content is created , edited and delivered . Furthermore , due to the explosion of content consumption , never before has there been such demand for many different versions of the same content .
Colantuoni elaborates : “ Production techniques must consider the potential for content to be viewed on a phone , an airplane screen , tablet or even with the screen held vertically . Production techniques to manage all of these content also need to change ; thus , we have seen the emergence of file-based mastering specifications such as the Interoperable Master Format ( IMF ) as essential to managing hundreds of versions of one production .”
IMF is a standard from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( SMPTE ) for providing a single , interchangeable master file format and structure for the distribution of content between businesses globally .
As a file exchange unit to the distribution channel , IMF enables businesses with a master format for creating multiple tailored versions of the same piece of content for different audiences . It also allows for the distribution of versions from content owners to service providers , or distributors — and multiple final destinations such as airlines , broadcasters , OTT and more .
An early adopter of the IMF standard is Netflix , which needed an efficient way to vault its masters in the cloud while eliminating the requirement of a different version for every territory the OTT service operates in . According to Netflix , the adoption of this standard has enabled the company to hold a single set of core assets and elements needed to make those assets
|
relevant in a local territory .
“ It is essential that manufacturers provide the tools needed to create this content from conception to delivery ,” Colantuoni adds . “ Asset management systems , interacting with editorial and delivery for an end-to-end solution for content creators can assist in productions today by simplifying the workflow challenges for production services .
Not only is Netflix an early adopter of IMF , the OTT service has also commended streaming of 4K / UHD content in 2014 , followed by the roll-out of HDR video in 2016 .
Apart from 4K / UHD and HDR presenting “ some of the most revolutionary changes to post production ” in recent years , Colantuoni points out that there are also cloud production aspects to be considered , including triple archive of camera originals , central ingest and transform , co-located production such as location shoots and remote editorial capabilities .
“ It is safe to say that the emergence of digital technology with
|
regard to larger than HD resolutions has caused the industry to rethink production techniques ,” he concludes .
For Adobe , the company is confident that the viewing of HDR will be “ far more compelling ” than stereo 3D , 4K / UHD , or wide colour gamut ( WCG ), and will create images that are more realistic than ever before , declares Jon Barrie , strategic development manager , Pro Video , Adobe .
The increase in resolution , according to Barrie , will not affect the colour correcting process . Although HDR does make a difference to overall brightness and details in the highlights and shadows , with WCG also allowing for more colours to be shown , both HDR and WCG will only come into play when there is a desire to make colour correction for HDR and WCG compatible television displays , he adds .
“ Although HDR will be very exciting to watch , in the immediate future , most viewing will still be on current standard dynamic
❝ Colour correction allows for a natural or stylistic feel for colours that appear ‘ correct ’, especially between shots that are meant to feel connected in space and time .❞ — Jon Barrie , Strategic Development Manager , Pro Video ,
Adobe
With Adobe Premier Pro , one of the main tools is the Colour Match option in the Lumetri Colour panel .
|
range ( SDR ) displays ,” he reveals . “ Just as with HDTV programmes today — to reach a large audience — HDR programmes will need to be down-converted to HDTV and SDTV . This conversion is far more challenging than HDTV to SDTV , which was mainly a resolution change .”
For best results , Barrie recommends colourists to work on a separate colour grade for SDR , as this grade can be delivered as metadata with the HDR content to guide the conversion in the receiver , as well as supporting the specification of HEVC / H . 265 and Blu-ray .
He says : “ Colour correction allows for a natural or stylistic feel for colours that appear ‘ correct ’, especially between shots that are meant to feel connected in space and time . For that , colourists need to ensure the overall consistency of brightness , contrast and colour between shots . There are also stylistic choices that colourists make for more emotive storytelling to create a deeper connection with their viewers .”
Adobe has integrated a Lumetri Colour workspace in Adobe Premier Pro , allowing colourists and editors to grade footage directly on their editing timeline , adjusting colour , contrast and light in their sequences , in innovative ways . The Colour workspace is designed not just for experienced colourists but also for editors who are new to colour grading , thus empowering more content creators to tell their stories “ masterfully ” and produce their best work , says Adobe .
At IBC2018 last month , Adobe unveiled , among others , new video features coming to the Adobe Creative Cloud . These are aimed to speed up production timelines , enable more workflows and deliver capabilities to bring filmmakers ’ and video professionals ’ creative visions to life . The updates include Adobe Sensai-powered animation , audio clean-up tools , selective colour grading , advanced data-driven motion graphics templates , and
|
end-to-end virtual reality ( VR ) 180 support .
Emphasising colour correction as a “ highly technical process ” is Dolby , which stresses that this procedure will allow film directors , DoPs and colourists to manipulate the look of their content in order to support the story they are telling . It is equally important for filmmakers to understand the power of using dynamic range and colour to influence the audience , to create a connection and set a tone through storytelling .
According to a Dolby spokesperson , although digital motion picture cameras often give options to “ burn-in ” a colour correction on images captured from the camera ’ s sensor , filmmakers typically record “ un-colour ” corrected RAW or log-based images directly from the camera . These log-based images will then retain the wide colour gamut and the full dynamic range of the sensor , typically 14-16 stops .
“ However , they are flat-looking when viewed on a professional reference monitor , which is calibrated per ITU standards to 100-120 nits peak luminance and Rec-709 colour gamut ,” the spokesperson continues . “ Colour correction can then be applied to these images , taking advantage of the dynamic range and WCG of the RAW capture to support the context of the story being told .”
It is also because of the power and flexibility of modern colour corrector platforms that allow filmmakers to create mood , tension and special lighting effects during the post-production process — an advantage for various reasons over the on-set restrictions of time , location-access and special lighting requirements .
The spokesperson explains : “ This provides opportunities for the filmmaker to convey feelings , connections and context in stories that simply may have not been captured while shooting on-set . This is also why colour correction in post production is considered a critical part of the creative process .”
|