How do I make distracting background colors less noticeable?

[harmonica44]

Sometimes when you get a location, on low budgets especially, there is an object in the background that you are not allowed to get rid of. Like if you are in a public building and their is a big bright green painting in the corner. A bright red car parked on the street. Viewers say they are distracted by the things like that. Colors that do not go.

How do you deal with that if you have limited control of the production design? Or do you just live with it, even though audiences find it distracting? For example if you watch a lot of movies, the red vehicles or red clothes of people in the background, are not near as red in the movies as they are in life. Accept maybe for older movies, like from the 60s and before where the color was more colorful. But nowadays audiences are not near as use to that and find it distracting.

So what do you do to cut down on the red, or cut down on loud or distracting colors in general?

Thanks.

 

[cameronchapman]

This is one of those times when "fix it in post" is actually applicable. Toning down a color like that is not difficult.

 

[Sweetie]

Let me ask you this... Were you distracted by the bright colored car in the background in Titanic in the first 30 minutes?

If you focus on it, people will see it.

You can always frame it out.

 

[harmonica44]

I'm not distracted by any of these colors but other people are. That feature I acted in has a lot of those colors in the background, and people are saying they are distracted by them. I was curious as to what to do about that for my own projects.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

Shoot from another angle.
Change the color in post by singling out the color and adding a grade to it.
Shoot the scene with a really shallow DOF.

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. It's mostly wide shots, like street views and things like that, where it would show. I could shoot shallow, but even out of focus, the color is still there, so I wasn't sure if that would make a difference.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

Okay thanks. It's mostly wide shots, like street views and things like that, where it would show. I could shoot shallow, but even out of focus, the color is still there, so I wasn't sure if that would make a difference.

Then your best bet would be removing the color digitally.

From past posts, it sounds like you are not a fan of grading and correction, but the easier way to get rid of the color would be to isolate it from the rest of the footage, and change the color and saturation of the distracting object. There are plenty of tutorials that show how to do this online.

 

[sfoster]

I hear you!! that red dress in schindlers list was distracting as hell, I couldn't focus on anything but the little girl

 

[harmonica44]

Thanks. I guess I am not a big fan as I have had trouble with it, and it seems my camera's H264 leaves little room in post. But I am going to upload that cinestyle feature to my camera card, as I hear that gives you more range. I was also told by a post FX guy that I met, that the reason my color grading might not be so good, is because I am using Premiere Pro, when other programs like Magic Bullet are much better.

Another thing is snow at night. At night in the city, snow looks mostly orange when on the ground. Viewers who saw that feature also said they found it too distracting or just too odd looking that the snow would be orange, cause of the streetlight, and it should be white. So I guess it's a good idea to avoid snow if you can as well.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

I hear you!! that red dress in schindlers list was distracting as hell, I couldn't focus on anything but the little girl

 

[harmonica44]

Well why are people saying that red objects are distracting if they aren't? Are they just nitpicking?

 

[sfoster]

Well why are people saying that red objects are distracting if they aren't? Are they just nitpicking?

yes it can be distracting, my comment was facetious
(one of five words with all vowels in lexicographical order)

 

[Alcove Audio]

I hear you!! that red dress in schindlers list was distracting as hell, I couldn't focus on anything but the little girl

But you were SUPPOSED to focus on her - that was the whole point!!!

 

[sfoster]

But you were SUPPOSED to focus on her - that was the whole point!!!

 

[8salacious9]

I find your posts distracting to be honest, they make me feel uneasy to look at, I feel the best option would be to edit them out...

Oh wait we're talking about film again.. Sorry to go off subject.

Just mask it out and colour it seperately, even h.264 can do that..

 

[Sweetie]

or... pick another location if it doesn't suit.

 

[jax_rox]

Pick a different location? Light to capture the scenery? Light so that the areas with ugly colours are heavily under-exposed? Dress with something else? Put something in front of it? Take a painting/photo off a wall and replace it with something else that matches?

Power window that area in post and bring down the saturation in the specific hue?

 

[knightly]

They cover this as part of the process of the overall grade in this tutorial: http://www.redgiant.com/videos/redgianttv/item/23/

 

[WalterB]

People get distracted easier when they are bored...

I'd say: focus on the story and on finishing something instead of pondering about small post things you haven't figured out yet and will keep you from doing anything...