Tribeca Documentary Ferguson Rises Finished at Arsenal FX Color
data-src=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c562aaf4-bpthumb.jpg data-srcset=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c561c0e7-bpfull.jpg 2x class=lazyload avatar avatar-80 photo height=80 width=80 />
Brie Clayton June 14, 2021
0 Comments
In his first project for the Santa Monica post-production facility, colorist J.R. Benson applies the finishing touch to Mobolaji Olambiwonnu's film about the events that helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement.
Arsenal FX Color provided post-production finishing services for Ferguson Rises, director Mobolaji Olambiwonnu's inspiring documentary about Ferguson, Missouri which in 2014 became a flashpoint for the civil rights movement after a white police officer was acquitted of criminal charges in the killing of Michael J. Brown, an unarmed black man, sparking days of protest and rage. Senior colorist J.R. Benson, in his first project for Arsenal FX Color, worked with Olambiwonnu and cinematographer Jerry Henry to finalize the look for the film, which makes its world premiere on June 15th as part of the Tribeca Film Festival's inaugural series of Online Premieres.
data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195855/ArsenalVFX_Olambiwonnu_Benson.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2411751 data-srcset=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195855/ArsenalVFX_Olambiwonnu_Benson.jpg 624w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195855/ArsenalVFX_Olambiwonnu_Benson-300x142.jpg 300w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195855/ArsenalVFX_Olambiwonnu_Benson-50x24.jpg 50w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195855/ArsenalVFX_Olambiwonnu_Benson-100x47.jpg 100w data-sizes=(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px />Olambiwonnu's documentary feature debut, Ferguson Rises is a story of community spirit, rebirth and transcendence. Through interviews with Brown's father, his friend Dorian Johnson (who witnessed the shooting), community leaders and many others, the film shows how, in the six years since Brown's death, the citizens of Ferguson have overcome racism and division through love, hope and beauty. It is the story of a father's grief and a small town that gave rise to the global Black Lives Matter movement.
The narrative in the media was oriented toward what the community lost, says Olambiwonnu, who was motivated to make the film, in part, through his own experience as a teenager being arrested for a crime he did not commit. I wanted to go deeper and look at the human beings, on all sides, who were affected by these events, the police, white citizens, black citizens, Michael Brown's father, and others. I wanted to provide a counternarrative to the events that took place, one based not on loss, but on hope and resilience.
Benson had not previously worked with Olambinwonnu or Henry before post-production finishing began last year at Arsenal FX Color, but he says they quickly bonded over the film's subject matter. Having witnessed rioting sparked by racial unrest as a child growing up in Detroit, Benson says Brown's killing struck a nerve. It was personal to me, he recalls. When I first looked at the material, I had a very emotional reaction to what I saw because I lived that. From that moment, Mobolaji, Jerry and I were on the same page and it is apparent in the way we colored the film.
Olambiwonnu sought to use color to present an image of Ferguson that contrasted with how the city appeared in news coverage. I wanted to convey hope when you first see the town, he explains. So, the film opens with vibrant saturated colors. It feels uplifting. Later, as the subjects reflect on the tragedy and the turmoil that engulfed their city, we move into a more desaturated realm, both to underscore the change in mood and to distinguish the present from the past. By the end of the film, we increase the color spectrum again as people feel more hopeful and life comes back to the community.
data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX.png alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2411752 data-srcset=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX.png 900w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX-300x168.png 300w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX-768x431.png 768w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX-624x350.png 624w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX-50x28.png 50w, https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/14195920/ArsenalVFX-100x56.png 100w data-sizes=(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px />Ferguson Rising wasn't a simple film to color. Olambiwonnu recorded the interview segments over a period of six years, working with a variety of cameras. Additionally, the film incorporates news footage and other archival media documenting Brown's killing, the trial of Darren Wilson (Brown's killer) and the civil unrest that followed. All that material needed to be brought in a consistent aesthetic and conform to the story's narrative arc. It wasn't the kind of a project where I could work from the director's and the DP's notes, says Benson. I needed Mobolaji and Jerry in the room with me. Each scene had a different style and emotional pitch.
Benson notes that news footage of Brown's death required especially sensitive handling. He's lying in the street, police are standing over him and his friend, Dorian Johnson, is there in tears, Benson recalls. I monochromatically shifted the look and left the color very flat. It helped to capture the emotion of the scene where a ma
Most recent headlines
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...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Marshall Electronics, a globally recognized provider of high-performance video solutions for broadcast, streaming, AV and professional production, will exhibit ...
08/10/2026
Latest Innovations Extend Fiber to Any Location and Elevate Subscriber Quality o...
Tribeca Documentary Ferguson Rises Finished at Arsenal FX Color 
