Achieving Color Consistency in Commercial Shoots: A DaVinci Resolve Workflow for Matching Discrepant Footage

Summary:

This video demonstrates a methodical approach to achieve color consistency across commercial shots in DaVinci Resolve, especially when on-set changes lead to discrepancies.

The first wide shot is graded to establish a "moody" look, adjusting exposure, white balance, and isolating the subject with power windows.
Skin tones are verified using scopes to ensure accuracy.
The established grade is then applied to a second, close-up shot, revealing significant differences in contrast ratio and temperature due to on-set lens and diffusion changes.
The close-up is meticulously matched to the wide shot by adjusting exposure, white balance, and saturation, focusing on making skin tones and overall ambience consistent.
Cosmetic refinements like digital diffusion, skin smoothing, and eye brightening are applied to the actor's face for a polished look.
The video emphasizes understanding on-set discrepancies (lens, diffusion changes) to inform grading decisions, using tools like the Odyssey spot for technical analysis, and maintaining a pleasing key-to-fill ratio for continuity while accepting inherent differences between wide and close-up lighting.

Side-by-side comparison of the two final graded shots, demonstrating visual consistency [ 00:09:13 ]

Initial Shot Assessment and Mood Setting [0:00]

The video begins by introducing two commercial shots of a woman using a laptop, which will be color graded for consistency.

The goal is to achieve a "moody" aesthetic, suitable for a tech company commercial.
The footage is first converted to Rec. 709.
First shot (wide) is analyzed and graded:
- Initial exposure is adjusted by slightly darkening the image [0:51].
  
  Initial wide shot before any adjustments [ 00:00:56 ]
- White balance is set for a film emulation look, introducing subtle blues [0:58].
  
  Wide shot after initial exposure and white balance adjustments for a moody, film-like feel [ 00:01:11 ]
- Ambience is further reduced using a large circular power window to draw focus to the subject [1:32].
  
  DaVinci Resolve interface showing a circular power window being applied to reduce ambience around the subject [ 00:01:40 ]
- The result of the power window application helps to focus attention on the subject [1:54].
  
  Wide shot after applying a circular power window to darken the surrounding ambience [ 00:01:57 ]
- Shadows are slightly lifted to refine the overall look [2:24].
  
  Final graded wide shot, showing refined exposure, white balance, and mood [ 00:02:21 ]
Skin tone analysis:
- The skin tone is checked using DaVinci Resolve's scopes and is found to be accurate [2:06].
  
  DaVinci Resolve scopes showing the skin tone vectorscope for verification [ 00:02:10 ]

Identifying and Explaining Inconsistencies [2:34]

After applying the first shot's grade to the second (close-up) shot, significant inconsistencies are immediately visible.

Visual comparison:
- The close-up shot initially appears noticeably darker and warmer than the wide shot, even after applying the same grade [2:36].
  
  Close-up shot after the wide shot's grade has been applied, revealing noticeable discrepancies [ 00:02:37 ]
- A side-by-side comparison of the two shots reveals clear differences in contrast, temperature, and overall exposure [2:47].
  
  Split screen comparing the graded wide shot (right) and the close-up shot (left) before matching, highlighting discrepancies [ 00:02:50 ]
Causes of discrepancy:
- These inconsistencies are attributed to standard on-set practices in cinematography and gaffing.
- Lens changes: Swapping lenses for different shot types (wide vs. close-up) can introduce variations [3:21].
- Diffusion changes: Using thicker diffusion for close-ups to flatter the actor can reduce key-side intensity and cause a temperature shift [3:24].
- Cinematographers often light wide shots with higher contrast to shape the scene, while close-ups aim for a softer, more flattering look on the actor [10:30].
  
  The original wide shot demonstrating its higher contrast ratio for scene shaping [ 00:10:35 ]
  
  The original close-up shot illustrating a softer, more flattering look on the actor [ 00:10:56 ]

Matching the Second Shot to the First [4:10]

The process involves adjusting the close-up shot to visually match the mood and characteristics of the wide shot, maintaining continuity.

Exposure adjustment:
- Scopes are used to compare the exposure levels between the two shots, showing the close-up (left) is significantly underexposed [4:17].
  
  DaVinci Resolve scopes showing waveforms for both the wide (right) and close-up (left) shots, highlighting exposure differences [ 00:04:19 ]
- Exposure is increased on the close-up to align it with the wide shot [4:42].
  
  Split screen showing the close-up (left) after exposure adjustment, next to the wide shot (right) [ 00:04:49 ]
White balance correction:
- The close-up shows additional warmth, likely from the thicker diffusion used on set.
- White balance is adjusted slightly towards yellow to counteract this warmth and bring skin tones closer to the reference [4:54].
  
  Split screen comparing the close-up (left) after white balance adjustment to the wide shot (right) [ 00:04:54 ]
Color saturation refinement:
- Subtle adjustments are made to yellow and red saturation to further unify the skin tones [5:12].
Dark level adjustment:
- The darks in the close-up are adjusted to match the wide shot more closely [5:26].
  
  The close-up shot after dark levels have been adjusted to match the wide shot more closely [ 00:05:34 ]

Cosmetic Adjustments and Digital Refinements [5:40]

Further enhancements are made to the actor's appearance to ensure a polished final look.

Digital diffusion:
- A "satin" diffusion effect is added to both shots digitally to enhance softness [5:40].
  
  The close-up shot with a digital diffusion (satin) effect applied to enhance softness [ 00:05:54 ]
Face refinement tool:
- DaVinci Resolve's face refinement tool is used for detailed cosmetic work on the actor's face [6:03].
- Skin smoothing: A subtle amount of skin smoothing is applied to soften the texture [6:19].
  
  Close-up of the actor's face before skin smoothing, with DaVinci Resolve's face refinement settings visible [ 00:06:14 ]
  
  Close-up of the actor's face after subtle skin smoothing has been applied, with DaVinci Resolve's face refinement settings visible [ 00:06:44 ]
- Eye brightening: The eyes are slightly brightened to make them stand out [6:50].
  
  Close-up of the actor's eyes before brightening, with DaVinci Resolve's face refinement settings visible [ 00:06:54 ]
  
  Close-up of the actor's eyes after subtle brightening, with DaVinci Resolve's face refinement settings visible [ 00:07:04 ]
- Undereye softening: Undereye areas are softened to reduce any harshness [7:08].
- Grain addition: Digital grain is added back to the skin to hide the smoothing and restore natural texture [7:37].
  
  Close-up of the actor's face after skin smoothing and grain addition to restore natural texture [ 00:07:34 ]
- These cosmetic changes are copied and applied to the corresponding parts of the wide shot for consistency [8:19].

Final Touches and Key Learnings [8:32]

The final steps involve unifying the overall color balance and reinforcing the importance of being aware of on-set production choices.

Midtone coolness:
- A touch of coolness is added to the midtones in both shots to remove residual yellow from the skin [8:34].
  
  Final graded close-up showing balanced skin tones with added coolness [ 00:08:43 ]
  
  Final graded wide shot showing balanced skin tones with added coolness [ 00:08:53 ]
Contrast refinement:
- A slight contrast adjustment is applied within the circular power window [9:03].
Overall consistency achieved:
- The two shots are now much closer in appearance, creating a seamless viewing experience [9:09].
  
  Side-by-side comparison of the two final graded shots, demonstrating consistency [ 00:09:13 ]
Understanding on-set decisions:
- Colorists should be aware of cinematographers' and gaffers' choices (lens changes, diffusion) as these introduce color and exposure shifts [9:14].
- This awareness informs grading decisions, helping to match shots that were captured differently while respecting the original intent [9:45].
Using measurement tools:
- Tools like the "Odyssey spot" in DaVinci Resolve can provide technical readouts of exposure differences between selected points in a frame, aiding in precise matching [9:57].
  
  DaVinci Resolve's Odyssey spot tool displaying exposure difference readouts between two selected points on the actor's face [ 00:10:23 ]
Key to fill ratio:
- It's important to pay attention to the key-to-fill ratio as it often changes from wide to close-up shots; close-ups typically have a softer, less contrasted look for flattering subjects [11:01]. The casual viewer won't notice these technical differences as long as the overall "feel" of the images is consistent [11:35].