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What can I do improve this thriller cinematographic look?

H

harmonica44

Basically I was doing tests, for a thriller I would like to shoot and was going for sort of that thriller look you see when it comes to daylight, such as in movies that have a blue daylight look. Kind of like the remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or A Good Day to Die Hard. In a lot of the daylight scenes, the sun is blue, but I don't have to make it exactly like that one, mine can be different, such as perhaps mine has more saturation.

But here are some samples I have done with the look. Most of them are color graded the same, accept for the second shot, which is more purple. I noticed that during the afternoon, skin tones are more purple, with the blue daylight look as oppose to dusk or dawn, but I could take some red out of the color balance, if that will help, when skin tones are more purple, such as in the second shot.

The last shot is less purple, and more of a cyan/blue which is what I would like. What do you think? What can I do to improve the look?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVbKoURJQv8&feature=youtu.be
 
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during the afternoon, skin tones are more purple
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The skin tones are the same. They don't change at any time of the day. They change from person to person. The color temperature of the light changes.

What do you think?
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I think it's bad. It looks like some idiot simply applied a blue tint to the pictures.

What can I do to improve the look?
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Replace your operator/colorist. Find someone with a clue. The button presser you have doesn't know what they're doing.
 
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/faceplant

By doing something called color grading. Very occasionally a tint will get the look you need. This time, it falls a long way short of the mark.

Hell, for all I know, that amateur unnatural incorrectly exposed look could be what you told your colorist to do.
 
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I can tell that some shots are differently exposed than others. But when you watch movies some go for high exposure and some low. Do I have to follow one type of exposure all the time?
 
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If you're going for that moody atmosphere for your thriller, I believe your best solution would be to invest in a lens filter set. I recently purchased an entire set from Amazon for around $25. I assume you're working with a DSLR? If so, that would suit your project just fine. The set includes a CPL(circular polarizer for enhancing blue skies and eliminating reflection), UV, and FLD (For fluorescent lighting). You can find other, more specialized filters for intensifying color theory and what not.

Other than that, you are pretty much left with the task of editing the color grade in your post production software. The filters are a worthy investment, though. Here's a video on cinematography that has helped me a great deal:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwtpJ3T8eK4
 
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Okay thanks. I already have a UV filter and two circular polarizers. Does a FLD filter do the same thing as white balancing to fluorescents? I looked it up, and it says it does, so why not just white balance it then? Unless there is a difference?
 
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Yes, it's about the same. It helps tone down the artificial light, and really pulls out the whites, resulting in a footage quality much like what you would get under natural light. Oh, just a tip. The CPL can help bring out light from your sunset and late night footage. It's pretty damn amazing how useful lens filters can be. Also, raising your ISO level can really help with filming in the dark.
 
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Okay thanks. My CPL is also an ND filter, or at least it makes the image darker. So it sucks for night. The store does not have any that are not ND filters as well, so I may have to order it. However, is their a reason to get a FLD one, if I can just white balance to flourescents?
 
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Read the product description in the link I gave you. It basically renders more natural and saturated colors from your surroundings... It's very light-sensitive, whereas the CPL is for suppressing glare and darkening skies. It polarizes the wavelengths.

Example - You're shooting in a warehouse with dim, fluorescent lighting, and your subject doesn't look right. His skin tone is off when you review the footage. That means that you need to bump your ISO level & add an FLD filter for natural tint.
 
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It's matter of convenience for me. For some, using the filter is redundant to the already-existing white balance. Depends on the conditions and the strength of said light. Different cameras respond differently to fluorescent filters.
 
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