
Explaining the process to TVBEurope, Del Bravo said the films look was inspired by the Technicolor three-strip' process, evoking the rich colours of early 1950s films
By Contributor
Published: February 4, 2025
Explaining the process to TVBEurope, Del Bravo said the film's look was inspired by the Technicolor three-strip' process, evoking the rich colours of early 1950s films
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Queer is the highly anticipated 2024 period film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, based on the 1985 short novel by William S. Burroughs. Set in 1950s Mexico City, the film follows an outcast American expatriate (Daniel Craig) who becomes infatuated with a younger man (Drew Starkey). The movie premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in September, where it played in-competition for the Golden Lion. It was released in the United States in a limited theatrical release on November 27, by A24, and was released nationwide on 13 December.
A team reunited The film reunited a familiar director, DoP and colourist team - Luca Guadagnino, DoP Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and colourist Claudio Del Bravo.
I started working with Luca Guadagnino during the pre-production of the HBO series We Are Who We Are, says Del Bravo. I first met him during the camera and lens tests, where I presented the HDR results from different cameras to assist in the selection process. The series was a wonderful collaboration with the Swedish post-production team, Tint Post. The footage was dislocated across both countries, and we worked together throughout the entire post-production process and deliveries.
After a few advertising projects, Del Bravo went on to work on the grade of Guadagnino's Bones and All (2022), alongside the talented cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan - which helped consolidate his relationship with the director and his team. I met Sayombhu the following year while working on Challengers (2024), says Del Bravo. The film was shot near Boston, with Postworks New York managing the dailies and film scanning process, and the final grade was completed in Rome.
The post-production process for Challengers was lengthy due to extensive VFX and the SGA-AFTRA strike, which delayed the release, and so the team already began discussing their next project, Queer, during the final stages of post-production.
They were planning to shoot in Rome at Cinecitt Studios, says Del Bravo. This gave us the chance to work together from the initial camera tests, developing the right look for the project. We conducted numerous tests involving sets, costumes, lenses, and film stock, which allowed us to refine our vision across various elements and create a streamlined workflow from dailies to delivery.
Sayombhu and Del Bravo also spent some time discussing colour and grading tools quite extensively. He is genuinely interested in understanding how to work best with the footage and the innovations in our workflow, adds Del Bravo. He particularly enjoyed working with Baselight.
Visual goals For Queer, Del Bravo, Guadagnino and Mukdeeprom developed a look inspired by the Technicolor three-strip' process, evoking the rich colours of early 1950s films. We discussed references to old Hollywood studio films, the work of Bernardo Bertolucci, and the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, recalls Del Bravo. Classic films like Black Narcissus (1947) and Amarcord (1973), as well as the works of the Flemish painter Micha l Borremans and the American artist Edward Hopper, played a significant role in shaping the distinct aesthetic for the project.
LUTs and an ACES workflow The team began by creating a LUT for the dailies, which evolved into a Look Modification Transform (LMT) for the final ACES workflow. During the camera tests, they conducted a full round-trip through the post-production process. Cinecitt did an initial Blackmagic Cintel scan of the footage to create dailies for editorial, followed by a new 4K Arriscan of the footage actually used in the film, explains Del Bravo. This allowed us to create two different LUTs - one for the Cintel scan and another for the Arriscan, to maintain colour consistency across editing, VFX, and reviews.
I then created an ACES LMT from these LUTs and moved to Baselight for the final grading. I always prefer to use ACES and Baselight in complex workflows like this (with multiple deliveries) to maintain full control over each version, from HDR to screen to home video.
Chromogen Del Bravo utilised Chromogen, the new look development tool in Baselight 6.0, for the first time on Queer. It is an incredible tool that helped us develop our first LUT for the project, says Del Bravo. The Colour Cross Talk feature was also invaluable in creating a Technicolor-inspired look, mimicking the three-strip process. Additionally, I utilised the new RIFE engine for retiming some sequences, which worked exceptionally well and added a smoothness to the process.
Challenges The film was shot at Cinecitt Studios in Rome, so one of the challenges for Del Bravo was that many scenes involved shooting against green and blue screens. What made these scenes truly come alive, however, was how Sayombhu enhanced the sets with an additional layer of lighting, says Del Bravo. This not only aligned with the emotions of the story, but also provided a real light source to match the artificial backgrounds.
But, since nearly every shot in the film involved VFX, Del Bravo's biggest challenge was ensuring that everything remained consistent with Luca's vision. This was a collaborative effort across departments, enabling us to achieve a result that felt both real and artificial, or - as Luca put it, grotesque yet refined, like a Powell and Pressburger fantasy'. We aimed to take vi
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
12/09/2026
Latest Obsolete Devices pedal announced
Great Eastern FX Co. have just launched the latest pedal in their Obsolete Devices series, a range of effects pedals...
12/09/2026
September 11, 2026
BUDAPEST & SEATTLE, 10 September 2026 - Qumulo and Colorfron...
12/09/2026
Calrec expands its IP ecosystem with new Type RT console and Apex M6 Modular I/O Platform at IBC 2026 Type RT is the centrepiece of Calrec's news at IBC 202...
11/09/2026
Spark series gains compact modelling stompbox
Positive Grid's Spark amps have become a popular part of the company's line-up, offering a convenient ...
11/09/2026
New flagship sequencing plug-in revealed
Rapid Flow have just launched a new 16-track sequencer plug-in which they say has been designed for total rhythmic...
11/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz unveils the air-cooled R&S TM1 medium-power UHF transmitter at I...
11/09/2026
Friday 11 September 2026
Sky Sports extends US Open deal to 2030
Sky has agreed a three-year extension to its US Open deal, ensuring Sky Sports & NOW remains ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
A Decade of Innovation: AMP VISUAL TV Builds on Ten Years of MediorNet EvolutionAMP VISUAL TV is continuing the evolution of its ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Mediacom Deploys Riedel Easy5G for Wireless Camer...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Touring Video Expands Flexible Production Workflows With Riedel MediorNet and hiRiedel Communications today announced that Tourin...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Riedel Technology Powers Record-Breaking Esports World Cup Production in ParisFrom July 6 to Aug. 23, 2026, Paris hosted the Espo...
11/09/2026
Article courtesy of Digital Production
Read the article
With Baselight 8 coming in 2027, the interesting part is not the number of new buttons. Some features...
11/09/2026
It's almost iPhone Pro time. Starting Saturday, September 12, at 1 p.m, cust...
11/09/2026
RT has today announced Benetti Menswear as the sponsor of its 2026 Amgen Irish Open coverage for a sixth consecutive year, further strengthening the heritage c...
10/09/2026
Editing, restoration & mastering suite upgraded Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editing restoration mastering software.
Acon Digital have just launched the la...
10/09/2026
Classic synths & drum machines available to play
Based in Reading, UK, Readipop are a music and arts charity with a long track record of innovative, partici...
10/09/2026
Popular model updated & new addition introduced
With many of the models in Neumann's KH family now boasting onboard DSP and support for the company'...
10/09/2026
Improved desktop interface announced
The latest iteration of Arturia's flagship desktop audio interface has just arrived, introducing improved preamps, ...
10/09/2026
Progress needs proof: Rohde & Schwarz showcases its trailblazing test solutions ...
10/09/2026
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max,...
10/09/2026
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced Apple Watch Ultra 4 - the ultimate ...
10/09/2026
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced Apple Watch Series 12, engineered w...
10/09/2026
The beloved duo are back with big challenges and even bigger laughs as they discover if you're ever truly too old to try something new.
Previous praise for...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky News Defence Insider app launches as new researc...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Award-winning network Sky Mobile to offer Apple iPho...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky unveils gripping teaser for The Good Daughter, coming this NovemberTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options a...
10/09/2026
Harmonic Leads the New Era of Broadband Connectivity at SCTE TechExpo 2026 Showcase Spotlights Include:
New cOS SensAI intelligence fabric unleashing data-pow...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
** MEDIA ALERT **
NARUTO Takes the Stage at New York Comic Con 2026 Special Panel to Feature Franchise News, First-look Footage and Appearances by Japanese ...
09/09/2026
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone. Opened, it is the thinnest iPhone ever, with a 7.6-inch inner display that p...
09/09/2026
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced AirPods 5, delivering the industry...
09/09/2026
Chennai/Luxembourg, 9 September 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today announced the inauguration of its new office in Chennai, India, marking a s...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...