What is grading?

Grading

Our clients are often a little worried when they first see the rushes of our films. They come out really quite… grey. That’s why we’ve created this short grading showreel, to show you what’s possible! What you see below left is the footage as shot, and on the right after it’s been graded.

This project was for Cawston Press, who have such a distinctive branding. It’s all about bright primary colours against crisp whites. Bringing that same quality out in the footage we shot was key.

Grading is one of the most fun jobs in film making. Once you’ve got all the shots edited down, it’s time to colour balance them to make them look their best, and also create a consistent look across the film. When filming we shot projects like this in Log, which means as much data from the camera’s sensors are kept in the file. When we take this file into the edit, we can play around with the colours as well like.

Where do you go for a grade?

For simple projects, we grade the footage in house. For this grading showreel we went to Coda Post Production, and got their usual warm welcome and highly slick service. We use them for recording voice overs, grading and sound edits, to help us make the most of what we’ve created. We benefit from their engineers and editors, because they give us a fresh pair of eyes on each project we bring to them.

Colour grading establishes the mood and atmosphere of a scene or even an entire film. Different colour palettes evoke distinct emotions. For example, warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows can convey warmth, intimacy, or intensity. Cool tones such as blues and greens can create a sense of calm, melancholy, or isolation. By strategically applying these colours, filmmakers can immerse the audience in the desired emotional state, enhancing the narrative impact.