I really don't want to make bad movies!

The upgraded monitor supports real-time color adjustment.

By simply connecting a high-performance device to the monitor and running 3DLUT, you can use Da Vinci to render the monitor screen in real time.

Although there is still a difference from the final color grading, we can determine the general direction.

When faced with high-exposure or extremely dark scenes, the DIT team and director of photography usually preview the color grading scheme in advance to prevent excessive difficulty in post-production color grading.

For example, the indoor low-light environment we are currently filming.

Chen Yuan looked at the computer's color wheel for a moment and chose to apply a gray background filter directly to enhance the light source and make the atmosphere more intense.

Xia Ming looked at it for a while and was not satisfied.

After mastering Akira Kurosawa's art of color, I still felt that the paintings in front of me were not amazing enough.

The main focus of web dramas is on the characters, so it's important to ensure that the characters' details stand out and leap off the background.

"Cancel it first, and reduce the saturation to 60%."

Chen Yuan did as instructed, and the entire scene instantly darkened.

Xia Ming thought for a moment before saying, "Okay, lower the shadows and blacks to increase the contrast."

"Director, isn't it too dark?"

Chen Yuan expressed her doubts, thinking that it would be better to use her own quick filter, which would save time and effort and produce good results.

"Adjust the curves: increase the blacks and decrease the shadows, while increasing the whites and highlights."

Still making trouble?

Despite her inner complaints, Chen Yuan had no choice but to comply.

Watching the figures gradually blur, he didn't say anything, but inwardly he cursed, "What a mess! All that lighting was a waste!"

As Xia Ming watched the image on the monitor gradually develop a distinctive color tone, he continued to instruct, "Apply the color wheel."

Chen Yuan clicked on the color wheel, but didn't immediately drag the mouse, appearing somewhat hesitant.

With the director's approach, the final product will definitely be a mess.

Although it's a service that's paid for, it's still based on a recommendation from an acquaintance.

"Director, it'll look dirty if you adjust the colors any further," he kindly reminded him.

"It's okay, just do as I say. Add more cyan to the highlights, some warm yellow to the shadows, and finally, add orange to the backlight."

Chen Yuan sighed inwardly.

This director pretends to know what he doesn't; he'll never amount to anything!

It appears very professional on the surface, but it doesn't consider the actual lighting environment and has no aesthetic sense whatsoever!

However, he didn't say much, but silently adjusted the color wheel according to Xia Ming's instructions.

The director is the boss; he's just an employee!

however.

As the color tones in the scene changed, Chen Yuan's gaze also shifted slightly.

Although the director's color grading scheme sounds whimsical, it is indeed highly distinctive in style.

If I had to describe it in one word, it would be "order within chaos," and you could still sense a certain logic to it.

However, this color scheme is definitely not something the general public will appreciate!

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yuan still spoke up and made the suggestion.

This time, it wasn't out of kindness, but rather with a learning and exchange attitude: "Director, I think I understand what you mean; you want to highlight the character."

"But the background really can't be adjusted any further; the picture is too dark, and it will cause viewing difficulties for the audience."

Xia Ming smiled. This colorist must be quite skilled to have been recommended.

"Don't rush, the color mixer hasn't been used yet."

Chen Yuan was taken aback.

He quickly realized what was happening, opened the color mixer, and then became confused again: "Which color should I select?"

Xia Ming leaned down and pointed with his finger at the skin tone of the character and the reflective parts of the scene: "Create a separate layer for the character's face, circle it, brighten the orange, and slightly blur the outline. Brighten all the highlights in the background."

Chen Yuan did exactly as instructed.

The moment the highlights in the background began to glow faintly, his eyes widened involuntarily, and his lips involuntarily parted.

The character has jumped out!

Moreover, the surrounding environment was not distorted!

Highlights and shadows were pre-colored, so when the character jumps out, the surrounding shadows are suppressed by the reflections at various points, avoiding the awkward situation of the shadows overshadowing the character.

This reminded Chen Yuan of his days learning to sketch; a good reflection can cleverly connect the balance of black, white, and gray.

This director is a master!

Chen Yuan reacted quickly and pressed the save preset button.

I've learned another advanced LUT template, I'm making a fortune!

"Huh, why save it?"

"Huh? Aren't you going to save it?"

Xia Ming asked in confusion, "It's not finished adjusting yet."

Chen Yuan asked in surprise, "It's not finished adjusting yet?!"

It's already so perfect, why do we need to change it?

Before he could react, Xia Ming continued, "The saturation hasn't been brought back yet. Once we get back to a normal image, we'll adjust the highlights."

Chen Yuan then remembered that he had set the saturation to 60% at the beginning of the color grading.

With such low saturation, the characters are practically jumping out of the frame!

He incredulously reopened the basic correction interface and turned the saturation back to 100%.

Holy crap!

At that moment, Chen Yuan felt as if he had witnessed a miracle!

The character of Shao Zhuang is firmly etched in his eyes!

Like a priest in a dilapidated church after the war, silently praying for children while clutching a cross amidst the dim ruins, radiating a faint light that cannot be ignored.

The reflections in the darkness, like the embers left after a bombardment, made the priest appear even more sacred.

Chen Yuan knew he was overthinking things, but that was his first reaction after seeing the color grading.

He didn't know much about the script, nor did he know the specific character of Shao Zhuang; he simply thought the color grading was amazing.

"We need to maintain a consistent color tone throughout the series, and we should lower the highlights a bit."

Hearing Xia Ming's words, Chen Yuan groggily came back to her senses, looked at the artwork in front of her, and reluctantly spoke:

"Director, this scene is so good! I was immediately drawn to the character. Should we change it?"

Without realizing it, his tone changed from a well-intentioned reminder to a discussion about learning, and finally to a genuine question.

Xia Ming nodded and said, "Of course it needs to be changed. Color must serve the narrative. You can't sacrifice the color of the entire series for the aesthetics of a single shot."

"This is a dark environment, and the highlights can be this bright. What about other outdoor environments?"

"I forgot, my bad!" Chen Yuan belatedly realized that the scene before him was so stunning that he almost forgot the basic theory that colors should not have any breaks.

Adjusting the highlights to the appropriate range, Chen Yuan glanced at Xia Ming and asked cautiously:

"Director, your color grading skills are far superior to mine! Why did you even bother hiring me..."

His skillful use of high-contrast orange-cyan tones and his perfect technique of separating skin tone and environment through secondary color grading made him pale in comparison and feel inferior.

"Don't I have any other work to do?" Xia Ming was speechless, his stomach growling with hunger. "Follow this LUT template and render all the colors of the rough cut first."

"After we finish filming this episode in a couple of days, we'll go to the color grading studio to adjust the details."

"Yes, no problem!" Chen Yuan nodded quickly.

Just then, Zhao Fei finished his meal and returned to the photography area, calling out to Xia Ming, "Xia, aren't you going to eat yet!"

"Coming right away."

Zhao Fei walked to the monitor, and upon seeing the footage, his eyes immediately lit up: "Wow! What did I tell you? The person I recommended was pretty good, wasn't he? Look at the interplay of light and shadow, the cinematic quality—absolutely amazing!"

He patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder and laughed loudly, "Two years have passed, and your skills have improved by leaps and bounds!"

Chen Yuan pointed to Xia Ming, who was eating rice nearby, and smiled sheepishly, "Director Xia is in charge."

"..."

Zhao Fei mechanically turned his head and saw Yan Shu constantly adding food to Xia Ming's plate.

He was puzzled to himself, wondering just what kind of monster Xia Ming was.

……

Back at the hotel, Xia Ming finally had time to take out his phone.

He really wanted to know what kind of traffic Kiwi had given him, and how he could attract 15,000 fans in just one day.

When I opened the kiwi app, I was surprised to find that the number of fans had already jumped to more than 50,000!

Gaining 50,000 followers in one day?

Looking at that video that analyzed 849 cases in 10,000 words, it has been pushed to the number one spot in the video selection by iQiyi, with a total of four million views!

Is this some kind of forced promotion?!

A quick glance at the comments section revealed that most of the viewers expressed dissatisfaction with Bureau 849.

Some people with a sense of humor also photoshopped and made fun of the images in the comments section.

Combining Wang Junkai's line "I am a monster!" from the drama with Jason's "I am Jason" from "The Big Hornet" creates a hilarious effect.

I opened WeChat, and Xiao Cheng had already sent me a message.

[Hello, Riyue Commentary. I have arranged for your video to be recommended for streaming. Every viewer who opens Green Fruit Short Video will receive a push notification.]

Based on your video data, we will then decide whether to follow up with a traffic package.

You should also pay attention to the frequency of your video updates. It's best to update one video on our platform every month, otherwise your traffic will drop very quickly.

Xia Ming exclaimed, "Wow!"

No wonder the number of views has increased so quickly.

It's definitely a violent push for streaming!

Short video platforms, after all, play videos directly upon opening the screen, and as long as the viewing time exceeds 30%, it is counted as a play count.

The platform has calculated that once Sun and Moon Commentary receives positive feedback, it will consciously develop on Green Fruit Short Video.

Xia Ming was indeed swayed by this approach.

Actively gain followers; the next thing to watch is Kubrick's lighting techniques!

The thought of the art of light and shadow in "Barry Lyndon," which is comparable to an oil painting, fills Xia Ming with enthusiasm.

only……

If the video "Bureau 849" goes viral because of iQiyi's promotion, then Director Lu and Wang Junkai will have to suffer a bit.

These two are probably going to be dragged out and ridiculed by netizens again...