Colorist Tip #3 – Pick a Hero

When matching shots, pick a “hero” shot per scene to match all others to, and make sure you can match your problem shots to it. Can’t match the problem shot? Pick another hero. Maybe balance the problem shot as best you can and use it as the hero.

The hero shot becomes you reference for the rest of the scene. Heroes are usually wide or medium-wide, with a point of reference for most (if not all) of the characters in the scene. If you can’t match your problem shots to it for one reason or another, then it doesn’t work very well as a hero does it? Pick another. Still can’t match that problem shot? Balance your problem shot as close to normal as you can without making it look unnatural, then match your other shots in the scene to it. It’s not ideal, but in a bind splitting the difference can help get the scene done.

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