What does a colorist do?

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With the development of technology and the creation of digital cameras, a need arose in the market for professionals who can adjust and balance the appearance of images in digital videos, since each piece of equipment can produce different results.

This role is played by the colorist, who aims to adapt the exposure (luminance) and color (chrominance) information, divided into two main aspects: color correction and color grading.

Color correction
Color correction is the first task a colorist undertakes when receiving the footage. This process helps ensure that the takes in a scene match in terms of exposure and color. This benin phone number data is because there may be visual differences between a scene in a wide shot, a medium shot, or a close-up, for example. In addition, the same scene may be filmed on different days and at different times, which can affect the final look of each take, especially if natural light is used, which varies greatly from moment to moment. When the takes are put together in the edit, these differences in color and exposure can be confusing and distracting to the viewer.

Typically, a colorist will start working on a scene by correcting exposure and color issues in a wider take. Then, adjustments are made to the remaining takes to match the appearance of the first. At the end of this process, all takes within the scene will have neutral exposure. From there, the scene is ready for color grading.

Color grading
Color grading is the manipulation of color in a scene for artistic or stylistic reasons. Creative use of color can have a dramatic effect on the mood of a scene and the emotions of the audience. Colorists need to have a strong understanding of color theory and the impact of using complementary color schemes in color grading.

Some of the most commonly used palettes in color grading are teal and orange, since skin tones fall into the orange part of the color spectrum. Blue and orange are complementary colors because they sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Colorists increase orange colors in the highlights and increase teal colors for the shadows. The technique adds depth to the image by increasing the color contrast between the subject and the background.

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Color grading can also be used for more practical purposes, such as colorizing a scene filmed during the day to make it appear as if the action took place at night.

Once color grading is complete, colorists will ensure that the final rendered video file meets the luminance and chrominance levels required by the relevant film or television standards. Depending on the level of visual effects, it can take a colorist three to six weeks to color grade a feature film.