Understanding Wedding Videography - Part 5: Raw Vs Color Graded Footage
If I asked you to describe a color to me, would you be able to do it? Think about it for a second. It is nearly impossible, and it makes my brain hurt to try. Yet, it is interesting that when you see a color, not only do you instantly recognize it, but you will also often have an immediate reaction to it. There’s a reason why green is often associated with growth or nature or why blue is so often associated with sadness. Why is that? It is because, subconsciously, color makes us feel differently when we look at them. Take McDonald’s for example. The two colors most associated with McDonald’s are Red and Yellow. Is this by accident? Absolutely not. McDonald’s understands that red is associated with activity and it also will increase the heart rate. While yellow is associated with happiness. So why am I talking about McDonald’s and colors? The answer is that colors have so much more to do with an impactful wedding film than many might believe.
Raw footage is an optional addition included as part of my packages because sometimes you may just want to look back at something not as refined and see the different shots throughout the day; however, that does not mean it is beautiful. Raw footage is unedited, sometimes shaky or out-of-focus, and not color-graded. Ah, now we are getting somewhere. Why is the footage that is shot out of my camera so flat and colorless though? This is an intentional choice. Using a flat picture profile that is often very de-saturated allows the editor to have much greater flexibility later when applying the color grade to the footage. It is as simple as that. So yes, if the couple chooses, I will give any couple as much of the raw footage from their day as they would like. Still, I think it’s important to understand that it’s never going to be quite as exciting or interesting to look at as something that was intentionally edited and color-graded.
So, when it comes to your wedding films, the color-grading aspect is a key element that is often overlooked in terms of its importance. Color evokes emotion. It can make a moment seem more epic with dramatic darker tones; it can bring a sense of warmth and joy with yellow; or it can make a moment seem colder and more emotional with blue tones.
Take the two pictures below for an example. The first is the raw photo taken straight from the camera with a flat picture profile. While the composition is still good, the picture itself is very de-saturated and honestly, just kind of lifeless. It does not leap off the screen.
Now look at the same picture after it has been carefully color-corrected and graded and look at the difference. There is now a clear contrast between the subject and the rest of the scene. Before color-correction, everything blended together, but now the picture “pops” so much more.
Since I am a wedding videographer, it is fitting that I show you an example using video, so please enjoy the short clip below which highlights the before and after of several clips that have been color-graded:
From these examples, you can see that when coloring is done properly, it has a big impact on how you feel. Shots are made to be more dramatic, warmer, to make you feel and remember what it was like on your wedding day. To sum up, I wanted to emphasize two things with this article. One – that raw footage is going to be as beautiful and interesting to look at as it sounds; and two – how color-grading raw footage can make you feel more than what is just happening on the screen. So, think about it – next time you’re walking under the red and yellow arches at McDonald’s, just take a second and think about why you made the choice to come there. Is it because the food is so outstanding? Part of the reason might just be because of the feelings of happiness that you have associated with it when you see that bright yellow. Then again -- maybe it’s just because a Junior Chicken and French Fries are just so darn delicious.
Ontario sunset wedding. Photo by Emma Gladman via Emma Spring Photo