Disconnect, the new drama from LD Entertainment and director Henry Alex Rubin, weaves three loosely related narrative lines, each of which relates to the internet and the way it is affecting human relationships. The protagonists of its three plot lines include a TV news reporter investigating porn chat sites, a lawyer whose 15-year-old son is victimized by his skater buddies, and an interracial couple who turn to on-line grief consoling to cope with the death of their baby.
Post-production was completed at Technicolor – PostWorks in New York, where the work ran the gamut from dailies processing through DI Colorist Tim Stipan (Moonrise Kingdom, Black Swan) applied the final grade, working alongside Rubin and cinematographer Ken Seng.
According to Stipan, the finished look of the film mirrors its narrative structure. While the overall look is cold, almost icy, subtle differences distinguish its three plot threads. “Henry did not want it to look like a typical film,” Stipan explains. “We gave it a soft contrast look, but we also built in some richness and depth. After softening the contrast, we added color saturation and popped the highlights. The color palette ranges from warm yellow and red to saturated green and blue.”
The film opens with the TV reporter talking over the web to Kyle, who describes his job as a sex chat worker. The scene then shifts to a mall where a pair of young skateboarders are planning a prank. “The scenes with the sex chat guy are dark, but warm and green or red depending on the time of day,” Stipan says. “The scenes with the couple victimized by identity theft are predominantly yellow and red. The scenes with the kid and his skateboarder tormentors are more natural. The look is clean and sharp contrast—but it’s all done within the parameters set by the director.”
Stipan notes that Seng created interesting optical effects by placing glass in front of the camera lens. Glass sometimes covers only a portion of the lens causing part of the resulting frames to appear softer or slightly out of focus. For audiences, the effect creates the feeling of eavesdropping on the subjects.
“It’s a very interesting look,” Stipan notes. “There is something constantly going on in front of the lens.”
Stipan says that such camera techniques along with the grade that was applied in his suite at Technicolor – PostWorks add to the dramatic tension and atmosphere of alienation that pervades the film. “It’s a very emotionally powerful film,” he says. “Everyone who sees it is left with tears in their eyes—men and women. It’s a very interesting film.”
About Technicolor – PostWorks New York
Technicolor – PostWorks New York, a Slate Media Group company, is the East Coast’s most comprehensive digital motion picture and post-production facility, employing an exceptional team of artists, engineers and project managers to serve our clients through the film and TV finishing process.
Technicolor – PostWorks New York offers one complete source for every post requirement, including data workflows, film processing, telecine/scanning, non-linear editorial and HD picture finishing, digital intermediate and film recording, high-volume encoding and high-speed data transmission, as well as comprehensive film and TV sound services on nine mix stages.
For more information, visit www.technicolorpwny.com.
About Slate Media Group
Slate Media Group is an entertainment technology services company driven to redefine the intersection of technology and creativity. The company provides film and television studios, production companies, independent producers and other content creators with technologies, services and expertise that are crucial to bringing their creative visions to life. At a time when tools and techniques of media production are undergoing revolutionary change, Slate Media Group collaborates with its clients to develop unique solutions
