Modern VideoFilm Uses DaVinci Resolve to Color FOX s Hit Television Show Sleepy Hollow

Blackmagic Design today announced that DaVinci Resolve is being used for color correction on FOX's hit television show Sleepy Hollow. Supervising Senior Colorist Todd Bochner, of L.A. based post production facility Modern VideoFilm, is responsible for coloring the series and relies on DaVinci Resolve to help deliver the show's highly stylized look on tight deadlines.

In this modern day twist on Washington Irving's classic, Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers. Revived alongside Ichabod is the infamous Headless Horseman who is on a murderous rampage in present day Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod quickly realizes that stopping Headless is just the beginning, as the resurrected rider is but the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and only one of the many formidable foes that Ichabod must face to protect not only Sleepy Hollow, but the world.

The look of the show and of Sleepy Hollow is very specific, and we've had fun working with the producers to achieve their vision, said Todd. They've asked us to push outside the box, and Resolve makes it possible to stretch the limits on looks. I never have to say no' or we can't do that' to the client.

Depending on the scene, the look can go from cool, dark and moody to warm, full and rich, all while maintaining a very cinematic tone. With such a range in looks, Todd cites Resolve's unlimited nodes, tracking feature and Power Windows as essential tools.

The unlimited node workflow is fantastic because I am constantly creating new looks for scenes. I can drum up one look, and the producers might want to try this or that, and I'll throw a new node on or build it in that node. If they love it, I can easily apply it to all the other cuts in the scene. Or we can try something different. The versioning feature lets me quickly come up with numerous looks, explained Todd.

Resolve's workflow is incredible because I'm never limited. There are 10 different ways to do everything, which opens up so many creative possibilities, he continued. I'm always trying to come up with different looks for different times of day or flashbacks, using lens blur effects, adding grain and sculpting lights. Resolve lets me keep developing creatively.

Because of the show's supernatural subject matter, Sleepy Hollow incorporates a large number of special effects, and Resolve helps Todd seamlessly navigate effects during color correction.

A lot of things that used to happen in compositing are now happening in color. Resolve's Power Windows and window tracking are so valuable because they are fast and precise, and I use them constantly, said Todd. The alpha mattes are priceless because it's a very special effects heavy show. Being able to pull mattes from the compositors to separate foregrounds from backgrounds is fantastic.

There's so much capability in Resolve, and the client responds well when you can show them a practically unlimited number of looks and effects. You dont get the turnaround time in television that you get in features, he continued. Being able to quickly offer a million different combinations at the same time is so valuable. The producers are making a really ambitious show on a tight timeline every week, and I've been able to deliver on their vision with Resolve.

About DaVinci Resolve

Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve is the world's highest performance on set, editing and color correction solution for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux computers. DaVinci Resolve supports more real time color correction than any other system because it's not limited by the performance of the computer it's running on. DaVinci Resolve eliminates this performance barrier because it's based on a cluster of high performance GPU cards, so all processing is always real time. DaVinci Resolve has the power of a true real time performance solution so handles complex color grades even when using dozens of primaries, secondaries, Power Windows , multi point tracking, blurs, and more. DaVinci Resolve provides incredible performance in a low cost solution which can be easily upgraded by adding extra GPUs for supercomputer power to handle 4K resolutions, stereoscopic 3D and real time grading direct from raw camera files such as ARRI RAW, RED RAW and Sony RAW files which can be handled with ease.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world's highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and film restoration software for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design's DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability, while the company's Emmy award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including stereoscopic 3D and 4K workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check http://www.blackmagicdesign.com.

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