Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era

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Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 131, No. 6, pp. 43–56
Abstract: For most of cinema history, the defining factor in the post-production “look” of captured imagery was the print stock. In addition to serving the technical function of transforming scene-referred imagery for display, print stocks were engineered to impart preferential color characteristics and selected by filmmakers based on these qualities. As the physical medium of the print stock has been retired from image mastering workflows, so too has the principle of a global creative transform. This is neither necessary nor beneficial. With the ongoing proliferation of camera and display standards, unifying the imagery of a given piece of content has become increasingly challenging. This has led to the development of systems that address the technical aspects of the challenge, most notably the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES). Such initiatives and their broad adoption demonstrate an industry-wide recognition that world-class color grading demands world-class engineering. Yet, in spite of this recognition, there exists no initiative aimed at supporting the creative aspects of unifying motion imagery at the macro-level. This article outlines the proposed framework for the design of digital print stocks (DPSs), composed of a set of manipulations whose parameters can be intuitively modified by artists, resulting in a global look that can be deployed within any imaging pipeline.
Publication Date: 2022-07-01
DOI: 10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621
Author(s): Cullen Kelly
bio
Cullen Kelly is a Los Angeles-based senior colorist and image scientist with credits, including the 2021 Oscar-nominated short film Feeling Through, series for Netflix and HBO, and brand work for Microsoft, Kellogg’s, and Sephora. A thought leader in motion imaging, he shares his knowledge through his YouTube channel, writing and speaking engagements, and private consultation. He is also the creator of Colloid, a set of custom color grading tools used by many of the world’s top colorists and facilities. With a background in image science as well as the arts, he is passionate about the intersection of the creative and technical and its role in great visual storytelling.
Keyword(s): ACES, Color Grading, Color Management, DCinema, Film Print, HDR, Look Development
Copyright: © 2022 SMPTE

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Cullen Kelly; Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 6, July 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621

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Cullen Kelly; Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 6, July 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621

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<span class="citation">Cullen Kelly; <cite>Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 6, July 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621</a></span>

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Cullen Kelly; Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 6, July 2022); SMPTE, 2022
doi: 10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621

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Cullen Kelly; <cite id="bib-10-5594-jmi-2022-3173621">Digital Print Stock Design: A Framework for the Post-Film Era</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 6, July 2022); SMPTE, 2022
<span class="doi">10.5594/JMI.2022.3173621</span>
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