Color

1) We try, as much as possible, to only use the grade to bring out the natural colors of the image. Color grading is extremely powerful at this point, but no amount of color work can match quality light/color on set.

2) There are times, however, where it makes sense to change the natural colors for the sake of narrative clarity. In this example, we changed the color of the smoke to match the subsequent blacklight shots in order to more clearly establish the connection between the drug and its effect.

3) Finally, there are certain effects that can only be achieved in post. In Bugbrain, we wanted our protagonist to be hypnotized by a glowing white orb; however, the orb was not bright enough for the camcorder’s sensor on set. So, we used a color that was different from the rest of the environment, in this case green, in order to manipulate its light specifically. This allowed us to raise the intensity of the light in post, without affecting the rest of the image.