Why Do Marvel's Movies Look Kind of Ugly?

Why do Marvel movies look so flat and dull compared to most other blockbusters? Low color grading and low contrast (part of the color grading process). Explanation within.
Khufusays...

This opinion that color grading can be 'right' or 'wrong' is pretty ridiculous. It's just a creative decision, if you don't like it get a job in vfx and work your way up over many years until people respect your opinion enough to allow you to make the calls, then you can tell them to make everything really saturated and contrasty.

AeroMechanicalsays...

So, he takes great pains to point out the problem isn't the camera they used, but then says the new ones are probably going to be better because they'll be using a different camera?

spawnflaggersays...

I think part of it is a conscience decision to make all Marvel movies have a similar feel, because they are supposed to be in the same universe.

Maybe they'll re-release all Marvel movies in some gigantic UHD Blu-Ray box set, and all will be remastered with a more vivid color grading.

00Scud00says...

He was pointing out how the digital cameras they are using tended to show everything in that flat low contrast manner, but that you could fix it in editing, but that would also mean more time and money. The newer cameras are able to film scenes with brighter colors and higher contrasts right out of the box and eliminates the need for extra editing, if that is the reason they went in that direction in the first place.

It makes me wonder if they went with the muted tones to give the films a more serious feel to them, possibly making the non nerd segment of movie going America more comfortable with them.

AeroMechanicalsaid:

So, he takes great pains to point out the problem isn't the camera they used, but then says the new ones are probably going to be better because they'll be using a different camera?

kir_mokumsays...

colour grading as in DI is "new" and related to digital film but colour timing, which is the analogue method, goes back to the start of film making.

i've done work for several marvel films, their DI is generally pretty subtle. the raw footage def. has blacks (and negative values in the blacks). the new cameras used wont change this unless they want to change it. the colour gamut has been wide the whole time. OCIO colour may have a certain effect but i can't see it having the colour effect wanted here.

@AeroMechanical is exactly right. the new cameras aren't going to change shit. they're still going to grade the movies to be consistent with past movies. and they've fully had the latitude to grade them in a more vibrant manner the whole time.

and as far as rereleasing them as "UHD Blu-Ray box set" (i'm assuming 4K UHD), they can't. they were all done in HD or 2K (at least the ones i've worked on). uprezing is possible (4K outside of a theatre is actually pretty bullshit, you can uprez HD uncompressed to 4K without that much effect) but resolution doesn't change colour grading/DI.

AeroMechanicalsaid:

So, he takes great pains to point out the problem isn't the camera they used, but then says the new ones are probably going to be better because they'll be using a different camera?

kir_mokumsays...

doesn't matter what level you're at (VFX is different than DI) you're still making it look how some philistine producer wants it to look and marvel is EXTREMELY particular about everything.

Khufusaid:

This opinion that color grading can be 'right' or 'wrong' is pretty ridiculous. It's just a creative decision, if you don't like it get a job in vfx and work your way up over many years until people respect your opinion enough to allow you to make the calls, then you can tell them to make everything really saturated and contrasty.

dannym3141says...

I don't remember him saying one was right and the other was wrong, but hey maybe i'm mistaken.

What i don't understand is why it's ok for you to express your opinion about his youtube video without becoming a respected youtube videographer yourself, but it's not ok for him to express his opinion about the colours in Marvel films without becoming a Marvel film maker.

Are people not allowed to express their opinions on things? And if that's the case, why did you express yours?

Khufusaid:

This opinion that color grading can be 'right' or 'wrong' is pretty ridiculous. It's just a creative decision, if you don't like it get a job in vfx and work your way up over many years until people respect your opinion enough to allow you to make the calls, then you can tell them to make everything really saturated and contrasty.

Khufusays...

Nope, nothing wrong with sharing an opinion, it was his line "digital footage can look amazing but it has to be graded PROPERLY." so that means he's saying they aren't doing it 'right'. I'm saying that sometimes there are valid reasons for things that may not be apparent immediately on the one shot you're looking at... that someone made a conscious decision to grade this way for carefully considered reasons and it's not as simple as 'right' and 'wrong'.

i.e:
desaturating cg generally makes it feel a bit more photographic, so maybe Marvel thinks that it will balance all the crazy comic-book action and make things feel more real.

Also, maybe they want to mute things so that all the different films feel like they're in the same world, even if the color palettes are different.

I expressed my opinion because I've been a vfx artist for 15 years, and that was the topic of this specific youtube video! I'm not commenting on how he did with this video, but I'll do that now: "Pretty great first essay vid! look forward to seeing more!"

I actually prefer this guys grading more, and would likely do it that way if it was up to me. That's not the point. I'm countering his position.

Does that all make sense now Danny?

dannym3141said:

I don't remember him saying one was right and the other was wrong, but hey maybe i'm mistaken.

What i don't understand is why it's ok for you to express your opinion about his youtube video without becoming a respected youtube videographer yourself, but it's not ok for him to express his opinion about the colours in Marvel films without becoming a Marvel film maker.

Are people not allowed to express their opinions on things? And if that's the case, why did you express yours?

JustSayingsays...

What do you mean when you say 'hardcore SF'?
2001? Star Wars? Bodysnatchers? Flash Gordon?

I'm personally just glad that at least someone in Hollywood knows how to make fun superhero movies. Outside a handful of Batman and X-Men movies, most superstuff is seriously lacking. I'm looking at you, Warner Bros.
But I get the fatigue. I suffered from it as well. I watch most of the TV shows.

dagsaid:

Quote hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

I'd be happy to take about a 10-year break from marvel movies. Especially if we got hardcore SF movies in return.

dagsays...

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

I'm talking about films that deal with science and the future with interesting insights that make you see the world in a different way.

Arrival
Bladerunner
2001
Moon
The Matrix

JustSayingsaid:

What do you mean when you say 'hardcore SF'?
2001? Star Wars? Bodysnatchers? Flash Gordon?

I'm personally just glad that at least someone in Hollywood knows how to make fun superhero movies. Outside a handful of Batman and X-Men movies, most superstuff is seriously lacking. I'm looking at you, Warner Bros.
But I get the fatigue. I suffered from it as well. I watch most of the TV shows.

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