MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Testing the Colour Grade

Although I tested my desired colour look in the pre-production unit, this was not on the actual footage of the production (instead, this was tested on the test footage). To ensure that using my intended LUT (FGCineTealAndOrange) would give the same desired effect of a natural yet cinematic look that I achieved in the test shoot, I decided to apply it to a few stills from the edit. My aim for this was so that I could see how this LUT would work on the specific footage within the production so that the desired effect was still being achieved. If the LUT no longer worked to achieve the desired natural yet cinematic look, testing this now has given me enough time to search for a new LUT that will hopefully provide a better look.

I applied the LUT to a few different clips from selected different scenes from the production to see how the LUT would look in the different atmospheres within VET-MAN. I applied simple colour correction techniques to the clips to make them true to colours seen by the human eye (as guided by my research) prior to applying the LUT at an intensity of 30%.

The resultant images have the desired look that I set out in my director of photography statement:

'For VET-MAN I am using a complimentary colour scheme in order to tie in with the natural yet cinematic look that I am hoping to achieve, particularly focusing on the orange and teal colours. This colour scheme is often used in cinema because "if you take two complementary colours and put them next to each other, they will 'pop'", [Hoad, 2010] enhancing the visual quality of the production by highlighting the contrast between these colours.'

The subtle teal and orange LUT has established a slightly contrasted look over the images as the highlights within the images are given a slight orange look whilst the shadows take on a more teal tone. The colour graphs beneath each photo display the prominent colours that make up each image - from these it is apparent that the shadows have are more teal in tone and the highlights are a warmer orange in tone. Yet, the difference between the colour graphs is subtle due to the intensity of the LUT being set at 30%. This has the intended effect of making the shots look slightly more vibrant yet retaining the natural quality by reducing the intensity of the LUT.

From testing the LUT on these stills, I have decided that I will use this LUT on the production as the desired look has proved to be achievable through the application of the LUT.