What I need for colour grading

For the enquiry

Four details are enough, by form or email. I reply the same working day. Then you know if the date works and roughly how much work it is.

Length

The running time of the cut that goes into grading. It gives a rough idea of the workload. Just as important is how many shots there are and how different they look.

Camera and recording format

Which camera and codec you shot with. And whether the footage is log or RAW, or already finished Rec.709. I work with footage from any common camera.

Edit status

Whether the edit is locked or still changing. Changes during grading are possible. Depending on what changes, they add work.

Deadline and scope

When you need the master. And anything else that comes with it, such as clean-up, titles, extra versions or specs from a broadcaster or festival. I need to know this before the quote, not after.

For the quote

Before I name a price, I’d like to see the footage. A small part of it is enough.

A video of the edit

The cut that goes into grading, as a single file. It doesn’t have to be a master. It just needs to play and show the footage clearly. I look at the length, the rhythm and what the images have to offer.

A few original clips

Two or three clips, straight from the camera. Ideally the hardest ones. If you used several cameras or shot in very different conditions, one of each is great. That shows me how much room the footage has. If I need more, I’ll let you know.

An idea of the look

A still, a scene, a whole film or just a mood. Show me what you mean by “warm”, for example. A reference doesn’t lock anything in. If you don’t have an idea yet, I’ll suggest one.

Then you get a quote with price, scope and dates. I bill by effort, per project. You can read what happens next under Process.

After the go-ahead

Now the details matter. If something is missing here, I’ll have to ask later. That slows down the preparation.

Original footage

The files as they came out of the camera, with the camera folders and metadata. We agree beforehand whether you send everything or only what’s in the cut. And how many handles each shot should have. Preview exports and proxies don’t help me. Do you only have finished Rec.709, or is a look already baked in? Then please tell me up front. We’ll look together at how much room is left.

File names

Please leave the file names as they are. The edit list finds the clips by name. After a rename, matching them up can turn into manual work.

Reference video

A video of the same cut with the sequence timecode burnt in. Not the source timecode. It should be clear, in the right aspect ratio and with readable timecode. H.264 is fine. Show everything as intended, including crops, speed changes and titles. I use it to check that my timeline matches your edit exactly.

Exchange file

A Final Cut Pro XML from Premiere, an AAF from Avid, an FCPXML from Final Cut. From Resolve, the project or an archive. Please work on a copy of the sequence so your own version stays untouched. Simple dissolves can stay. Are there nested sequences, multicam, stabilisation, speed ramps or composites? Just let me know, so we can sort it out beforehand. I add titles and graphics after grading, exactly as you supply them. Designing them isn’t part of the job.

Frame rate, resolution, aspect ratio

The frame rate of the sequence. And if some shots run at a different rate, which ones. Plus the resolution of the master and the aspect ratio. If the image gets cropped, please tell me to what. I grade exactly the frame that ends up on screen.

Timecode

The exchange file and the reference video should show the same cut, with the same start value and time base. The timecodes on the camera files stay as they are.

What you get back

I deliver the master in Rec.709, at the project’s resolution and frame rate, as ProRes or DNxHR. You also get an H.264 web version you can use right away. We set the profile, container and audio track in the quote, along with any other versions. Does a broadcaster, festival or cinema have its own specs? Then please send them before the quote. That way the quote says clearly what I take on and what someone else should handle.

When

We agree on a handover date a little before the first day of grading. That gives me time to check everything and ask questions. If anything is unclear, send me a one-minute sample in advance. An example often clears things up faster than words.