A case in point is this film, La Escondida, a 1956 film directed by Roberto Gavaldón from the golden age of Mexican Cinema. It is a beautiful story told on a epic scale.

One of the curious things about this film is the way the color reacted once I got it in DaVinci Resolve. In some of the key scenes the master shot had lost its blue sky color, but not in the closeups. The blue sky appearing and disappearing like a blinking light between shot cuts was annoying to see. I suspect that this is not part of the director’s vision. It was more likely a result of the age and the condition of the film at the time it was scanned.

To solve this issue and give the sequence a uniform look, I did a Luma Key. I also used a linear Power Window around the sky to further limit the key. Click here, to see before and after photos from inside DaVinci. I used an Append Node after the Luma Key to add an overall finish to the scene.

First, I recommend that you check out the International Colorist Academy, which runs 2 and 3 day workshops that you can attend. The ICA is an international group founded by Colorists for Colorists. All the training you receive is hands-on, taught by industry-respected professionals.

Warren Eagles, ICA co-founder, has an online video series that you can purchase and download called, Resolve Fundamentals. This is an excellent introduction and overview to Resolve specifically, and to color correction in general. This is a very good video reference series that you can keep on your laptop or iPad, to have with you at all times.

Next, I highly recommend Patrick Inhofer’s excellent tutorial series, Tao of Color. Patrick is a respected New York-based Colorist with numerous credits. He has 2 series: one for DaVinci Resolve, the other for Apple Color. Patrick has done a great job of designing both tutorial series to be functional, hands-on, and great tools to learning the software and learning the trade. In particular, you will go in-depth on Resolve and understand the software like no other.

Colorist and Author, Alexis Van Hurkman, is the new kid on the block with his tutorials available from Ripple Training. The training series is decently priced, and is available for download from iTunes. Alexis does a very good job of guiding you through the UI, and gives you decent examples of what each of the toolsets can do for you. Alexis is the author of the Color Correction Handbook, which is considered to be the bible for Colorists.

Finally, Colorist Denver Riddle has an online DaVinci Resolve tutorial series at his website, Color Grading Central. Denver is a working colorist, and his website is an excellent resource that is chock full of useful tutorials and information for colorists.

It’s important to start your journey as a Colorist with the best training that you can get. In my opinion, these represent some of the best training opportunities available to get you on your way.

Best, J

He has assembled a great team, and they have built his company, Java Post Productions, into the best post house in Western Canada.

Click here to view a recent commercial that Jack color graded. You can see the Before and After photos here.

Jack color grades on DaVinci Resolve.

Every colorist has their own unique style, or finger print if you will, that sets them apart from the rest. I suggest you study the Before and Afters. You, too, can learn from the master touch.

Credits: Senior Colorist, Producer, Motion Graphics.