Hey everyone, Post Magazine - Color grading trends: John Daro looks at AI, the cloud & remote workflows Here is an interview from a bit ago where I shared my thoughts on some of the buzzwords in the color grading world: AI models: This stuff is exploding. It's got the potential to change the game for colorists, but like any tool, it's how we use it that matters. Oh, and a good Nvidia GPU. Cloud: Remote collaboration and cloud-based grading are becoming the norm. While there are challenges, the benefits for flexibility and efficiency are hard to ignore. Remote Workflows: The pandemic ..read more

Better Pixels. Over the last decade we have had a bit of a renaissance in imaging display technology. The jump from SD to HD was a huge bump in image quality. HD to 4k was another noticeable step in making better pictures, but had less of an impact from the previous SD to HD jump. Now we are starting to see 8k displays and workflows. Although this is great for very large screens, this jump has diminishing returns for smaller viewing environments. In my opinion, we are to the point where we do not need more pixels, but better ones. HDR or High Dynamic Range images along with wider color gamuts ..read more

I was happy to help out my old friend 8AE on this one. My favorite aspect of this project was the custom shader we created for a distressed graphic look. She’s a super creative person and it was a blast getting the look to where she wanted it to be. The HDR version is quite impressive too. Check out the video below. Los Angeles native 8AE (pronouced "bae") is a 2 time Grammy nominated artist and songwriter. She co-wrote on Metro Boomin's Billboard #1, GRAMMY nominated album "Heroes and Villains" and was a feature on the Creed 3 soundtrack single "Culture ..read more

Download I needed to remove the extensions from the filenames in an edl today, so I wrote this right quick. I’m sure some of you out there will need it too or at the very least a template to do something more complicated. It’s written for Python 2.6 and up. import os import sys import re import string ###v3 changed to work only on lines that start with 00 import re def process_text(input_filename, output_filename): """Removes extra characters from filenames in the input file and writes the processed text to the output file.""" with open(input_filename, 'r') as input_file: # Open in ..read more

Cheers to my old Fotokem mentors for taking down wins tonight. Stoked to see the judges get it right this year with awards for Kostas Theodosiou (Oppenheimer) and Walter Volpatto (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty ..read more

Click here for the Eventbrite Link Location Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Linwood Dunn Theater 1313 Vine Street Los Angeles, CA 90028 SMPTE Hollywood Section will explore best practices for HDR/SDR workflows at its October meeting. Hosted by SMPTE Hollywood Section and Colorist Society Hollywood in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this event will include technical presentations and a panel discussion from some of the industry’s top colorists, workflow specialists and innovators. The free event is scheduled for Thursday, October 5 at 6:00pm at ..read more

Here is a Q&A I was recently included in. Check out the full article here at postperspective.com Warner Bros. Post Creative Services Colorist John Daro My mission control station at HQ Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services is a post house on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. “We specialize in feature films and high-end episodic projects, with picture and sound finishing under one roof. We also have editorial space and visual effects offices just one building over, so we truly are a one-stop shop for post.”  What does your setup look like tools-wise? I have been a devotee of ..read more

“Dear Mama” Emmy nomination for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series Congratulations to Allen Hughes and the Dear Mama team on their well-deserved recognition. I am crossing my fingers for an Emmy win on the day! https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2023-emmys-nominations-nominees-list-1235533766/ Check out the Work here ..read more

The team and I just finished up this documentary on the last 100 years of my favorite studio. I might be slightly biased, but I really enjoyed the piece and learned a ton about where I work. You can check out the trailer below and see it on Max May 25th. The stuff dreams are made of. This was an ACES project mastered in Rec.2020 at 1000 nits. The Dolby system was used to create the 48nit theatrical version playing at the Cannes film festival and the 100nit 709 version that sourced the trailer above ..read more

Well, if you are my age and grew up in the ’90s, you listened to Tupac. Even all of us white boys from Camarillo knew every word to every song. His music really was the soundtrack to the last decade of the millennium and my youth. Watch here Tonight is the final installment of FX’s most-watched unscripted series about Tupac and his relationship with his mother. Perfect for a Mother’s Day weekend! Go check it out on FX tonight or streaming on Hulu tomorrow. Allen Hughes directed this insightful docuseries. Fitting because Allen and his brother directed Tupac’s early music videos. Sure, there ..read more