Reviewed by: Geoff van Maarten — Anxious Little Dog Prods
COLOR IS WITHIN YOUR CONTROL! With the most-advanced camera, monitor and playback system ever developed (our eyes and brain) color management seems effortless to the uninitiated, but it is perhaps one of the most complex and least understood elements in video production. ‘The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction’ diligently puts an end to all the mystery and sheds a finely-crafted light on this important and highly-nuanced discipline of post production. Whether you’re trying to understand how to use a waveform monitor or discover the most-established way to give a day-for-night image the noirish tone it deserves, Steve Hullfish covers it all in a methodically-straightforward, comprehensive manner. This overview covers everything from calibrating your tools and environment (you’ll learn why all production editing suites are a dingy 18% gray) to color grading techniques and tricks of the most intrepid colorists in the industry (and why many artists prefer the term "grading" to "correction".) It’s an exhaustive-yet-accessible ‘hands-on’ account. Hullfish covers topics using a variety of the most common software and interfaces. The publication also provides a DVD of content and lessons to make sure the reader has the resources needed to relate the material to platforms like Resolve, Avid, and Color (since it’s available to most learners for free, he leans on Resolve the most.) Unless you’re aiming for an Emmy or BAFTA for ‘Best Colorist’ (and even if you are), there’s more-than-likely all the info and examples you’ll need to cover all of your video color issues. It will give you the confidence you need to not only balance your shots but know when you’ve moved beyond primary to secondary correction (and when you might want to stop!) It’s also written with a fluidity that makes it a faster, more-digestible read than one would imagine possible in a 500+ page book could be on such a technical subject. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the field of video or film, especially color. To get 40% off this or other Focal Press books please visit our discount offers page for the code.
