FXPHD – Insider Techniques for the Pro Colorist

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nsider Techniques for the Pro Colorist looks at how to approach a color session, where you start the grade and what an experienced client expects from you. We’ll also fix bad camera problems causing shots in the sequence to not match as well as use twelve Resolve OFX Plugins to fix problems and add creativity. This course has many tips on how to make your way up the grading ladder including things such as how you should set up your room, monitor, control surface, and even insights on whether it is ok to work for free.

This course is primarily centered around a 60 second segment introducing a marketing video for a paint shop. Filmed with three different cameras (GoPro, A7iii, and a 4k Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera), the footage presents many challenges: flicker, wrong color temperature, bad framing, changes in exposure, noise and a fussy host/vfx artist and CEO who is paying for the grade ;). The course comes with all the footage — over 10GB! — so you can follow along as a tackle the problems.

Class by class breakdown
CLASS 01: OVERVIEW
An overview of the course, including an overview of Resolve 16 and a bit about Warren.

CLASS 02: SETUP
Worried about upgrading? Backing up old Resolve projects and databases, system settings, project settings.

CLASS 03: CONFORMING THE PAINT PROJECT
Conforming from a Premier Pro XML. Finding missing media, using the new drag and drop reference movie feature, fixing Premiere Pro to Resolve framing issues. New copy and paste of attributes from clip to clip, using Centre Crop with no resizing to address framing, using the mix viewer to see and then correct timing issues between the conform and the reference movie. Spotting what didn’t come across in the XML.

CLASS 04: GRADING THE PAINT PROJECT
Fixing color temp with Chromatic Adaptation OFX, creating a fixed node structure, Using the scopes to match mis-matched shots with the Color temperature control. Showing the reference movie on the Color Page to see what camera was used for each shot. Comparing progress with the split screen.

CLASS 05: MAKE THE CEO LOOK GOOD
The CEO is important (he’s paying you) so we need to pull out all the tools. Beauty OFX, Face Refinedment OFX, correcting the GoPro ‘wrong color temp shot’ with the Curve tool, histogram overlay on the Curves, Isolation Curve YRGB selections. Uploading a WIP to Frame.io.

CLASS 06: ACTION SPORTS, PART 1
X2 Master timelines 23.98 and 25fps footage. Copying a 1920 x 1080 timeline to an Instagram 1200 x 1200 square timeline. Fixing over-corrected footage with Curves. The new CIE 1931xy scopes and Color Compressor OFX. Using the new Speed Warp control to allow smooth post slow motion. Using Render Cache to see the results.

CLASS 07: GRADING RAW
Blackmagic BRAW and RED IPP2. Setting the project settings for RAW, using 2010 R3D files in IPP2, and BRAW explained. Highlight recovery, sidecar files, exporting RAW stills, and looking at dual ISO. Examining if a clip needs noise reduction and/or if you can stabilize it. Color Space Transform OFX to transform IPP2 to Alexa LogC

CLASS 08: ACTION SPORTS, PART 2
Matching X2 angles, the new Resolve Scopes explained, pulling back oversaturated images, and grading both underwater and above water in the same shot. A look at the new 3D Fusion title templates, using the new Adjustment layer, Analogue Damage OFX and punching titles through the OFX layer.

CLASS 09: PROBLEMS AND HOW TO FIX THEM
Got a flat grey sky you need to replace on a moving shot? Match Move OFX to add a new sky replacement. Bouncing car interior stabilize plus a still frame overlay from V2.

CLASS 10: FEEDBACK ON THE PAINT PROJECT
Working with feedback received from the client. How Frame io feedback markers are displayed in Resolve with comments and annotations. Continuing to grade the paint project, including Deflicker OFX and Color Stabilizer OFX. Conforming an updated timeline using downloading clips from Frame io.

CLASS 11: DON’T BE AFRAID OF A CONTROL SURFACE
If you get the chance to color a project and the post house has a control surface you haven’t used before, don’t be afraid. It looks more intimidating than it is and the reality is you will still use the mouse a lot. Blackmagic Mini panel and Advanced Resolve surface explained.

CLASS 12: HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A COLORIST
Warren showcases his room set up, including monitor positions and wall color.

MARCH 2020 BONUS CLASS
There are big challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and maybe even bigger ones to come after it has passed. When it’s all over you will need to hit the ground running, as you will hopefully be very busy as things ramp up again. This class includes advice on what you can do to keep your color skills fresh during the forced break…things like refreshing an old reel, re-grading the original clips, changing mixed frame rates and re framing for Instagram. The aim is to help you use the time in a positive way.