Movie and TV specialist plans to leverage grading system in push into long form
Picture Head, a full service Hollywood post house specialising in movie and television marketing media, has added FilmLight’s Baselight HD colour grading system to its recently-built digital intermediate grading theatre. Baselight will be used for grading projects for theatrical and television release, and is linked to Picture Head’s cental media shared storage system, allowing it to share data with the facilities’ editorial and finishing systems.
Founded in 2000, Picture Head has established itself as a leading provider of post-production services for movie trailers, television promos and other marketing media, with a client base that includes most major studios and many independent producers. Baselight HD provides the company with a robust, flexible and highly efficient means of grading projects regardless of their ultimate delivery medium.
“We conducted a very thorough review process that spanned several months,” observes Picture Head vice president Matthew Flint. “We chose Baselight, in part, because we were impressed with Baselight’s ability to connect directly to our SAN. That allows us to work in a tapeless environment. After our editors do a cut, the colourist can grade the files and it translates to all the handles. That was very exciting, especially for our marketing work where delivery requirements are complex and deadlines are tight.”
“Additionally, Baselight was the only grading system we saw that can grade 2K media in real-time,” Flint adds. “That will save us a lot of time in rendering.”
Picture Head has already employed Baselight HD to grade marketing campaigns for several films, including Men Who Stare at Goats (Overture Films), Brooklyn’s Finest (Overture Films) and Hot Tub Time Machine (MGM).
Baselight is integral to Picture Head’s plans to expand into post work for short films and features. The company recently used Baselight to grade Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good¸ a documentary following Gary Sinise and his experiences entertaining US troops.
Baselight’s toolset is particularly well-designed for post houses with diverse workloads, according to Picture Head Director of Colour Services |Digital Colourist Chris Jacobson. “As a colourist, one thing that I like about Baselight is that it allows me to use video grading tools and film grading tools congruently,” he observes. “I can work in stops, exposures or lift, gamma and gain—and they are stackable. Some film tools work well on video platforms, and vice versa. I can mix and match all day to achieve the best result.”
Contact – Mike Grieve ([email protected]) +44 20 7292 0400
