Understanding that color at its core is about volume and depth, I find it helpful to start with the concept of a colorspace as a targeted boundary within the conceptual visible spectrum. Once you understand this, you can better understand calibration/working environment which I think is an important fundamental element to the process that can be easily lost in the digital/remote age.
The following graphic displays the human visible color spectrum as a color gamut, with parameters (standards) that define how much of the visible spectrum we are able to work within.
via BenQ
All of this can be helpful to understand (especially with brightness as a factor) why replicating certain colors that you are able to view in real life may be limited by the defined color space.
For the purpose of this course, we’ll only be working or focusing on Rec. 709 (which can also be referred to as SDR) which has traditionally been
Here’s an article as well with more info about Color Spaces 👇
18% Gray Paint
We always start the process of setting up a new room by painting the walls with:
(1) Coat of Primer
(2) Coats of GTI Standard N5
When D50 or D65 standard illuminationis reflected from colored walls its color quality changes so it is no longer “standard”. The application of a neutral gray paint to surrounding surfaces will eliminate this color pollution by providing spectrally neutral surfaces around the viewing area. GTI’s neutral gray paints are for use in color viewing areas that require a gray surround as specified by industry viewing standards. They provide a spectrally neutral viewing background that eliminates simultaneous color contrast and minimizes color pollution in a viewing area. GTI’s neutral grays are superior because they are not a simple black and white mix, but an equal mix of all spectrum colors (r-o-y-g-b-i-v). This significantly reduces the cold and warm shifts seen under differing lighting conditions.
Bias Lighting
Next step is lighting, we typically use MediaLight because of their no nonsense approach to precision and accuracy in calibrated lighting.
You see, good bias lighting isn't about guesswork and it's not about opinions either. There is a recognized reference standard. Good bias lighting requires ultra-high CRI, a correlated color temperature of 6500K and chromaticity coordinates of x = 0.313, y = 0.329.
via MediaLight
A bit about shaping and leveling bias lighting in a workspace:
It is designed to be placed behind the monitor, bouncing light onto the wall behind it. The light bouncing off the wall behind the monitor should be one-tenth the intensity of the monitor when the monitor is displaying 100% white. Any additional lighting in the room can’t increase this brightness level. The light sources should be 6,500K bulbs or be filtered to reach that temperature. No bulbs or light sources should be visible to a colorist’s eyes while grading.