Written both for students and working professionals, this book walks readers step-by-step through the foundations of color grading for projects of any size, from music videos and commercials to full-length features.
In this clear, practical, and software-agnostic guide, author Charles Haine introduces readers to the technical and artistic side of color grading and color correction. Color Grading 101 balances technical chapters like color-matching, mastering, and compression with artistic chapters like contrast/affinity, aesthetic trends, and building a color plan. The book also includes more business-focused chapters detailing best practices and expert advice on working with clients, managing a team, working with VFX, and building a business. An accompanying eResource offers downloadable footage and project files to help readers work through the exercises and examples in the book.
This book serves as a perfect introduction for aspiring colorists as well as editors, cinematographers, and directors looking to familiarize themselves with the color grading process.
Introduction: "Why Doesn't My Footage Look as Good as Other People's?" |
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viii | |
Overview: What Is Color Grading, Exactly? |
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ix | |
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Tech 1 Hardware, Software, Monitoring |
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1 | (15) |
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16 | (12) |
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27 | (1) |
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Tech 2 Codecs and Pipeline |
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28 | (15) |
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43 | (11) |
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53 | (1) |
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53 | (1) |
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Tech 3 Basic Primary Grading |
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54 | (11) |
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Art 3 Basics of Additive Color |
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65 | (8) |
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71 | (1) |
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72 | (1) |
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73 | (7) |
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80 | (14) |
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93 | (1) |
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93 | (1) |
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Tech 5 Curves, Shapes, and Keys |
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94 | (12) |
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Art 5 Protecting Skin Tones |
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106 | (17) |
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122 | (1) |
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122 | (1) |
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Tech 6 Tracking and Keyframing |
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123 | (5) |
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Art 6 Clients and Decision Making |
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128 | (10) |
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136 | (1) |
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137 | (1) |
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Tech 7 Plugins, Noise Correction, and Heavy Processing |
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138 | (10) |
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148 | (7) |
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154 | (1) |
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154 | (1) |
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Tech 8 Mattes, Alpha, Composites, and Cleanup |
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155 | (6) |
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161 | (5) |
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165 | (1) |
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165 | (1) |
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Tech 9 LUTs and Transforms |
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166 | (9) |
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175 | (5) |
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179 | (1) |
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179 | (1) |
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Tech 10 Onset Workflow, Panels, Dailies, and Online/Conform |
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180 | (13) |
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Art 10 Building a Business |
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193 | (8) |
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199 | (1) |
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200 | (1) |
Conclusion |
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201 | (1) |
Index |
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202 | |
Charles Haine is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who has worked in the motion picture industry since 1999. He has been teaching color grading since 2008. That same year, Haine founded the production company Dirty Robber, which has gone on to success in feature films, shorts, and commercials. Haine has also colored music videos for bands like My Chemical Romance and Fitz and The Tantrums, spots for brands like BMW, Ford, McDonalds, Chevy, and ESPN, and countless short and feature films including Leslie Libmans DisCONNECTED and Adam Bhala Loughs Hot Sugars Cold World. Haine is currently an Assistant Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, and was formerly an Associate Professor at Los Angeles City College. Haine is the author of The Urban Cyclists Handbook in addition to another book published by Routledge, Business and Entrepreneurship for Filmmakers. He is currently the tech editor at NoFilmSchool.com.