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Originally posted by TDC

hi
does any-one know how the colour grading was done for the movie 300, (i'm using adobe premiere pro)

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Much of the film involved rotoscoping. There are software programs and plugins that can do that.

Linux, the choice of a GNU generation.
http://subzerolinux.org

could you explain what rotoscoping is and what software i could use to create this effect. I'm working on a commerical that has the 300 theme

The color grading of 300 is quite is to do actually.

First Desaturate it a bit, raise the black contrast and a bit of the white. Add a orange/yellow/gold kind of color, the best color to get is a bronze grade. Then add black contrast and your done. Play arounf with those buttons.

Don't know if premiere ahs these buttons but this is how you do it.

H.A.

thanx

Traditionally rotoscoping is when you film something and then animate ontop of it, basically using the actual film to trace from to create more realistic and quicker animation. The best/worst example would be Ralph Bakishi's Lord of the Rings.

Rotoscoping was popular in the 70s but is used much less now that computer animation has made animating quick enough that rotoscoping has no appeal. If 300 used rotoscoping they are using an old process in a new way to create a unique look.

I could be wrong, or my definition of rotoscoping to narrow, but I think most of 300 was probably done with color grading as suggested by Henry701. I also think the movie was probably shot almost entirely in green screen which would give any production photos or behind the scenes shots the appearance of rotoscoping.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Yup thats true the whole movie was shot with greenscreen to give it that feel. Only the props/enviorments that the characters interact with lots, were real on set props, but they still had a greenscreen in the back for the sky and adding distant mountains and buildings.

Personally I think that's the way of the future, especially for sci fi or historical. Almost anything can be done in a studio with the advantage of controlled light and sound. I imagine as computer softeware gets better a larger number of independent filmmakers will start to have kroma green garage interiors and actors will get better reacting to things that aren't really there.

I imagine ten years from now you'll see a combination of audio/video gurus and dama classes in high schools. Imagine the school play performed entirely on virtual sets with camera angles and proper sound done by the audio/video guros and backgrounds inserted later to give seemingly higher production values. It's still a high school play but cheap to do and burn to DVD and gives everyone involved something to submit on their college entrance exam. Something better than worked on the OUR TOWN senior year at least.

Adding to that I think there is a market for virtual backgrounds. A DVD you buy that has, say, castle interiors and exteriors that could be dropped into a Shakespearian production. A selection of sci-fi backgrounds. These could be done in a 3d program that can be shifted around to match the footage or photoshop/matte paintings from different angles that force the filmmaker to choose a background/angle before shooting.

What filmmakers need is something like napster for sharing and trading sound files, video clips, and backgrounds. I knew there are a few out there that *almost* do this but I'm talking a single big free one for low budget people to share.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I don't believe there was any rotoscoping involved in 300.

'In the life that man creates for himself, he too, creates his demise... and his legacy.'

There was lots of rotoscoping involved in 300, thts wat gave it its look.

"Imperfection equals Realism"

ok, some are mixing things up here.
rotoscoping has nothing to do with colour/look !!

rotoscoping is in fact used extremely often in todays post production pipeline. it is needed everytime you have no monochromatic background (green-/bluescreen) and/or are unable to pull a good key for elements.
rotoscoping will give you a matte that you can use to isolate certain elements and position other things in front or behind them and/or change them (which may include colourchanges)
rotosocping is done typically in compositing packages like fusion,shake,nuke,toxik,inferno,flame etc. by drawing the shape of the element in question (i.e a person) with mostly splines.
there are many techniques and to explain this in more detail would be way too much for this post.

use the searchengines on the internetmachines....

unfortunately there are no plugins or software (yet) that do rotoscoping. it is a work intensive manual labour.

now the 300 look - any look in all movies that is - was created by grading (changing the colour of your footage)

grading is a profession/artform all by itself and you can change the mood and perception dramatically.

but if you have a good eye and are quite familiar with your packages coulourcontrols (provided it gives you enough control) you can mimic the grade of any movie.

you need to be able to change at least brightness,hue,saturation,gain,gamma and contrast independently for the rgb channels and darks,mids and highs for decent grading.
colourcurves are also a good way to do this.

the mentioned comp apps are offering that kind of control.

i just reciently bought final cut pro 6, is it also possible to do it here?