A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Color-Correcting Software Changes a Film [RF Video of the Week]

March 27, 2015

By Laura Brauer

Creating videos for brands using designated gear and equipment isn’t a new concept, but there’s something inspiring about filmmaking software company Red Giant‘s approach with their latest commissioned video Old/New. This one plays off the company’s new color-correcting and film-finishing tool Magic Bullet Suite 12.

“Here we had this product whose sole purpose was to make your new footage look like an older medium,” says frequent Red Giant film director Seth Worley in the Old/New behind-the-scenes video. “If you start thinking about it, you realize that most photographs that we take these days, we don’t consider them presentable until we’ve made them look older and slightly crappier. And in kind of mining for our story, that felt like a really interesting place to start.”

Worley shot Old/New using a borrowed Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, and a Kessler Cineslider and Cinedrive. (Though he usually has some reservations against sliders in general, Worley explains in the BTS video why they pulled through for him and felt more like dollies.)

He and his crew give us a peek at how they put this comically wry film together, from the writing process through the art-designing, shooting, editing, color-correcting, effect-inputting—all the way to the final touches.

“I’m obviously proud of all the films we’ve made at Red Giant,” says Worley, who is also the behind Red Giant films Spy Vs. GuyTempo, Plot DeviceForm 17Order Up and more. “Old/New is special to me because I’m really proud of the fact that we were able to tie the film to the product thematically and not just visually.”

And if you’re curious about the final product, here’s the film, narrated by comedian Patton Oswalt.

Check out more Videos of the Week, and email Libby Peterson with submissions.

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