Are you familiar with the process of color grading? If not, you really should watch the video below, because it may totally change the way you look at the film-making process.
Everyone knows that what some call the "magic" of movie making is actually part scientific know-how, and part skilled craftsmanship. But while it's an overly technical process to make a movie, it certainly isn't any less magical. Color grading is a perfect example of this, as it's a factor most movie-goers wouldn't give a second thought to when it comes to their favorite movie, yet it's more important and painstaking than you'd think. This video from the indie thriller The House On Pine Street just proves it.
Thanks to Grade, the Kansas City-based firm that color graded The House On Pine Street, we can take an in-depth look at some of the tricks post-production magicians use to set the mood of a scene with its brightness, contrast, and color palette. Using several scenes from the film as examples, we can see the original images being raw and unrefined, with a very dull or washed out look to them. Considering this production is an indie, it's no surprise that the lighting can't always be perfect for the scene that's being shot. That's where the magic of color grading saves the day. Just look at the difference between the before:
And the after:
Thanks to the color grading process, a scene that's shot in the middle of a regular afternoon on a barely lit set can turn into a sharp, colorful affair. Even more impressive is the ability to turn a decently lit room into a dark and foreboding set-piece. This is a process that's known as shooting "day for night," something that The House On Pine Street seems to use a lot of in the scenes on display. Basically, the process applies enough color filtering to turn even the most well lit scene into a crawl through a dimly lit hallway. This process was also used during the production of 28 Weeks Later, most notably during the scene involving Jeremy Renner and the alleyway sniper.
The best example of The House Of Pine Street's improvement through color grading is towards the end of the reel, where our couple of protagonists approach the titular house. Through a dramatic screen wipe, we see a scene that looks gray and dreary turn into a moment reminiscent of a crisp, spring day. It's movie magic at its finest.
The House On Pine Street isn't scheduled for release yet, but looks to hit the festival circuit in 2015. To watch the trailer for the movie, head over to Page Two!
