Okada: THE DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE PROCESS IS FINISHING.
IT'S LIKE TAKING A PIECE OF FURNITURE
YOU'VE MADE OUT OF WOOD.
AND YOU'VE CARVED IT DOWN.
YOU GOT IT TO THE DESIGN YOU WANT.
BUT WHAT IT NEEDS IS THAT COLOR THAT YOU WANT TO CHOOSE
OR THAT VARNISH THAT GIVES IT THAT SHEEN OR THAT RICHNESS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE IMAGES HERE.
I'M WORKING ON "DOLPHIN TALE 2,"
AND IT'S THE COLOR-CORRECTION PROCESS.
THIS IS WHERE A CINEMATOGRAPHER'S WORK CONTINUES
AFTER THE MOVIE FINISHES SHOOTING.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH SET UP LIKE A MOVIE THEATER
SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THE AUDIENCE IS GONNA SEE
WHEN THEY GO TO THE MOVIE
AND EXPERIENCE IT ON A BIG SCREEN.
THE WORK THAT I DO ON SET
IS PROBABLY 80% OF WHAT ENDS UP ON THE SCREEN.
Sowa: MY NAME IS MIKE SOWA.
I AM A DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE COLORIST WITH TECHNICOLOR.
I WILL GO THROUGH THE MOVIE
AND TRY TO GIVE THEM, VISUALLY, WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS IMAGINED.
Okada: IF WE'RE LOOKING AT AN IMAGE
AND WE FEEL IT NEEDS A CERTAIN COLOR, A CERTAIN CONTRAST,
HE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO MANIPULATE THAT IMAGE.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE MAY NEED TO DO TO A SHOT
IS CHANGE THE TIME OF DAY.
CHARLES, THE DIRECTOR, WANTED IT TO BE DARKER,
CLOSER TO NIGHT THAN WHEN WE ACTUALLY SHOT IT.
MOST MOVIES ARE FINISHED THIS WAY, DIGITALLY.
YOU STILL WANT TO USE IT IN A CREATIVE WAY.
YOU WANT TO USE IT NOT AS A COST-CUTTING MEASURE,
BUT TO ACTUALLY BRING A BETTER MOVIE TO THE AUDIENCE.
Sowa: THIS PARTICULAR POWER WINDOW
IS MANIPULATING THE AREA AROUND THIS WALKWAY
SO THAT I CAN COOL OFF THE LIGHT.
Okada: AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ADDED LIGHTS ON THE CARS THERE,
AND THERE'S THAT GLOW IN THE SKY.
IF I DO MY JOB RIGHT WHEN I'M SHOOTING THE MOVIE,
I KNOW I CAN COME IN HERE
AND RE-MANIPULATE THE DARKS AND THE LIGHTS.
THE IMAGE MAY LOOK FLATTER TO BEGIN WITH.
THAT FLATNESS IS ACTUALLY
COMPRESSING A LOT OF RANGE IN THERE.
IF THE IMAGE LOOKED PERFECT, BAKED IN AT THAT POINT,
THEN WE COULDN'T MANIPULATE IT
BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOTHING THERE.
THERE'S NO -- WHERE IT'S BLACK, IT'S JUST BLACK.
WHERE IT'S WHITE, IT'S JUST WHITE.
IT WAS ACTUALLY NIGHT WHEN I SHOT THIS SHOT,
AND I HAD TO LIGHT IT TO BE LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE LATE AFTERNOON.
SO, LET'S ADD SOME CONTRAST FIRST
BEFORE WE START WITH THE COLOR.
THE MAIN THING WITH THE COLOR-CORRECTION PROCESS
IS TO MAKE IT FEEL SEAMLESS FOR THE AUDIENCE,
THAT THEY DON'T GET THE SENSE
THAT THE MOVIE WAS SHOT IN PIECES
OR EVEN OUT OF ORDER,
WHICH IS WHAT WE END UP HAVING TO DO A LOT.
AT THAT POINT, ON THE SET,
I DECIDE WHAT WE SHOULD SHOOT IN WHICH ORDER,
THAT I KNOW I CAN MAKE LOOK CORRECT HERE.
AND MIKE, AS A COLORIST,
IS A MASTER AT HOW TO GET
SORT OF WHAT I MAY SAY ONTO THAT SCREEN.
Sowa: SO, WHAT I'M DOING
IS FINE-TUNING THE COLOR AND DENSITY
SO THERE IS SUNLIGHT
YOU SEE THROUGH THE SURFACE OF THE WATER
THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE MATCH.
THE SUNLIGHT THAT I HAD REFLECTING OFF THEM
IN THE EARLIER SHOT.
YOU BACK UP AND YOU SEE ALL THIS WARM, BEAUTIFUL SUNLIGHT.
SO, THAT'S THE SAME WARMTH
THAT I'M NOW CREATING FOR UNDERWATER,
LOOKING UP THROUGH.
Okada: I HAVE THE MUSIC THAT RACHEL HAS SCORED FOR US.
SO, WHENEVER WE CAN GET IT, WE PLAY IT
AND THEN SEE IF ALL THE MOODS ARE COMING TOGETHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE APPROACHES THE WORK
IN COLOR GRADING THIS WAY.
IT'S A HARD THING TO QUANTIFY,
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES ALL OF THIS
THAT FEELS LIKE A COLD ENVIRONMENT
VERY WARM AND CREATIVE.
WHEN YOU SEE IT AND YOU HEAR IT WITH THE MUSIC,
YOU JUST KNOW IN YOUR GUT IF YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
IF WE CAN COMMUNICATE A STORY WITHOUT ANYBODY SAYING A WORD,
THEN WE'VE DONE OUR JOB.
THEN IT IS A UNIVERSAL MEDIUM.
IT'S A UNIVERSAL ART AT THAT POINT.