American Cinematographer - November, 2010 - 83

Working with a Baselight color-grading system, New Hat colorist Michael Mintz (above) helped Londono finesse the film’s look, which was inspired by films like Amélie and The Incredibles.

Mintz put the dailies through N ew Hat’s Baselight color-grading system, which simplifies the creation of complex grades and effects. “It’s a software-based system with a robust toolset that allows a variety of creative options,” he explains. “It’s the perfect tool to add color, tone and texture. We spent the first few days finding key shots to dial-in a stylized look, then went from there.” First, Mintz examined the film’s palette through different set pieces. For example, footage in Sarah Jane’s home revealed reds and greens. “It was easy to fine-tune her home life because it was artdirected so well,” says Mintz. Conversely, the footage set within the corporate office received less production design, and those scenes required a bit more work during the digital grade. “We were unable to paint all the walls the color we needed to,” explains Londono. “We decided to use the DI to key the skin tones towards yellow, then push everything else towards cyan.” Mintz’s challenge was to finely tune the color balance so it would echo the story’s dark tone without going overboard. “It’s really easy to time anything cold, but the real issue was keeping skin tones from

appearing dead,” explains Mintz. “That took me a while, but we had enough exposure to bring the actors back up to a warmer level. It took some keying and a lot of secondaries, but now it looks as if the film was deliberately lit that way on set.” Baselight’s ability to create and track freehand mattes — as opposed to limiting mattes to geometric shapes — impressed Londono during the process. “The customshaped mattes and tracking from the Baselight were extremely helpful,” he says. Mintz concurs, noting, “If Mateo couldn’t fill a frame with more light, I would dodge and burn areas to create exactly what he had intended. We created a comic-book look to match the mood of the film, and various tools, like multiple mattes, really helped shape the frame.” Cox, Londono and Mintz are thrilled with the look of Miss N obody , and the finished product is viewed as a success across the board. As Mintz explains, “We worked within the limitations of the budget but still made something stylized.” Mintz feels Miss N obody is the perfect example of how a good post house can successfully emphasize the look of a film, especially for independent films that
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may lack resources during production. “Not every movie has the budget to foster the right look in-camera,” he says. “Sure, if you have limitless resources for lighting and production design, you can create a stylish look in-camera. But the reality of independents like Miss N obody is that they have limited budgets, and therefore digital grading and working in conjunction with a colorist is an incredibly powerful resource that gives cinematographers the opportunity to fill the gap between budget and vision.” “I feel more than ever the role of the colorist is enormously important,” adds Londono. “The colorist can be one of the most important collaborators and contributors in creating your look. They really have the integrity of the look in their hands.” Stressing the need for mutual respect between production and post, Mintz says, “What makes a great cinematographer is the ability to create something visually beautiful through limited means. What makes a great colorist is being able to accentuate that look and create something more.” Both parties look forward to collaborating on future projects. “I really enjoyed working at New Hat,” concludes Londono,
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American Cinematographer - November, 2010

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