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DAVID PROCTER


It’s imperative to understand that HDR is a canvas, not an aesthetic. I find a good comparison is the concept of a 5.1 surround sound mix compared to a stereo mix. To what extent you utilise the HDR range is subjective and is, in essence, another creative tool for filmmakers.


HDR is not something that just works ‘out-of-the-box.’ I feel it’s crucial to test and understand what works well in HDR but also what can be problematic. Prior to shooting Netflix Original The Innøcents I worked closely with colourist Thomas Urbye at The Look. Our testing identified the importance of accurate exposure, and particularly how unforgiving an HDR grade is on clipped highlights. Few have the luxury of a bespoke SDR & HDR grade, with the most common workflow being to deliver an HDR master with a Dolby Vision trim-pass, and understanding how this process works is critical.


For The Innøcents, as I knew I’d regularly be shooting with practicals in shot, we looked carefully at highlight roll-off, halation and diffusion filters. I


strongly disliked the look of anything clipped on-screen which made us extremely diligent on set to retain all highlight information, wherever possible. Things that look great in SDR display don’t always translate well to the HDR range and so we explored differing the upper NIT levels of highlight roll-off. My goal is to have a comparable aesthetic in both HDR and SDR formats and so building an understanding of the way the Dolby Vision trim-pass works, and how much control one has, is important.


HDR is a new creative tool and hence, can be pushed to varying degrees as a novel technique in visual storytelling. In my HDR work thus far, I have been in pursuit of a naturalistic aesthetic, and my use of the HDR range has been restrained. I have utilised the upper NIT levels only where we felt it was furthering the narrative, avoiding anything garish or distracting.


Somewhere HDR really sings is landscapes, particularly in sky detail. But, for me, the most interesting prospect of HDR is its potential


Cinematographer CREDITS Black Beauty, The Innocents, Make Me Famous, Blood Cells, Bypass, Sport England: This Girl Can


to further visual storytelling and audience immersion. I’ve always been fascinated by subliminal manipulation within cinematography, the way that every decision should further the story, whether camera movement, composition, lighting, every detail. The ability to push the aggressive brightness of a lamp during an interrogation is just another way to psychologically explore a scene. We explored this during some of the lab-test scenes in The Innøcents, but were mindful to keep it subtle.


I don’t feel that HDR changes the way I light, although it does sometimes affect ratios. I’ll often pursue environmental context, shooting


towards windows, retaining full detail in the landscape. In HDR I prefer the result of slightly more balanced interior/ exterior exposure whilst retaining a naturalistic aesthetic. Generally, I’ve never been keen on blown- out windows, but this is something particularly challenging in HDR.


Distraction is a significant problem in HDR, from practicals in shot, neon signs, fairy-lights to the flicker of candles, highlights can quickly become aggressive and overbearing. The key is to adjust the high-light roll-off level until it feels natural, too high it feels aggressive, too low it feels artificially clipped.


Winter 2020 televisual.com 75


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