Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/466366
www.postmagazine.com 12 POST FEBRUARY 2015 TECHNICOLOR-POSTWORKS EMPLOYS BASELIGHT TOOLSET FOR COLOR ON NAT GEO'S CEREBRAL BRAIN GAMES SERIES NEW YORK — Color grading for Brain Games, National Geographic's thought-provoking series about the mysteries of the human mind, is done at Technicolor-PostWorks New York. Colorist Chris DiBerardino grades the show using a Baselight plug-in for Avid in a new approach for the show's fourth season. Baselight has grading tools and features that extend those available in DiBerardi- no's Avid Symphony, allowing him to make more sophisticated color adjustments. "I have unlimited layers of color, unlimited secondaries," DiBerardino explains. "I can use shapes to isolate all sorts of details." The Baselight toolset allows DiBerardino to quickly create nuanced looks. "Interview segments are shot with a C500 in C-log and come to me super fl at," he says. "I use Baselight to isolate and color correct skin tones. Then I light the scene to give it more contrast and make it more dynamic. I might put a spot- light over a head to make sure it pops. I sharpen the eyes and track them so they are really clear. It's fantastic." Prior to Season 4, Brain Games was graded in Symphony alone. Susan Gallo, the show's post production supervisor, says that she was looking for a way to elevate the look without altering the post production schedule. "Brain Games is a very eff ects-heavy show," she notes. "DaVinci Resolve is a great fi nishing tool, but working outside of Avid didn't make sense for our schedule or work- fl ow. The Baselight plug-in allowed me to maintain my workfl ow while achieving better results." Since moving to the Baselight plug-in, DiBerardino spends a bit more time grading each episode and that extra eff ort shows up in the details. He recalls a recent episode that included a scene shot outdoors with participants standing in front of a projection screen. Graphics were displayed on the screen. DiBerar- dino used Baselight to isolate the screen and adjust that part of the image inde- pendently from the background. He was then able to make the graphics match those seen elsewhere in the show. "That wouldn't have been possible using Symphony alone," says Gallo. She adds that, for an episode about paranormal experiences, DiBerardino created a day-for-night eff ect. "Chris used masking to create more shadows and the re- sult was a very stylized, cool look," she says. "He is a very talented colorist who brings his own creative fl air and eagle eyes to a beautiful-looking show." DiBerardino insists that much of the credit for the show's polished look goes to the production team. "They do a great job of shooting the show and that helps the color come together in the end," he says. "They've defi nitely pushed it beyond the realm of an ordinary, non-fi ction television series." DiBerardino likes the new approach because it allows him more room to fl ex his creative muscles. It also means he has more time with the show. "It's a lot of fun," he says. "It's entertaining, it's funny and I've learned a lot. It's a great show." BITS & PIECES Color grading for Brain Games is done using a Baselight plug-in for Avid. Host Jason Silva is pictured.