You've likely heard the phrase 'work smarter, not harder'. Well, for the professional colorist who has to grade tons of shots day in and day out, working smarter is at the core of what we call grade management.  In this installment of The Offset Podcast, we explore a plethora of tools & techniques for grade management. While many of these things are Resolve-specific, grade management approaches can apply to your grading tool of choice.  Highlights include:  What does grade management...

No, we're not returning to the days of 1", U-Matic, or even D1 & Digibeta (although those were pretty awesome days!).  In this installment of The Offset Podcast, we're revisiting some postproduction knowledge that many of us take for granted but that is surprisingly new or at least unclear to many people.  In this episode, we'll discuss: Preserving institutional knowledge of post - old vocab and techniques are still relevant Understanding fractional frame ratesDrop vs non-drop...

It's hard to believe but this is our 20th episode! We sincerely thank all our listeners and viewers for checking out the show. We're super excited for the next 20+ shows! -------------- We're big fans of customization, including things on our desk and other hardware we need around the facility.  With huge online marketplaces, it's easier than ever to find those oddball parts and items to personalize your setup. But what if you can't find what you're looking for or you've found something that...

Color management pipelines play an integral part in modern postproduction, but these pipelines still cause a lot of confusion for many people.  In this episode of The Offset Podcast, we discuss essential concepts & vocab about color management pipelines to prepare you to dive deeper into these concepts.  Specific topics discussed include: - Why understanding color management so important in modern workflows- Understanding the concepts of scene and display referred - How LUTs can be...

In this installment of The Offset Podcast, we discuss those horrible feelings of being way overworked and becoming burned out. The truth is - video and film postproduction can take a toll on your physical & mental health and leave you feeling unmotivated, tired, and even potentially thinking about quitting the industry.   Postproduction (like lots of other industries) can be hard work, full of stress, and long hours - but with a little work, you can battle burnout pretty effectively.   In...

We get asked for advice by new colorists and those looking to do more color (editors,DPs, etc) all the time. It’s easy to get into the technical weeds very quickly. In our opinion, a super technical deep dive into modern coloring is not the place to start - it can be overwhelming and turn off a lot of people who are looking for a creative outlet.  So instead of debating the merits of specific workflows and tools, in this episode, we jump into a handful of high-level tips geared to help the...

If you're like most people in postproduction (and many other industries), you've probably felt at one point or another that budgets are getting smaller, clients are more demanding & expecting more for the same price, and it's often a battle to get the rates you deserve.  The 'Race To The Bottom' is a real thing and in this episode, we'll explore ways to combat it including: - Defining the race to the bottom- Valuing artists, not tools- Different ways to set rates- The challenges of...

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Nate McFarlin - Senior Content Engineer at Dolby.  If you missed part 1 of this conversation, be sure to check out Episode 14 to learn more about Nate's background and how he arrived at Dolby.   In Part 2 we cover a lot of ground with Nate including: - Professional & consumer display considerations for HDR & Dolby Vision- Clearing up common misconceptions about display certification (i.e. Dolby doesn't certify displays)- Display...

We've been Dolby Vision evangelists -speaking, presenting, and developing training on it almost since the very start including a 10-part series for the Dolby Institute a few years ago.  So every time an opportunity presents itself to chat with our friends at Dolby we jump at the chance.  Recently we caught up with Nate McFarlin who is a Senior Content Engineer at Dolby for an engaging two-part conversation. In this episode, we discuss: - Joey & Robbie's passion for Dolby Vision- Nate's...

Trade shows have always played a big role in the production and postproduction industries.   Pre Internet, outside of going to visit a company or reseller directly, a trade show was the only way to get valuable information about products, workflows, and in general, where the industry was headed. In the 1980s through the early 2000s shows like the National Association Of Broadcasters (NAB) or the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) were hosts to hundreds of thousands.   Equally as...

In this installment of The Offset Podcast, we're diving into some common color grading myths that we've heard over the years. This is by no means a comprehensive collection of myths, but rather a few select ones that we hear often.   We'll start by taking a look at the 'skin tone line' on a vectorscope and why its use is not as cut and dry as you think it might be. We'll then jump into why 'more' grading is usually not the best approach to your grades and the related issue of why teal &...

As a postproduction professional, one of your primary jobs is to ensure the data integrity of the projects you are working on - essentially don't lose stuff!  Over the years we've heard hundreds of horrifying stories of data loss and unfortunately, most of them were avoidable.  In this episode of The Offset Podcast, we dive into backup and archiving strategies. We'll start out exploring the differences between a backup and an archive, why it's important to NEVER work off a client-supplied...

It's our 10th Episode!   Thanks to everyone who has supported the show especially our sponsor Flanders Scientific!  If you enjoy this show, or any of our episodes, please subscribe and like! In this installment of The Offset Podcast we're talking about something that's important to all of us - mental health. The pressures, deadlines, and sometimes difficult interpersonal things in post can be crippling - leading to bouts with anxiety, depression and general unhappiness.   We'll explore why...

Continuing our discussion on suite design, in this installment of The Offset Podcast Joey & Robbie get into more detail about gear you might want to consider having in a color/postproduction suite including: input devices, control surfaces, Streamdecks, foot pedals, aux monitors, 3D printing your own stuff, the amazing usefulness of VHB tape and a whole lot more!  Looking for a deep dive on reference & client monitors?  We'll cover that deep topic in a future episode.  

Designing a suite thats both comfortable (for you and clients) as well as functional for color work is more complicated than you might think!   Having built dozens of suites from scratch over the years, in part one of two episodes on the subject, Robbie & Joey share their lessons learned about room design including executing proper planning,  if you should consider having a machine room, considerations for cable runs & connecting equipment in a suite from a machine room, common room...

One of the biggest questions in any color grading pipeline is how a project will be moved from editorial to a grading system (assuming it's not edited in the same application!)   In this episode of The Offset Podcast, Robbie & Joey discuss the pros & cons of three different workflows for moving projects to color: conform, bake (also called flat file), or a hybrid of the two.  No two projects are the same, and learning to figure out the best workflow to move a project from editorial to...

After 20+ years of using CRT, LCD/LED, Plasma, RGB OLED, W-RGB OLED, LMCL, and probably a few other display technologies we're forgetting about - Is QD OLED (Quantum Dot OLED) the display technology we've all been waiting for?  In this installment of The Offset Podcast, Robbie & Joey sit down with our good friend, display technology guru, and CEO of Flanders Scientific, Bram Desmet to discuss if quantum physics actually has anything to do with this display technology, the massive...

Film print emulation (FPE for short) is an often discussed, but often confusing topic of discussion for DPs, colorists, and others working in postproduction.  In this episode of The Offset Podcast, Robbie & Joey discuss what film print emulation can mean these days and how there are things to like about pursuing a filmic look, things to avoid, and how different people mean different things when discussing FPE. 

****** A gigantic thanks to our good friends & new sponsor Flanders Scientific! Visit www.flandersscientific.com to learn more about all their professional monitoring solutions ******   Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely heard the countless ongoing discussions about 'Artificial intelligence' and machine learning.  In this episode of The Offset Prodcast, Robbie & Joey share their thoughts on how AI/ML is currently affecting the postproduction industry and the...

A postproduction finishing workflow can be complicated especially when you factor in the need to manage multiple sites and work locations. In this installment of The Offset Podcast, Robbie & Joey share the main points of the workflows they use daily in their boutique post & finishing company DC Color

The role of an assistant in postproduction has changed a lot over the past couple of decades.  In this episode of the Offset Podcast Robbie & Joey share their thoughts on the evolution of the postproduction assistant, what skills assistants should learn, and what employers should look out for.

In our first episode, Robbie & Joey look at client communication best practices for postproduction professionals and share some hard-won advice on do's and don'ts when it comes to communicating with clients.

For 25 years, DC Color principals Robbie Carman & Joey D’Anna have been coloring, editing, writing books, recording tutorials, and traveling the world speaking about color, postproduction, technology, business, and creative approaches. Robbie & Joey are both known for their warm, open, and conversational approach to even the most technical topics. Using their broad experience to inform engaging conversations from online forums, social media platforms, and in-person hangouts with...