Sites for Northgate Productions and project TT300 were launched.
Editing of the TT300 has been started. The editing workflow is not as designed, I designed it firstly that I cut and edit footage when all has been shot, but because of the lack of time I edit our footage according as we shoot it, so maximum productivity is ensured. We have shooted chronologically almost everything from the start to the first fight.
The editing pipeline is broken into segments to keep things organized. The pipeline includes the following steps:
1. Color correcting the footage and adding the "300" style atmospherics.
1.3 Editing and animating the atmosphere layers.
1.4 Tracking and stabilizing footage.
2. Creating slow-motions and speed ramps.
3. Adding blood effects
4. Rotoscoping the Captain's helmet.
5. Additional atmospheric effects.
6. Possible depth of field rotoscoping.
7. Adding some artistic effects to the whole footage, to make it look more like painting more than film.
8. Sound effects and music.
Here I have added some more detailed information on editing pipeline steps.
1. Color correcting the footage and adding the "300" style atmospherics.
In "300", the unique visual style of the movie was produced using various and very creative techniques. First of all I mention the effect, nicknamed by the producers of "300", the Crush. Crush effects means crushing the black content of the image, and raising white levels to boost contrast. This makes shadows very deep and dark, adding somewhat paintish effect.
Overall colorspace is desaturated so, that the reds come forth. In "300", only the Spartan crimson capes were only elements to differ radically from the otherwise very narrow colorscale. Buy desaturating all other than red channels, the red is brought out more efficiently, adding to the unique effect.
Sky was always covered with clouds in the movie. The atmosphere was kind of dark, even in day. Clouds are very often cumulus in formation, and one detail which makes the "300" so unique on its visual looks are the facts that atmospheric blue is black. Even in day, when the sun shines from the top of the sky, blue sky is black, creating mystical effect. But when the story describes Sparta, the atmospheric color is very interesting greenish/blue, while clouds turn to warm colors, red orange. The atmospherics are no doubt used as an important element to establish different moods. The more bright atmosphere in Sparta stands for hope and good life, as the blackened and dim skies in the battle stands for ominous and brooding things.
2. Creating slow-motions and speed ramps.
Slow-motion was massively used in the movie, in the ways where it stands out more and in the ways where it stands out less. For example in the sequence, when Persians came to Sparta to negotiate, just before Leonidas kicks the messenger down the well, his face is depicted in slow-motion, clearly to make his thoughts stands out and add to dramatics. And for another example in the first slow-motion battle sequence where Leonidas breaks through the Persian ranks, the slow-motion is very standing-out, giving the sequence it's spirit.
Also so called speed-ramps are used widely in "300". When Spartan is hitting a Persian, the film is slowed down, and when the strike is executed, film is being runned faster than normally, giving the attacks more intensity than with normal speed throughout the sequence.
With this details in mind, we are trying to recreate the best "300" slow-motion and speed ramping effect as possible. Of course we can't achieve the same quality of slow-motion, because they have shot the sequences with cameras capable of capturing even 150 fps, when our camera captures only 60i. We have to rely on post-processing slow-motion by using tools which interpolate new frames between existing ones based on their information to produce slow-motion effects. Quite good ones can be produced, but not as good as with true high speed cameras.
3. Adding blood effects
Blood and gore is crucial part of "300". The blood is made very cartoon-like, in some sequences working out better than in the others. We however are going to use more and more realistic blood, because our production is not restricted to any age limit.
4. Rotoscoping the Captain's helmet.
The Captain's helmet is going to be dark so that he's face is not seeable from the helmet's face hole. It adds to the cartoon effect, and the helmet is so cool that it comes out better. It will look pretty intense.
5. Additional atmospheric effects.
Additional atmoshperic effects includes smoke and fog, fire made to the campsites and fireplaces, sparks flying all around the air near the fires, etc. These effects are used to bring dynamic to every scene.
6. Possible depth of field rotoscoping.
One key effect to make beginner production to look more professional is the depth of field. Depth of field means that elements that are out of focus are blurred (for example closeup of a man and his background is blurred). 35mm film cameras produce automatically this effect, and it may not be standing out effect, but very important part to make film look more professional. This step is although very optional, because adding depth of field in post-processing means for the most part frame-by-frame rotoscoping, which is massive amount of work.
7. Adding some artistic effects to the whole footage, to make it look more like painting more than film.
The "300" has somewhat a gritty, illustrative feel on it, a bit of watercolour effect. "300" is film interpretation of a graphic novel, and thats what it's creator wanted it to look like film: Graphig novel brought to life. Every frame in "300" has really interesting cartoonish feeling, and we are going to replicate it as much as possible using different kinds of artistic filters.
8. Sound effects and music.
Sound effects bear a important part in the movie as well as music. We are trying to replicate the sophisticated soundspheres used in "300", especially in slow-motion sequences.
11/23/2009
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