The project was a very interesting one to grade, as the DoP and Director were after a very unique look, which meant we had to take the grade in to areas not previously entered within India based cinema. A lot of heavily creative image manipulations were needed to help bring the DoP and Director’s views to the final image, with many layers of grading, including far more image manipulation than is common in colour correction. For example, we used a lot of VFX techniques to control the grade.

However, while the grading was entertaining, the problems we faced with the environment we had to work within, as well as the issues associated with the accuracy, quality and stability of the celluloid film deliverables, made the end experience one I would not like to have to repeat.

A good example of these problem is the open sequence to the film, where a flash-back sequence was used to relocate the story-line. This flash-back was graded with a traditional sepia look, with 'age' added to the sequence by the use of added dust, scratches, processing 'blobs', as well as film weave.

However, when the sequence was seen for the first time in the lab it was assumed the lab was responsible for the film damage!

As a result, the film age effects had to be removed...

But, it still stands that the grading we performed as a team was amongst some of the most interesting to date, and required the use of some very advanced DI techniques.

The songs within the film were particularly interesting to grade. Initially we were due to have a fairly obvious, and rather vibrant grade, but as DoP Balasubramaniam became more aware of the capabilities offered by the DI operation we experimented with various ideas to define a far more subtle, but far more impressive, alternative grade. In one song this consisted of the image being forced to black and white with a lot of added shading and highlights, while skin tone remained coloured but with added softness and ‘illumination’. This was especially difficult as the field where the majority of the song was shot contained a skin coloured crop!.

In another song sequences we had to enhance some physical elements, such as adding additional spotlights to the scene, while simultaneously enhancing the focus on the main singer, and defocused elsewhere within the image.

A simple Google search on YouTube for Ninaithale Inikkum songs will show some of the above.

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