Milpitas, Calif. - Blackmagic Design Inc. announced that Modern Videofilm Inc. used four Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve systems for color grading and full 3D stereoscopic effects for James Cameron’s latest motion picture, Avatar. To handle the scope and complexity of color correcting the alien worlds of Avatar, Modern Videofilm developed a network of DaVinci Resolve systems connected via optical fiber. Three systems were installed at Modern Videofilm’s main office in Glendale, California, with the fourth system installed 56 miles away at the Fox Studio lot.
By building a color correction suite directly on the Fox lot, Modern Videofilm was able to handle the enormous number of real-time color corrections and 3D transfers between facilities. These requirements included up to 120 color changes on some EDLs, using hundreds of nodes and creating multiple versions for the theatrical release.
Mark Smirnoff, president of Studio Services at Modern Videofilm, states: “The Avatar look and feel is very specific, and James Cameron and his crew knew exactly how they wanted every frame to look. The sheer size and scope of what we were working on required the absolute best in color correction and 3D, and DaVinci Resolve fits that need perfectly.”
“Avatar and Modern Videofilm really put the power and flexibility of the DaVinci Resolve to the test, and showed why the system is the highest standard for color correction and 3D,” says Grant Petty, CEO Blackmagic Design.
Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve color correction and 3D grading technology supports is said to eliminate performance barriers by using a cluster of computers with high-performance GPU cards. DaVinci Resolve handles real-time performance demands of color grades when using dozens of primaries, secondaries, power windows, multi-point tracking, blurs, and can work within the industry’s newest digital workflows. Also, DaVinci Resolve can handle new workflows needed for full stereoscopic 3D, offering the ability to grade and view two eyes simultaneously, in real-time with no rendering and no proxies.