Streamlining Color Grading: Insights from a Project
In my previous blog post, I talked about this insight I gained during working on a difficult project. Restricting myself to using only the offset tool allowed me to color a project while at the same time keeping the photographic intent of a project intact. It made for a more cohesive look. In addition, I came to the end result much faster than I was used to. In short: the use of the offset tool had many advantages for me. Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about how I can incorporate this insight into my current workflow. I made some adjustments to the way I would normally work after which I put them to the test. Read on to find out how this turned out.
Speed Up Your Workflow: Mastering Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
In the office, I'm known as the guy that doesn't use shortcuts. In fact, my most used shortcut is command + save. I may be old-fashioned in that regard. I was never really into all that fluff. Not out of convenience, but mostly to keep my work environment as simple as possible. I prefer to be able to see what I'm doing, even if it sometimes takes a little longer. At least, that's what I've always told myself. To make use of the offset tool as effectively and accurately as possible, Davinci Resolve provides some offset shortcuts, known as printer lights. The great thing about using these printer light shortcuts is that you can make adjustments that can be measured. This can be extremely valuable, especially in the initial phase of a grade. My new philosophy is as follows: work from broad strokes to macro adjustments. Cullen Kelly actually wrote a very interesting essay about this philosophy, called “The Colorist Ten Commendsmends”. So I start deciding on an initial balance, after which I can work more intuitively with the Resolve Mini Panel for final adjustments if necessary. One thing I noticed was that using just printer lights greatly accelerated my workflow. So in this case, the shortcuts I initially dreaded, were actually very helpful. It made me think about the use of custom shortcuts that can enhance my new way of working. I made the following shortcuts in Davinci Resolve:
Tab = Lightbox
Function: quickly see an overview of all images to ensure cohesion
W= switch between grade versions
Feature: Being able to quickly tell the difference between the ungraded and graded version of an image
R= Rip node grade
Function: Being able to quickly copy an adjustment onto images that would need the exact same balance. Previously rippling seemed too confusing to me because I would often end up with a lot of nodes. Now that I forced myself to use only three nodes, the ripple function makes a lot more sense to me.
1=View Neighbor clips
Function: Quickly review and compare clip balance
Optimizing Workflow: Maximizing Efficiency
After creating these shortcuts, it was time to put them to the test. I was curious as to how fast I would be able to achieve a first and second pass on a grade. I decided to grade an existing project that I had previously struggled with. To measure how much time the grading would take me, I decided to use a stopwatch.
Measured times:
Pass 1 (printer lights only): 32 minutes
Pass 2 (secondaries): 17 minutes
I was amazed at how fast I was able to finish the project. Not only was the grading done within an hour, but it was also in line with the previous grade from a year prior. I actually preferred this new version. My new approach made for a much more nuanced image. During the grading, I felt like I had a much better understanding of the material and its potential. Because the first pass already looked quite good, I barely had to make use of secondaries in the second pass. My node structure was as follows:
Node 1:
Offset
Node 2:
Adjustments to primary balance
Node 3:
Local Adjustments like power windows
Would it be possible to work even faster?
Yes! It is. I didn’t prepare the project in advance. If I had categorised the images I could have rippled a lot of adjustments right away. I think this could have saved me 10 minutes. Of course, preparation also takes some time, but this is something I can do in advance of the client session.