Technicolor has installed a FilmLight Baselight X system in its Hollywood facility for high dynamic range color grading services. The expansion in Baselight grading in this location reflects the increasing demand from the local industry to deliver an uncompromised finish that still pushes creative boundaries.
HDR is not the only technology where Technicolor is very active. Over the past few years, the group has made a significant commitment to the growth of several next-generation entertainment formats, such as 120fps stereo 4K, 8K UHD and other custom display formats. The architecture of Baselight X ensures Technicolor can rise to the challenge to work at the maximum resolution through every stage in the process – from the original source material to the final deliverables.
Technicolor’s senior supervising colorist, Maxine Gervais, has worked with Baselight for many years. “Of the many things that are important to better serve my clients, one is to work directly from raw camera files,” she said. “The ability to debayer these files live not only saves time, but it preserves image detail that can be accessed and manipulated during the DI.”
The Ultra HD video output – available on all Baselight systems – provides a full 4K 4:4:4 display output at frame rates up to 60p, allowing the user to view 4K work at its native resolution. Additionally Baselight X also incorporates a large, ultra high-speed storage system that connects directly to the internal image processing components, addressing Dolby’s requirement to play 4K, 16-bit film scans and cache the results to disk at the same time.
“As camera technologies evolve, it’s become common for shows to capture and deliver 6K raw files,” said Gervais. “And some shows are moving towards a 4K VFX workflow too. The additional processing power and storage capacity of Baselight X is essential in allowing me to work with today’s larger files, without sacrificing the real-time playback with complex color grading and compositing that my clients have come to expect.”
Technicolor and FilmLight have a long history of collaboration, with Technicolor facilities in Montreal, New York, Los Angeles and London all offering Baselight as part of their digital intermediate pipeline. This gives Technicolor’s colorists and color scientists ultimate real-time control over high-resolution, high-bit depth HDR grading and finishing.
“Technicolor is excited to be able to offer this new powerful tool to their clients,” said Gervais. “And so am I.”
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