Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Creating George Miller's graphic prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

11/06/2024

Colourist Eric Whipp discusses the challenges of creating the look for George Millers epic blockbuster

By Contributor

Published: June 11, 2024 Updated: June 13, 2024

Colourist Eric Whipp discusses the challenges of creating the look for George Miller's epic blockbuster

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Colourist Eric Whipp discusses the challenges of creating the look for George Miller's epic blockbuster

https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/creating-george-millers-graphic-prequel-furiosa-a-mad-max-saga title=Share via Email class=share-email>

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a 2024 post-apocalyptic film directed by George Miller and shot by cinematographer Simon Duggan. It is the fifth instalment in the Mad Max series and a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

Responsible for the colour on the latest instalment was Eric Whipp of alter ego, who worked on Baselight 6.0 across three locations: alter ego in LA and Toronto as well as Spectrum Films in Sydney, who handled the workflow supervision, conform, home entertainment mastering and delivery in Baselight.

Whipp, Miller and the Spectrum team worked together previously on Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) and brought a similar workflow to Furiosa. Whipp and Miller also collaborated on Fury Road, but the director-colourist duo has worked together for nearly two decades.

It's been almost 20 years since the first film I did with George, which was Happy Feet, back in 2005, says Whipp. Since then, we've done five films together, and created a kind of shorthand. I have learned what type of image and style he likes, and at the same time, he's challenged me further and further in the grade, knowing that I can most probably achieve whatever he's looking for. Together, we've pushed the boundaries of what Baselight can do and embraced every little toolset we can find to help tell stories.

Developing a workflow: Sydney The work on the film was spread across three different facilities and cities - starting with Spectrum Films, a family-owned and operated business in Sydney, Australia, who handled the conforming in Baselight in the same space as the editorial department.

Left to right: Dan Glass (VFX supervisor for DNEG), Genna McAuliffe (senior producer for alter ego), Eric Whipp and George Miller We started on the workflow for Furiosa while we were completing Three Thousand Years of Longing, comments Michael Messih, technical operations manager at Spectrum. The same on-set VFX supervisor worked on both films, so we were able to bring a lot of what we had developed in Baselight directly over to the Furiosa pipeline.

The Rebel Fleet managed the dailies and all the VFX pulls, and because there were so few shots which didn't require visual effects we decided to do everything via EXR sequences, explains Catherine Armstrong, general manager and head of post-production at Spectrum. At no point did we actually see any of the original camera raw files.

Andrew Cuc , colourist and finishing editor at Spectrum, commented: The best feature we had was Baselight's shot versioning tool. We would typically get up to 100 shots a day, so having the version refresh feature made things so much quicker. Also being able to switch back and compare versions during VFX reviews was amazing.

Spectrum helped to develop a workflow for colour-critical 4K graded streams between LA and Sydney, and maintained a rigorous calibration check procedure - including colour comparisons and render tests - to ensure that everyone was seeing the same images.

George likes to refer to the term rolling DI', implying a tight integration between departments which means that the grading process happens alongside all the VFX work, explains Messih. Having the remote working ability between Spectrum and alter ego meant that Eric didn't have to spend weeks over in Sydney - and George could review everything from the 4K DI theatre at Spectrum.

The Spectrum team worked entirely in ACES and made good use of Baselight's ability to quickly switch between colour spaces to compare colour in different viewing conditions. It also supported quick switching of formats, which they were doing all the time to compare 4K, HD and UHD against the various references.

Supported by a team of additional finishing editors (Affrica Handley and James Cowie) and production experts (Basia A'hern and Sofia Costa), the Spectrum team utilised the Baselight reporting tool, which allowed them to provide daily data reports and enable the VFX supervisor to cross-check versions.

This was essential in Furiosa, as we were doing most of the VFX changes in Baselight rather than waiting for an updated EDL, comments Armstrong. DI was effectively leading the edit in the end, so this reporting tool was critical.

Due to the nature of Eric's stacks, I ended up doing quite a lot of the editorial changes manually in the timeline, adds Cuc . The new Baselight 6.0 timeline editing tools will make this much easier - the addition of tracks and the ability to compress large stacks means managing a complex timeline will be a lot simpler for future projects like this.

Colour: LA and Canada alter ego opened its LA office in September 2023 and knew one of the first projects would be Furiosa.

We ensured we had everything we needed to grade the film while building out the new office, says Whipp. A big part of this was to ensure that our six Baselight suites in Toronto could easily sync with the two new Baselight suites in LA.

We also needed to find a way to sync up the Baselight suites at Spectrum, so we set up a project server here at alter ego in LA, which everyone was connected to, says Whipp. This way, once a reel was conformed in Sydney, it was as easy as opening it in LA and everything was linked up.
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/creating-george-millers-grap...
See more stories from tvb

Europe Stories

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

07/08/2025

Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, Redefining In-Car Entertainment Experience

July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...

18/07/2025

The Sky Arts Awards Are Back, Live From The Roundhouse This September

Friday 18 July 2025 Credit: Marc Sethi The Sky Arts Awards will return on 16 September, once again taking place at the iconic Roundhouse in London. Produced b...

18/07/2025

2025-07-18

This month, players can dive into special crossover events featuring SpongeBob SquarePants in Snake.io+ and Crossy Road Castle, available exclusively on Apple A...

18/07/2025

Hurling Fans Flock Together for a Night of Craic agus Ceol on RT's Up For The Match this Saturday night

Up for the Match brings the fun, the passion-and a bit of Riverdance- tomorrow n...

17/07/2025

Audiobooks+ Brings More Choice and Flexibility to Spotify Premium Subscribers

Spotify's goal with audiobooks is to help grow the publishing industry and create the best possible experience for booklovers, which is why we're launch...

17/07/2025

SES Receives All Required Regulatory Approvals to Complete Intelsat Acquisition

Luxembourg, 14 July 2025 - SES received the final regulatory approvals for the SES-Intelsat transaction, including the US Federal Communications Commission. O...

17/07/2025

Riedel Communications Powers Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour with Integrated Network and Comms Solutions

Wuppertal July 17, 2025 Riedel Communications Powers Handa Opera on Sydney Har...

17/07/2025

Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2025 Financial Results Via Webcast

Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2025 F...

17/07/2025

Dalet Showcases the Tools and Vision to Lead Media and Entertainment's Next Chapter at IBC 2025

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, w...

17/07/2025

Tune into summer on RT Radio 1 | A season of stories, sounds, and something for everyone

The summer is here and RT Radio 1 has unveiled a lively seasonal lineup, packed...

16/07/2025

Spotify's Editors Pick Their Best Podcasts of the Year (So Far)

Spotify's podcast editorial team is always on the hunt for shows and episodes that spark conversation, push boundaries, and keep us coming back for more. As...

16/07/2025

Clear-Com's EQUIP Boosts Ride Efficiency, Safety, and Communication at Merlin Theme Parks

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

16/07/2025

IBC 2025

Join us at IBC this September and take control of your content. Discover how we're bringing a new level of purpose and precision to the application of AI in...

16/07/2025

Sky and ITV extend multi-year content and platform partnership

Wednesday 16 July 2025 Sky and ITV today announced an extension of their long-standing partnership, which will see ITV's content and services remain seamle...

16/07/2025

Living with the Lions: What really happens on tour

Sky Sports lifts the lid on Lions life with hilarious behind-the-scenes mockumentaryWednesday 16 July 2025 To view this content, please enable our use of cooki...

16/07/2025

2025-07-16

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles for this year's 77th Emmy Awa...

15/07/2025

Open Call: Resilience Incubator for Independent Media in Brazil and Colombia

Independent media outlets in Brazil and Colombia are invited to apply for a new programme aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of journalism in the f...

15/07/2025

A travs de una nueva colaboracin, usuarios de DiDi en nueve pases de Latinoamrica podrn acceder a Spotify Premium

Spotify une fuerzas con DiDi, la app l der en servicios de movilidad, delivery y...

15/07/2025

SES Successfully Prices 1 Billion Dual-Tranche Bond Offering with Strong 5.5x Oversubscription

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNIT...

15/07/2025

U&GOLD to bring Fawlty Towers: The Play to TV audiences for the first time

U&GOLD has acquired the broadcast rights for Fawlty Towers: The Play (1x120'). Recorded during the show's run at the West End with its original cast, Fa...

15/07/2025

TV SIM builds for the future with high efficiency transmitter from Rohde & Schwarz

TV SIM builds for the future with high efficiency transmitter from Rohde & Schwa...

15/07/2025

Harmonic to Showcase Breakthrough Video Streaming and Broadcast Delivery Innovations at IBC2025

Harmonic's Hybrid, AI-Powered and Live Sports Streaming Innovations are Key ...

15/07/2025

The Next Level 4099 CORE+ Instrument Microphone

The well-known and well-loved 4099 has been completely revamped. It features amazing CORE+ technology, which eliminates distortion and extends dynamic range, a ...

15/07/2025

Comscore Partners with HyphaMetrics to Launch Advanced Person-Level Audience Measurement and CTV Program-Level Reporting

Comscore Partners with HyphaMetrics to Launch Advanced Person-Level Audience Mea...

15/07/2025

All Ireland Football semi-finals and Tailteann Cup Final draw large audiences to RT

Peak audiences of over half a million tune into both Kerry v Tyrone and Donegal ...

15/07/2025

PROTON Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025

PROTON Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025 posted: 15/07/2025 Proton Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025 Alongs...

14/07/2025

RT Launches New Look Weather Forecasts

Enhancing Public Service Broadcasting with Innovation, Accuracy & Sustainability New regional detail and local towns featured...

11/07/2025

Superman' Filmmaker James Gunn Reveals the Playlists Inspired by Your Favorite Characters

If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...

11/07/2025

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit The...

10/07/2025

Taliban repression silences award-winning Afghan woman journalist

The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...

10/07/2025

A New Report Puts Aussie Artists in the Spotlight

Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...

10/07/2025

Spotify Toasts Oasis's Return With Exclusive Ways for Fans to Get Closer to the Music That Defined a Generation

This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...

10/07/2025

Spotify and Youth Music Open Doors for Future Artists

The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...

10/07/2025

VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing

10 Jul 2025 VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...

10/07/2025

From Treehouses to the Deep Sea: A First Look at Sky Kids New Adventures

Thursday 10 July 2025 The Very Small Creatures Jaime's Treetop Tales Emerald BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party The Very Sm...

10/07/2025

Millions of Sky customers set to enjoy even bigger rewards as Sky VIP loyalty programme gets a major upgrade

Thursday 10 July 2025 Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...

10/07/2025

Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including Persons-Based Data

Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including...

09/07/2025

Sky becomes UKs fastest major broadband provider with launch of new 5 Gbps Full Fibre speed and WiFi 7 hub

Wednesday 9 July 2025 Sky Broadband now has the UK's fastest broadband spee...

09/07/2025

2025-07-09

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan, Apple's senior...

08/07/2025

MediaSafe Africa: A New Digital Safety Resource for Journalists

In an era where digital threats to journalists are becoming increasingly aggressive and widespread, MediaSafe Africa launches as a vital online resource to help...

08/07/2025

Spotify's Our Game, Our Sound' Campaign Champions Community and Joy in Women's Football

This summer, as the energy builds for one of the biggest moments in women's ...

08/07/2025

Richard Watsham to depart UKTV following highly successful 14-year tenure

UKTV today announces that Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV, has decided to step down fro...

08/07/2025

Harmonic Sets DOCSIS 4.0 Record with 14 Gbps Downstream Speed at CableLabs Interoperability Event

SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 8, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a reco...

08/07/2025

Arvato Systems optimizes customer communication with AOK Niedersachsen

Arvato Systems Optimizes Customer Communication with AOK Niedersachsen New project in the statutory health insurance sector Arvato Systems and AOK Niedersach...