Digital Intermediate is a process of mastering a motion picture. It used to be associated with movies that have special effects like sci-fi ones, but these days it is applicable to all sorts of film genres. Also referred to as DI, it's becoming more and more popular because of the many advantages it has compared to the more traditional processing done at a laboratory.
Like what the name says, it involves the digitizing of a film. It is scanned to become a digital file stored on a computer. The editor's main tool is a computer, in contrast to the various chemicals and other instruments necessary for laboratory processing. Once finished, the product of the editing is then once more printed onto film.
One of the many advantages DI offers is it doesn't reduce the film's resolution. In the traditional method, the original negatives resolution has to be downgraded to end up as a projection print. The digitized approach, however, allows the retention of a film's original resolution. In other words, it's an alternative to laboratory processing that is lossless.
Right after digitizing the frames, there are so many editing forms that may be performed. As earlier mentioned, DI is no longer only for movies filled with special effects. Color correction that can be done is highly flexible. That's because fine tuning is performed by the editor on the level of pixels, making it possible to skip areas where adjustment isn't needed.
The same thing can be said for correcting the contrast. It's possible to tweak only certain portions that require the increasing or decreasing the ratio of the darkest and lightest colors. Lighting can be made consistent by DI. Conformity may be achieved for scenes with varying lighting conditions, like those shot at different times.
Special effects enhancement or addition is definitely a possibility. Even without the use of green screen technique during filming, composting such as the inclusion of scene elements as well as the removal of them may be done. These things that such mastering offers can be done all at the same time, be it throughout the entire film or on select frames only.
The steep price tag of Digital Intermediate is one of the few cons around. But expect the cost to get lower as computers become even more powerful in the near future. What's more, the proliferation of studios offering motion picture post-processing services makes the mastering approach more affordable and accessible to commercial as well as independent films.
Like what the name says, it involves the digitizing of a film. It is scanned to become a digital file stored on a computer. The editor's main tool is a computer, in contrast to the various chemicals and other instruments necessary for laboratory processing. Once finished, the product of the editing is then once more printed onto film.
One of the many advantages DI offers is it doesn't reduce the film's resolution. In the traditional method, the original negatives resolution has to be downgraded to end up as a projection print. The digitized approach, however, allows the retention of a film's original resolution. In other words, it's an alternative to laboratory processing that is lossless.
Right after digitizing the frames, there are so many editing forms that may be performed. As earlier mentioned, DI is no longer only for movies filled with special effects. Color correction that can be done is highly flexible. That's because fine tuning is performed by the editor on the level of pixels, making it possible to skip areas where adjustment isn't needed.
The same thing can be said for correcting the contrast. It's possible to tweak only certain portions that require the increasing or decreasing the ratio of the darkest and lightest colors. Lighting can be made consistent by DI. Conformity may be achieved for scenes with varying lighting conditions, like those shot at different times.
Special effects enhancement or addition is definitely a possibility. Even without the use of green screen technique during filming, composting such as the inclusion of scene elements as well as the removal of them may be done. These things that such mastering offers can be done all at the same time, be it throughout the entire film or on select frames only.
The steep price tag of Digital Intermediate is one of the few cons around. But expect the cost to get lower as computers become even more powerful in the near future. What's more, the proliferation of studios offering motion picture post-processing services makes the mastering approach more affordable and accessible to commercial as well as independent films.
About the Author:
Nolan Tornes likes writing about video production. For further details about digital intermediate processing, or to find out more about color grading workflow, please go to the DigitalSystemsMedia website now.
