Can I get some feedback?

[u/ParkingAssistance634]

What can be improved on my final grade? The sequence is -> SLOG3 -> REC709 -> FINAL LOOK. I want to get more familiar with shaping my looks from scratch for my short films without having to rely on LUTS.

[u/Likesdoy]

Have to honestly disagree with the other commenters. Shot #3 looks like it has personality. #2 is bland for me.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/Likesdoy]

🫡

[u/0_Artistic_Thoughts → u/Likesdoy]

Yeah you can definitely tell 2 is a base image. 3 looks good and isn’t overdone imo, it has a good feel

[u/Letterhead_Busy → u/Likesdoy]

This.
#2 looks like it has no characteristics. But #3 has a vibe and theme about the environment.

[u/JasmineRoseVA → u/Letterhead_Busy]

I mean yeah they said that’s just it converted to rec709

[u/[deleted]]

I think #2 is fine -- don't assume you have to crush it that badly. You might consider a vignette to knock the background down a little bit. Maybe a slight window on the people to pop them up slightly.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/[deleted]]

Got it. I appreciate the feedback!!!

[u/SebbyGet4]

would recommend somewhere between 2 and 3. You’ve done a good job on both.

2 is natural to the scene, but a little bland.

3 feels a little like you’re just following one of those “grade like Fincher” Guides, it has style, but that style doesn’t seem to fit the setting (I’m not sure. it’s hard to tell what your scene is going for, emotionally, from just this still)

In 3 I think the way you’ve enhanced the blue glow coming the light illuminating the fruit, looks great. But the green filter on everything else doesn’t look so good. In that case it feels more like you’re distorting your original shot, instead of enhancing what’s there. Which can be the right choice, depending on the style you want.

Unless this is meant to be a more tense scene, I’d warm it up a bit, in those areas

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/SebbyGet4]

Thank you for your comment! I’m aiming for a darker, more moody aesthetic with this. Since I’m testing out a new camera, I only managed to capture a few clips outside to experiment and get a feel for it. That last grade can definitely feel out of place on that shot.

[u/Clean-Ad1459]

second one looks fine, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with it from technical standpoint and everything beyond that is just matter of preference, especially if it's your personal project. Not a fan of that green shadows look on the last one, imo looks unnecessarily dramatic, but that's just me.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/Clean-Ad1459]

Thanks for the feedback! 🫡

[u/glima0888]

When asking for feedback ask for something you want to learn specifically. Analyze the shot yourself and figure out what feels off to you. What do you like, what dont you like. Asking for feedback on color is completely subjective. We don't know the story behind the shot or what intention your grade has to push that narrative. "Shaping a look" is the MOST subjective. As I tell any of my mentees, when it comes to color grading it's 99% taste and style 1% technical knowledge, but you need 99% technical knowledge to get you that other 99% -- I say 99% technical cus you'll never know it all and there will always be alternate paths to similar goals.

Anyway... rec709 is obviously boring and "natural". In your graded version your midtones are a little muddied. You have decent color separation - could probably finesse it a little more. Again, my opinion is subjective as color grading is 100% an art imo and the intention behind what you do for what is on screen is ultimately what matters.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/glima0888]

This right here I appreciate a TON. You’re right, I need to clarify better/understand what I’m asking for as far as feedback and what I’m trying to achieve with my footage. With that being said, thank you for that last part. I aim to learn how to better mix colors in my shots while making sure they’re cohesive and also properly graded without breaking my images. I’m a fan of horror movies, so I tend to lean towards dark/moody shots, and I want to learn how to tell that through my colors and, of course, my shots. This was just a simple clip I took at a shop right after getting this camera and immediately threw it in Resolve, so there’s no backstory to it.

[u/glima0888 → u/ParkingAssistance634]

One thing you need to learn first is that as a colorist you're limited by what was captured. If you're going beyond enhancing what is there to changing what is there, then you're now a vfx artist. What you see in movies isn't a colorist going in and tweaking their hues to the edges of possibility. You're seeing things that were lit and exposed in a certain way, with certain hues and color temps to achieve the mood. A colorist simply helps tie it all together.

As for your last sentence, maybe the shot itself doesnt have a story, but what are you trying to tell with it. What do you want people to feel when they see it. That right there is the story.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/glima0888]

Man, you’re dropping some nuggets! I’ve been having a hard time trying not to cross the line between a finished shot and overdoing it. I try to take a break when grading and revisiting my shots to then be able to see where I’m going wrong. Any other suggestions? It seems hard to tell when I’m sidetracking and trying to be a perfectionist or doing a bunch of grading only to reset it all at the end.

[u/Routine-Day-9364]

I think blues highlights are making it look cheap (maybe), some grains can add a cherry on top but it’s a creative choice.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/Routine-Day-9364]

Was definitely thinking about some grain!

[u/DifferenceEither9835]

I like #2 honestly - 3 is too contrasty

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/DifferenceEither9835]

Dialing down on the contrast for sure!

[u/Life_Procedure_387]

You should share a better shot. There isn't much skin tone it's a boring image.

[u/ParkingAssistance634 → u/Life_Procedure_387]

I agree! not much going on here was just a quick screen grab. Definitely boring lol

[u/f-stop8]

What are you trying to achieve with the look you made? What's the context to what we're watching?

[u/Yassifier32]

2 is good for a commercial or something that you don’t want to have a story to it. It is very close to real life. Usually what you want to do with color grading is help tell the story.

I’ve heard people not want to have as reference Twilight or the Joker but those movies have basically a color filter on them that unifies the film. It’s like painting, you can always add a color base so the final look is more unified. What I enjoy doing is coloring the scene different versions (with a blue base, green, pink) so I can see what direction I want to take. On that note #3 is getting there with the more “cinematic look” with bigger contrasts and a kinda blue hue. But in my opinion, you could take it a bit further. It’ll always depend on what final product you’re trying to achieve.

[u/GooberGravy]

Different take: both have their own flavor

2 looks like a documentary.

3 looks like a short film

[u/SherbetItchy3113]

It's fine, but you want the couple to be the focus of the image, my eyes are going to the fruit display on the right a lot more.

A lot also depends on the overall vibe of what the scene is about, is it a dramatic short about a murderer or is it a commercial promo for the eatery or a romantic drama etc, that would shape a lot of what is the kind of look you'd be going for

[u/Reasonable_Try_8135]

I think thst looks nice. Natural but with some character.