Kraken is a Norwegian sci-fi thriller that moves between majestic fjord landscapes, industrial fish farms, studio interiors, LED-volume stages and CG-heavy underwater sequences. From a grading perspective, the main challenge was maintaining visual continuity while allowing each environment to retain its own identity.

The main priority for senior colourist Dylan Hopkin was establishing a strong, consistent foundational look across the film. “A good grade always serves the story and characters first,” he says. “What I do should be almost invisible. My colouring shouldn’t draw attention to itself.” Before the main grade began, Hopkin worked on teasers and the main trailer, a process that helped the team prepare for the actual movie, he explains. “But teasers and trailers are commercials for the film. The looks don’t always translate directly once you see scenes in their full context.”

Hopkin walks through a selection of scenes from the film, explaining how he approached colour, contrast and continuity, and how DaVinci Resolve was used to solve specific creative and technical challenges.

A bit about Kraken

Kraken (2026) is a Norwegian monster action feature directed by Pål Øie and produced by Nordisk Film Production AS, with Handmade Films in Norwegian Woods also credited on IMDb. It was shot on location around the Sognefjord and included studio work in Finland.

The story follows marine biologist Johanne, sent to investigate a salmon farm near Vangsnes after two teenagers die and strange phenomena suggest something huge is moving in the fjord depths.

Establishing a foundational look for Kraken

The main weight of the grade was creating a robust foundational look, which effectively became a bespoke show LUT implemented as a fixed node tree. From there, I focused on what each image already had to offer. I looked at dominant hues, how practical light flowed through the frame, what the most important part of the image was, and what the director and DP wanted the audience to feel. From that analysis, I usually get a gut feeling for how to adapt the image.

I try to be as respectful as possible towards the cinematography. What’s captured in front of the lens creates the DNA of the look. Creating appropriate tonal contrast so images sit right is a big part of grading. I do that using custom curves, DCTLs or different DRTs in Resolve, depending on the material. Shaping light is also critical. I rely heavily on windows, tracking and Magic Mask [more on which later] to guide the audience’s eye, in much the same way as dodge-and-burn techniques in still photography.

Maintaining continuity across scenes

This is one of the most challenging aspects of grading. I prefer to choose as few reference images as possible per scene and match everything else against them.

It’s also important to commit to a consistent set of tools. I often use colour-space-aware tools for exposure and white balance, such as Resolve’s HDR Grade tool, because the maths is very clean and respects the source material. Another approach I use is working in linear gamma with gain for exposure and white balance. The key is consistency.

Once shot-by-shot balancing is done, I use the Group Post-Clip node tree for scene-wide corrections. On Kraken, colour management was handled manually in a DaVinci YRGB project using nodes and input DCTLs. For animated features, I usually prefer ACEScct, but for live action, I still like a more hands-on approach.

Fjord landscapes

For the fjord exteriors, the goal was to keep foliage and skies natural but present. I relied heavily on the Tetra2 DCTL by Juanjo L. Salazar to tweak foliage hues, with very clean results. I also used the ColorSlice tool to add subtle density to greens without flattening highlights. Cloud texture in the skies was preserved through contrast control rather than saturation.

Kraken is the first Scandinavian feature film to be graded in Dolby Vision for theatrical release! For this additional version, Hopkin graded two days on Resolve with an advanced panel in Dolby’s reference theatre in London’s Soho. “It was an amazing experience: next level cinema,” says Hopkin.

Fish farm control room

The fish farm control room needed to feel grimy and industrial, in contrast to the high-tech control screens. It was shot in a studio with exterior views created using an LED volume, allowing precise control of time-of-day lighting while maintaining accurate reflections.

After establishing the base look, I added a subtle amount of green using primary offsets, similar to printer lights. That small adjustment added grit and helped sell the environment.

Fish farm exteriors: day and night

The fish farm exteriors had a weathered, oily quality with plenty of patina. Daylight scenes were graded with softer contrast and a colder Nordic feel.

At night, sodium vapour lighting dominated. I pushed the blacks deeper to add more bite and reinforce the industrial mood.

Kraken Underwater sequences and transitions

Underwater shots varied significantly, combining live action, CG, day-for-night and fully stylised sequences. Most daylight underwater scenes leaned green-cyan, while nighttime scenes moved more towards blue.

There were exceptions. During the nighttime kraken attack, surface lighting mixed strong sodium vapour with cooler sources. When submerged and looking up, I pushed highlights towards orange to connect the underwater shots to the surface action.

For shots moving between above and below the surface, I used keyframed grades in dynamic nodes to animate colour transitions. The HDR Grade tool, offset controls and hue-vs-hue curves were central here.

Submerged luxury restaurant

The submerged luxury restaurant was shot in a studio using an LED volume. I compressed the colour palette slightly using hue-vs-hue, managed saturated skin tones with hue-vs-sat, and controlled saturation depth with ColorSlice. The aim was restraint, keeping the environment immersive without overpowering performance.

In the restaurant, some wide shots suffered from LED moiré. I analysed which colour channels were affected and used a splitter-combiner node structure with Color Compressor, Debanding OFX and subtle directional blur, applied via qualifiers and masks.

Fish farm attack and fog

During the early evening fish farm attack, the Scandinavian light was at its best. I added subtle warmth along horizon lines and introduced fog behind Johanne using Cinematic Haze OFX.

I used Resolve’s masking tools and planar tracker to lock haze masks in place, excluding mountain silhouettes with HSL qualifiers. In total, I added fog and haze to around 40 shots.

In one canoe sequence, several shots lacked fog entirely. I tested Cinematic Haze, showed the results to the director, DP and producers, and ended up completing the remaining shots.

I like the control Cinematic Haze offers: finding the right depth-map sweet spot first, then adjusting airlight, density and resolution loss.

Laboratory bioluminescence

In the lab scenes, a green bioluminescent liquid needed to feel more prominent. I qualified the bioluminescence, added Add Flicker OFX for a smooth pulse, and used ColorSlice to push subtractive saturation into the green hue.

Red alert and the nighttime finale of Kraken

The red-alert sequence marked a deliberate escalation. This was the first nighttime attack on the fish farm, and the images needed to feel crisper and more aggressive than earlier scenes. Saturation increased due to intense red warning lights, but it was important to keep those colours under control. I relied on the Sat-vs-Sat curve to keep the reds vivid without tipping into a digital look, with gamut-mapping used where appropriate.

In the nighttime finale, Johanne leaves the fish farm by boat before the sequence cuts to day-for-night material. From that point on, the scene had to be transformed into a believable nighttime environment with a softer Scandinavian summer-night feel. I used Resolve’s HDR Grade tool for most of the heavy lifting and introduced a warm sodium-vapour tone to maintain a visual link to the fish farm. Tracked masks and Magic Mask helped preserve detail in Johanne’s performance while keeping the environment dark and moody.

Magic Mask and selective grading

Magic Mask has changed the way I work. Tasks like face relighting used to rely on tracked windows or rotoscoping, which could easily introduce halos. Magic Mask can select faces, clothing, vehicles and more with minimal setup. It’s not perfect every time, but with some tweaking, it solves complex selections efficiently. On Kraken, I used it extensively for relighting faces, isolating creatures and excluding actors from background colour manipulations, often in combination with keyers and windows.

Camera shake and lightweight VFX

In several action scenes, the DP Sjur Aarthun, wanted additional camera shake to increase impact. Solving this during the grade is far quicker than sending shots back to VFX. I used Camera Shake OFX for constant vibrations, and custom Fusion setups with damped-spring expressions for impact shakes, always with motion blur enabled. Working in Resolve allowed real-time review and better control over the scene’s flow.

Dylan Hopkin (IMDB | LinkedIn | Website) is a senior colourist based at one of Europe’s leading post-production facilities, Nordisk Film ShortCut Oslo, with more than a decade of experience specialising in high-end creative colour grading for feature films, TV dramas and commercials. He originally trained as a motion graphics designer before transitioning into finishing and online work.

Hopkin’s credits span award-winning cinema and television projects showcased internationally at festivals such as Sundance, Cannes Series, Tribeca and the Oscars circuit. He is also a certified DaVinci Resolve trainer, has created masterclasses on grading strategies and teaches at film schools across Europe.

The post Grading Kraken: insights from the colour grade first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

What is HDR, Really?

DP: Hi Michael! The box on my monitor has stickers for HDR10, HDR+ and Dolby Vision. Isn’t that actually all the same thing?
Michael Hackl: You’re addressing a topic that is often very confusing for users and consumers in the HDR ecosystems. Even if it seems like a manufacturer is trying to fill the box with marketing buzzwords, these various acronyms describe HDR formats that are indeed different, each with its own technical specifications and workflows in content creation. Let’s take a quick look:

HDR10 is a basic HDR format. It uses the ST.2084 (Perceptual Quantizer) EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) and predominantly a maximum brightness of 1000 nits. It offers a color depth of 10 bits and offers two static metadata values to adapt the image to the capabilities of the respective display. It’s an open standard and each manufacturer tends to apply their own adaptation.

HDR10+ is effectively an extension of HDR10 that uses dynamic metadata (created at encoding). This is used to enable automatic adjustments from scene to scene or frame to frame to adapt the content to the screen. It also uses 10-bit color depth and supports peak brightness of up to 4000 nits.

Dolby Vision is the most advanced of these formats. Well, everyone will expect me to say this, but Dolby Vision is so much more than “just” another HDR format. The fact that we offer creatives a true “unified-master” workflow and give them real control over how their content will look on devices is the crucial point to me.  It uses dynamic metadata that gets created by the colorist in the post-production process, supports a color depth of up to 12 bits and can handle brightness levels of up to 10,000 nits (although current professional displays usually reach their limits between 1000 to 4000 nits). Dolby Vision’s dynamic metadata allows for precise control over how content is displayed on a plethora of devices, providing a more accurate representation of the creator’s intent. There’s also a side benefit of getting a better SDR version too.

Dolby Vision in Practice

DP: Okay, so what exactly is Dolby Vision?
Michael Hackl: Dolby Vision is designed to meet the needs of content creators, studios and content owners while providing an exceptional viewing experience, whether at home, at the cinema or on the go. It is crucial for filmmakers that their movie is reproduced as faithfully as possible on different devices and in different environments. This is completely understandable given the immense time and effort that went into its creative design. Dolby Vision integrates seamlessly into the post-production workflow and therefore requires only minimal adjustments to the workflow.

In practice, the Dolby Vision process for “Movies and TV” today starts with color grading in HDR, which is usually completed in a color grading suite on a professional reference display with peak luminance levels of 1,000 nits (or even up to 4,000 nits for some productions). Once the HDR grading is finished and approved, the colorist then runs an automatic Dolby Vision analysis that generates dynamic shot- or frame-based metadata, analyzing minimum, maximum, and average luminance levels along with the color space used to describe the color volume of each shot. In essence, this metadata captures the exact “light and color recipe” of the content.

With this core metadata in hand, the colorist can then map the HDR grade to various lower luminance HDR targets, as well as all the way down to 100 nits. This 100 nits target serves as our HDR anchor for mapping and will also allow users to derive their SDR version. All these mappings can be previewed and fine-tuned using the Dolby Vision trim controls. This single color grading process allows for accurate translation to a wide range of output formats, from TV and mobile devices to theatrical releases in DCI and Dolby Cinema.

Dolby Vision offers enhanced creative control and the ability to ensure content is displayed as intended on a wide range of devices. This is critical because today there are so many different types of displays (with differing technologies and capabilities OLED, QD-OLED, LED/LCD, etc.). It is a comprehensive solution that extends from content creation to delivery to playback and is designed to provide a viewing experience that is as close as possible to the creator’s intentions. Dolby Vision enables the creation of a unified master that describes all necessary versions via metadata.

Why it’s Complicated

DP: You would think that these are solved problems in 2025 ….
Michael Hackl: When we were all watching movies on our old cathode ray tube TV in the darkened living room in the evening, we had less variance in this respect. Such a television set came relatively close to the picture characteristics of the CRT TV used for color grading back then. And a darkened living room comes closer to the ambient conditions in color grading than when we watch content outdoors on our smartphone today.

Virtually every display of every device today has different image characteristics in terms of contrast and color, and viewers use these devices in completely different environments. And these environments got much brighter. Therefore, content really has to be adapted to the respective environment and capability of the display.

In the context of post-production, this means providing tools and workflows that enable precise control over the image, efficient creation of multiple deliverables, and confidence that the final product will render accurately across a wide range of display devices and environments. Dolby Vision seamlessly bridges the gap between the creative process and the viewing experience, ensuring that every nuance of the image is preserved and presented as intended, regardless of the playback device or viewing environment.

DP: And you have to build that into each screen individually?
Michael Hackl: Dolby works with manufacturers and implements Dolby Vision through a combination of components in compatible devices – Displays require specific hardware capabilities including a panel that meets defined characteristics and a processing unit capable of decoding Dolby Vision content, and the integration of licensed software into the device’s firmware or operating system. We also work to characterize their display and tune the results – that’s key to understand. These devices must pass Dolby’s approval process to ensure they meet the required specifications for Dolby Vision playback, a manufacturer can’t just say “Yeah, that’ll do!”

DP: What do you do to ‘certify’ Vision in terms of image quality – in other words, what do you test screens and end devices for, what measurements / minimum requirements do they have to fulfil?
Michael Hackl: While we don’t review or approve each piece of content, as the choice of metadata is a creative decision, the approval process begins during the creation and analysis of the metadata by working closely with our partners. We work closely with them to ensure that the Dolby Vision metadata can be created according to our recommendations and delivers consistent results on all approved systems. This exact specification and verification is of fundamental importance in order to be able to think about a consistent playback at all.

To ensure this, we work with consumer device manufacturers to implement Dolby Vision in their devices. Here, too, we ensure that the metadata created in the creation process is processed correctly and thus leads to a correct visual result. This is a key differentiating factor for Dolby Vision. We ensure that both metadata creation and the respective application in the devices are implemented correctly and consistently for tone mapping. With other formats, there are significant deviations in the calculation of metadata using different tools, and implementation in the devices also varies across manufacturers.

DP: Oh, that’s why it’s considered expensive – it’s not even built into office screens ?
Michael Hackl: The fact that Dolby Vision is perceived as expensive may reflect the high-quality expectations associated with our brand. However, Dolby Vision is not a feature priced for the end customer. Our OEM customers license Dolby Vision for their systems and offer them at the prices they set. A quick look at popular online marketplaces shows that a TV with Dolby Vision does not have to be more expensive than a TV without Dolby Vision. The price of today’s TV sets, smartphones, etc. is determined by other components, not by Dolby Vision.

Dolby Vision is already included in post-production systems such as Resolve Studio and Baselight. Metadata creation, tone mapping, and rendering are therefore possible at no additional cost. If users wish to customize the metadata, i.e., use the Dolby Vision trim controls, they can obtain a license with no time limit and independent of the system via our online store.

Tools for Colorists and Post Facilities

DP: So in finishing and mastering I can already set up exactly everything for that?
Michael Hackl: : Dolby Vision functionality, in particular the creation of dynamic metadata and its adjustment (trimming), is available in common color grading systems, such as Resolve and Baselight, as well as in mastering applications such as Transkoder or Clipster. For others, there are simpler tools that create the metadata automatically like in CapCut, Luma Fusion, Final Cut Pro and others.

For the creative process, it is of course incredibly important that the industry provides a proper end-to-end HDR production pipeline. Many well-known manufacturers have recognized the importance of flexible HDR/SDR editing and have already implemented it. Let’s hope that others will follow.

DP: From an editorial or mastering standpoint: what new control enhancements can colorists, editors, or mastering engineers make use of in Dolby Vision 2 compared to earlier versions?
Michael Hackl: Over the last 10 years we’ve listened carefully to the feedback from creatives, colorists, and color scientists at the leading post facilities around the world on the tools and workflows they’d like to see added or changed in the existing Dolby Vision mastering process. As a result, we’ve continued to innovate with new improvements like moving from Content Mapping 2.9 (CM 2.9) which was launched in 2015 and featured a subset of the metadata we use today, to CM 4.0 in 2019. 

CM4.0 features enhanced trim controls and was further enhanced in 2023 with new Analysis tuning options that make the starting point even better, meaning the colorist can get to the trim metadata that delivers their vision even quicker than before. The goal for the next generation Dolby Vision content creation process is to build further on that progress, offering even easier, more flexible and compelling tools and workflow options that answer creatives’ need to best deliver their artistic intent in both HDR and SDR.

Studios will get the Dolby Vision unified master deliverable they desire – while not adding time over the current Dolby Vision workflow. While we can’t share specific details at this time our plan, working with our partners, is to deliver a comprehensive package of improvements.

DP: And, from a pipeline view, this should be predestined for using an IMF master..
Michael Hackl: IMF is certainly a perfect format for today’s multi-format deliveries. The Dolby Vision metadata can be transferred in an IMF package as part of the image track in the MXF container. In this case, the metadata is interleaved with the image content. Transfer as a separate ISXD track is also possible.

For the creation of theatrical deliveries, mastering systems can use the Dolby Vision metadata created and optionally modified in the color grading process to create corresponding DCPs, either for DCI (SDR) or Dolby Cinema (HDR) playback.

Multiple Screens, One Master

DP: But then in regards to color grading, it does get stuck – creating different versions for the screens – mobile, TV, PC, VR goggles, and what else is there?
Michael Hackl: Nowadays, we consume content on a wide variety of devices in different viewing environments. This circumstance may initially seem uncontrollable, since a corresponding grade would have to be created for each of these different use cases. However, this would not be efficient in many respects. Therefore, we use different technologies, both in creation and in playback control, which adapt the content created by the colorist to the end devices, taking into account the colorist’s decisions. Studios and content owners receive a singular master with Dolby Vision metadata, which then manages playback on different displays.

Dolby Vision is already implemented in literally all device categories today. These range from TVs, PCs, HMDs (head-mounted displays), such as Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest, to tablets and mobile devices. And when it comes to theatrical distribution, we can use Dolby Vision metadata to create separate stand-alone DCPs for DCI (SDR) or Dolby Cinema (HDR). Colorists appreciate the consistency and efficiency they get mapping the HDR home grade with our tools to create theatrical deliverables.

DP: And what are these differnet technologies?
Michael Hackl: The basis for this is provided by our Dolby Vision display mapping, which can be found in TVs, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Simply put, this technology knows the image reproduction capabilities of each display device. As soon as a Dolby Vision bitstream is played on these devices, they switch to Dolby Vision mode and perceptually adapt the content to the respective display. For cinema deliveries, we can use metadata created in post-production to directly create discrete DCPs, either for DCI or Dolby Cinema.

VFX and Editing

DP: But at least in VFX / pure CGI it makes no difference?
Michael Hackl: We must distinguish here between HDR and Dolby Vision as an HDR format. In VFX, as in HDR color grading, we work completely without metadata at HDR reference level, because we work in reference environments across standardized displays.

At least in color grading, it is not necessary to adapt to different playback devices as the colorist or even multiple colorists work on reference displays that are identical in spec. In the field of VFX, artists today might already work with HDR-capable displays or at least conduct their VFX reviews on HDR reference displays. When processing, it is important not to lose any details so that the colorist, who integrates the final VFX shots into the color grading, has full control over contrasts, brightness and colors. There is still room for improvement in VFX when it comes to a user-friendly end-to-end preview workflow for HDR and SDR.

DP: And it’s not relevant in editing either?
Michael Hackl: Editing is certainly a crucial process in film production, and some manufacturers already offer basic support for editing in HDR. However, that is not everything. Many editors prefer to edit using the UI viewer rather than primarily using an external (HDR) display. To do this, the viewer must run in HDR while the other UI elements are displayed in SDR. It is also desirable to be able to switch the actual video output flexibly between HDR and SDR. This again requires dailies in HDR and SDR. But here, too, what we have already discussed for mastering applies. It is simply not efficient to create dailies in HDR and SDR and then manage the two formats in parallel during editing.

For the creative process, it is of course incredibly important that the industry provides a proper end-to-end HDR production pipeline. Many well-known manufacturers have recognized the importance of flexible HDR/SDR dailies and editing and have already implemented it. Let’s hope that others will follow.

DP: But if you’ve edited something and want to output it to a Dolby Vision screen, how does that work?
Michael Hackl: In the area of post-produced content, conforming, a so-called online edit, takes place after editing in a color grading system like Resolve, whereby the editing information is applied to the original camera data. Depending on the size of the project, the original camera footage may also have been edited directly so that the timeline and data can be used directly for color grading, which varies in scope depending on the project.

In the area of post-produced content, conforming, a so-called online, takes place after editing, whereby the editing information is applied to the original camera data. This conformed material is then transferred to colour grading.

DP: And what happens in the background?
Michael Hackl: The content is then colorgraded in HDR and then the Dolby Vision process described above takes place. As soon as this is complete, the image and metadata information is exported from the color correction system and handed over to the mastering team. The image data is exported in ST.2084 (PQ) in P3D65 or Rec.2020, e.g. as QuickTime ProRes or 16-bit Tiff.

The metadata information is exported in the form of an XML file. In the mastering process, further elements such as start and end panels are added, along with the audio, and all elements are combined into the respective contribution format or mezzanine format, such as a Dolby Vision IMF package.

DP: And if we look at what Dolby Vision could be in 2040: What will be on the to-do list there – in your personal opinion?
Michael Hackl: Ideally, neither the creator nor the viewer needs to worry about where and on which device the content will be displayed. Dolby Vision ensures that the content is displayed accurately and that the display meets the expectations of the creator and viewer. Users get the best visual experience everywhere.

Want to know what others are saying about Dolby? Here is a Playlist of directors and filmmakers about working with it, including some of our favourites, like Denis Villeneuve (Part One and Part Two), Tim Burton, James Cameron, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Pete Docter and many More!

Two very recent ones are “Das Kanu des Manitu”, the wildly popular satire and long awaited sequel to “Schuh des Manitu” by Bully Herbig.

And “Welcome Home Baby“, the Austrian Horror / Mystery Movie

Learn More

DP: That seems reasonably straightforward – but what if I have additional questions?
Michael Hackl:: If you want to learn more about Dolby Vision or learn the workflow from scratch, you can sign up for our free Dolby Vision training courses at learning.dolby.com. These will guide you step by step through the workflow. You can find a lot of additional background information about Dolby Vision on professionalsupport.dolby.com and you can chat with other users and the Dolby team on the Dolby Vision User Forum.

We also offer regular Dolby Vision Technical Webinars, which interested users can register for via the following link.

The post Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision 2, and Beyond! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

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Dolby Vision’s high dynamic range (HDR) capabilities set the standard for stunning visuals. Now, Matthias Bolliger—a seasoned DOP and Cameraman—guides professionals through the essentials with a Dolby Vision training course. Available on the Dolby Learning Platform, the course covers HDR mastering, color grading, and a unique deep dive into light scripting.

Light Scripting: Mastering HDR’s Metadata

At the heart of Dolby Vision is its metadata, and Bollinger’s training explains how to use light scripting to optimize it. Light scripting is the process of fine-tuning luminance metadata to ensure consistent brightness and color accuracy across HDR and SDR (standard dynamic range) versions. Bollinger simplifies what often feels like digital alchemy, helping you align your HDR content perfectly with Dolby’s standards—no guesswork required.

Certifiable Confidence

For those eyeing Dolby Vision certification, the course serves as a practical prep guide. While the exam isn’t part of the package, Bollinger’s training ensures you’re ready to tackle the certification requirements confidently.

Stability Meets Simplicity

Designed with production professionals in mind, the course emphasizes reliable, scalable workflows. Dolby’s tools and Bollinger’s expertise work hand-in-hand to deliver stability—critical for avoiding surprises in demanding production environments. However, as always, thorough testing is recommended before using new workflows on live projects.

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The course is available now on the Dolby Learning Platform. Matthias Bolliger, also known for his work as an HDR trainer, can be found at matthias-bolliger.de Ready to script the perfect HDR experience? Sign up today.

The post HDR Without Headaches: Dolby Vision Training by Matthias Bolliger first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Colorfront has launched a suite of new SDR/HDR color workflow tools aimed at simplifying the postproduction process for cinema and television. Built into their Transkoder and On-Set Dailies/Express Dailies products, these tools are designed to solve key challenges in the mastering process. The cornerstone of the update is the Colorfront Engine, a remapping system that uses the Human Perceptual Model to ensure that the visual integrity and creative intent of content are preserved across various displays.

A standout feature is the SDR-to-Dolby-Vision-Round-Trip tool, which converts SDR content into Dolby Vision HDR and generates Dolby Vision XML metadata. This ensures the output matches the original SDR content visually. This tool has already been used in high-profile projects like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour for Disney+ and Welcome to Wrexham – Season 3 for Hulu, demonstrating its effectiveness in both scripted and unscripted content. Another significant addition is the DCI-to-Dolby-Vision Conversion tool. It converts cinema-grade XYZ content, optimized for 48-nit film projection, into Dolby Vision HDR, creating a version suitable for home viewing while retaining the original creative intent.

Furthermore, the new HDR-Roll-Off tool offers artists control over highlights in HDR content, helping them manage peak luminance and soft roll-off to preserve creative decisions.

For HDR content that may be overly bright or saturated, the HDR Harmony tool corrects these issues while preventing color artifacts, ensuring a clean and accurate HDR image. Additionally, Broadcast Converter Tools offer advanced controls for managing SDR, HDR PQ, and HDR HLG conversions, with specific tools like the Broadcast Converter Advanced allowing for SDR softening and BT2408 support.

Two tools focused on improving the postproduction workflow include the HDR Brightness Guard, which identifies overly bright areas within the timeline, and the Subtitle Recognition Tool, which detects and adjusts subtitles’ brightness during SDR to HDR conversion, ensuring an optimal HDR master.

For more detailed information, refer to the Colorfront documentation and the manufacturer here. If you want to see if that is something for your pipeline, you can contact our friends at DVE AS!

The post Colorfront’s New SDR/HDR Workflow Tools first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.