Color Grading Research

 So, editing isn't just splicing footage in a way that's easier for the audience to understand...huh. The more I work on this project, the more ambitious I become, and the more ambitious I become, the more I realize that I know so little about the post-production process of filming. I suppose it's because while anyone can shoot a film, not everyone has access to an application that lets them go really in depth and it's only recently that I realized the true potential of Adobe Premiere Pro—this beautiful thing resting at my fingertips.

A little context, I always struggled with not just the composition of my shots but also the look. Sure, I'm not working with any fancy cameras, but it still doesn't make sense why my footage is coming out so grainy and bland and tasteless. It wasn't until I saw this color grading guide that I realized what crucial step I was missing in adding the vitality to the scenes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2jtaeoJLC8&t=471s

This link leads to a basic color grading tutorial that tries to show how to make digital footage look more "filmic". For an amateur like me, this kind of assured promise sounds incredible and I did in fact come away from the video with more knowledge than I had going in. 

For instance, halation plays a big role in making lights seem ethereal and interesting and this is something that is commonly done in the color grading process. Creating contrast with your characters from the background isn't just done by mise-en-scene and lighting but also color grading as you adjust the contrast of your scene or the blacks and whites to end up with a serviceable result. 

I mean, is it even a question which of these two shots look more dramatic—more professional? I also learned about the hilarious blockbuster orange and teal look which I never realized was so present in films but now that I know, I can't help but think about the role color grading plays in film. It used to be a process I wouldn't even think of but now, with almost everything I see, I admire the work put into the visuals on the post-production process too.