New Wave’s new Baselight replaces an older grading system designed for film-originated media. “With virtually all films now being digitally-captured, we needed more horsepower,” said New Wave’s senior colorist Sam Dlugach. “Much of our source material now arrives in 4K resolution or greater, so we needed a system with fast and powerful image processing that is compatible with our level of workflow.”
Dlugach added that previously, grading raw camera files was difficult and time intensive, but with Baselight’s native LUT management, “We can now apply LUTs directly to RED and ARRI files and quickly achieve the look the DP intended.”
Baselight has also allowed New Wave to eliminate tape media from its workflow. Dlugach can now grade media in non-linear order. Baselight’s ability to save grades and reapply them is another significant enhancement.
“A television campaign for a movie frequently includes dozens of spots,” he explained. “Now, a grade that we have created for a scene can be automatically reapplied when we use that scene again.”
