International Colorist Academy (ICA) and THX Ltd. announced a partnership whereby ICA will offer classes on the use of LUTs for grading, display calibration, matching, and emulation. The inaugural class will be held October 31, 2011 at the ICA training center in Los Angeles.
The courses will feature the THX cineSpace color management software suite, which includes the following applications that address workflow consistency:
– cineCube Visual™: Generates 65 point 3D LUTS in all recognized industry formats; allows colorists to adjust calibration parameters to dial in specific looks
– cinePlugins™: Full 3D color transforms ensure a near perfect match to output result and work in native environment of popular systems including the Nucoda Film Master
– cineProfiler™: Optimizes and profiles output devices and creates accurate profiles for all viewing equipment
– equalEyes™: Perfect tool for matching displays throughout a facility
“The ICA instructors comprise some of the most respected colorists in the world. Their experience at so many different facilities working on enormous varieties of content give the ICA experts a unique perspective on grading tools and technology,” said Rick Dean, senior vice president, THX Ltd. “High quality education and professional training are primary initiatives. It’s a natural fit for THX and the ICA to cooperatively develop expanded curricula that go into more depth on color management issues.”
ICA Uses THX cineSpace on “180” Film
ICA co-founder and colorist Kevin Shaw recently used THX cineSpace for color management on the feature film 180. THX cineSpace was already the color management tool of choice at the film lab and at the dcp mastering facility involved in the production. Kevin used an Image Systems (Digital Vision) Nucoda Film Master for the grade and made extensive use of the cineSpace plug-in for Film Master.
Kevin Shaw spent five weeks in India preparing and grading the project. It was clear from the start that there were concerns that shooting digital might compromise image quality so it was critical that they had the best possible calibration for film print and digital cinema release. Shaw used the THX cineSpace OFX plug-in for the Film Master to match the different delivery versions, then imported, conformed and composited selected RAW RED, Phantom and Canon camera files using the systems multi track timeline. The whole feature was finished in Film Master: there was no online edit, which is a reflection on the flexibility and quality of the system and the extensive toolset helped Kevin to match the three very different camera formats.
“This project offered a number of interesting challenges, including a large variety of source material. RED One was used for most of the footage, although some scenes were shot with a Canon 7D and one of the musical numbers was captured on the high-speed Phantom camera at 2,500 frames per second. I graded the movie on a projector in P3 space with a calibrated film print LUT,” said Kevin Shaw. “THX cineSpace made it quite easy for me to match the film print, the digital cinema master and the video deliverables with great accuracy. We even created sRGB stills for the press kit by burning in a modified cineSpace LUT that I created using the plug-in.”
In addition to the open group courses, ICA offers private on-site training and advice.
Course dates are published at www.icolorist.com.
About International Colorist Academy (ICA)
The International Colorist Academy (ICA) provides a range of training courses geared towards colorists and post production facilities. Courses are delivered by independent colorists located around the world and range from basic color theory, digital intermediate and film workflows, to telecine and lab grading, client interaction, and looks and styles. The classes and workshops cover a broad range of manufacturer color grading systems and many courses are not system specific. For more information please visit: www.icolorist.com.
About THX Ltd.
From the big screen to your screen, THX ignites your passion for exciting entertainment experiences. Founded by George Lucas and recognized by audiences around the globe, THX is synonymous with the design and certification of world-class cinemas, premium audio systems, HDTVs, and blockbuster movies and games. Products featuring THX technologies defy convention and define quality in their class, whether in the cinema, in the home or on the road. For more information, visit www.thx.com.
