Like most things involving color, color grading is an art form with no single right way to do it. Even so, many filmmakers consider a proven color grading formula to be their “secret sauce” and something unique to them. In this article, industry experts at the forefront of Christian music video production and church storytelling through video share some of their thoughts on what color grading is, what it is not, and how color grading can improve the look of your content and levels of engagement for your church.
Properly color-corrected footage provides a good starting place for the next step, color grading…
Why Color Grading is Important
Recent advances in fluid imaging of the brain are allowing neuroscientists and researchers to see the real time impact of images, sound, and color on the human brain. These studies are confirming what artists have known for centuries that the use of color cannot only grab a viewer’s attention but can elicit a powerful emotional connection, as well. It is no wonder that a good deal of attention is paid to color in the final post-production phases of Hollywood cinema productions and television commercials where the process of color grading adds an often subtle touch that can establish the overall ‘look’ of a production that helps it to connect with audiences. Color grading can engage a viewer, helping to place them in a shady glen or an arid desert or, in the case of the 1999 science fiction action film, The Matrix, in a world yet to be discovered. For churches, color grading can dramatically engage viewers and help you to build your brand with video.
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Kaleb Rodriquez, award-winning cinematographer, video producer, and colorist at Victory Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
If your church isn’t color grading video because it seems like a minor tweak or because it seems too complex, consider what even modest changes in color can do for you and your church. According to Kaleb Rodriguez, an award-winning cinematographer, video producer, and colorist at Victory Church in Atlanta, GA, color grading adds an important but sometimes hard to qualify element of character that can take a production from a flat color profile to something unique and special. “Even subtle color grading adds to the story,” he says. “Everyone is aware of color on some level and will immediately know when it’s wrong, but they will also have strong feelings when it’s right for the story, too. For example, a viewer’s natural reaction to a video content about a consumer product that is graded to be bright and clean and accentuate detail will likely make viewers feel good about the product and so more likely to buy it. Whereas, if it were graded differently it wouldn't sell.”
Every camera sensor is slightly different and lighting changes from space to space... So, matching one scene to another with accurate color...gives your production a unified look.
—Kaleb Rodriguez, Victory Church, Atlanta, GA
Color Correction and Color Grading: Know the Difference
To better explain how to color grade, Rodriguez points to the differences between color grading and color correction, terms that are sometimes confused and that describe processes with two distinct purposes. “Color adjustments in post-production are often taken in two parts,” he says. He explains that as a first step is color correction that gives a production a unified look.
“Every camera sensor is slightly different and lighting changes from space to space,” says Rodriguez. “When you put those pieces next to each other in a production and the color changes from scene to scene, those changes can distract the viewer, drawing their attention away from your message. So, matching one scene to another with accurate color is an important step that gives your production a unified look.”
Experts are quick to note that color correction (the tweaking of things like exposure, contrast and white balance) is not about style, but about color accuracy–an important step to make sure that there are appropriate levels of reds, greens and blues in your image. Properly color corrected footage provides a good starting place for the next step, color grading, where you can create your unique look. Where color correction is about a unified look, color grading is about adding a style that is unique to you and your church.
“If you are looking to build a brand with your video content, coloring is how you do that.”
—Marcel Patillo, Church of the City, Franklin, TN
Color Grading: Set Your Style
Creative videographer, Marcel Patillo, is the creative force behind the video productions at Nashville’s Church of the City. The church is home to both seasoned Christian music artists and rising stars where Patillo is part of an inspired team creating video experiences that have proven to resonate with viewers. A recent Chris McLaine video has seen over 12 million views over the past six months. McLaine’s music videos and the church’s high-energy stories count on Patillo’s cinematic prowess with color grading and his experience in the music industry to add a unique look to Church of the City productions.
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Marcel Patillo, creative videographer at Church of the City, Nashville, Tennessee and host of the "The Modern Filmmaker," a YouTube Channel.
Patillo works closely with production teams at the church including a graphic designer to produce video content that has a style unique to his church–a signature look. “Color grading allows us to create a product that is uniquely about us,” says Patillo. “In addition to adding an emotional feel to our videos, color grading makes our work identifiable and differentiates us from other churches. Those churches might be in our area and have a similar demographic, but our look and the spirit that comes across in our videos sets us apart.”
Landing on an overall style to the coloring of your production can require experimentation, but ultimately imbues your project with a visual tone that conveys the emotions you want the audience to feel. “Look closely at video content that moves you,” Patillo reminds us. “The choice of overall color applied judiciously across scenes can make a production more vibrant and clean, or more soft and low-key; the choice is yours. Remember that the goal of color grading is to give your work a ‘vibe’ to fit your church. So don’t be afraid to try different looks to see what treatment best reflects your church and people. Maybe that’s an ‘indie’ film look or something more along the lines of a Netflix production.”
Patillo strives to use color to set the church’s music videos apart, partly because he sees modern churches as evolving brands. “The look of your content is critical, and color grading suites give you the tools you need to build a unified look across all your projects. If you are looking to build a brand with your video content, coloring is how you do that.”
Learning to Color Grade
Rodriguez and Patillo both suggest that having a calibrated video monitor is a good place to start improving your understanding and use of color. They also remind would-be colorists that all the major non-linear editing software packages (NLEs) provide tools to adjust and apply color. “Anyone can download the free version of Davinci Resolve, find some footage to work with, and just enjoy playing with grading that footage in Resolve,” he says. “That can get you started. With color, experience is everything, and the more experienced you get, the more your eyes will become trained in what to look for when white balancing and creating your own color grades. Of course, videographers at all levels can take advantage of other free learning tools like following me at The Modern Filmmaker on YouTube or any of the other amazing Davinci Resolve channels.”
Like many production learning curves, taking the first steps into color grading often represents the first hurdle for video teams. A common roadblock is an idea that the color grading is just ‘one more thing’ to add to an already busy workflow, but both Rodriguez and Patillo disagree. “I’ve found that by working with your team's workflow you can fit the color grading step in without adding to the timeline,” says Rodriguez. He frequently finds time in the schedule to do his color grading while other essential post production activities like adding graphics or audio mixing are happening. Similarly, Patillo finds that software with a separate color suite allows him to get color work done as other phases of production are coming together.
“The tone of the video, the story, and the audience are all considered even before the actual color grading work begins.”
—Jason Bartch, filmmaker
Award-winning filmmaker and color expert, Jason Bartch, offers that the color grading process is more than just software. “In filmmaking, the first thing I consider when starting a color grade is the director’s vision,” he says. “Then, I go through the edit scene-by-scene making notes regarding what they want to achieve. My goal is always to enhance and not distract from the viewer's experience. The tone of the video, the story, and the audience are all considered even before the actual color grading work begins.”
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Jason Bartch, award-winning filmmaker and color expert.
When you are ready to color grade, LUTs (Look Up Tables) and other color templates in your software can give you a leg up on finding your style. “LUTs can be a good place to start,” says Bartch, “but I generally don’t rely on them too heavily. When I do use them, it is only as a place to start, then I stylize my look from there. LUTs and plug-ins can look good in some instances, but they are normally hyper-stylized and that can be distracting. If I use them the intensity is typically turned down. Sometimes less is more with color grading.”
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