Printing film for digital HD

[illia]

I've just shot a low budget movie on the hvx200 and we're about to finish the editing process. So I've began to think about the nest step and, even if we just don't know how will the outside world react to our self-produced experiment, the directors want to have a realese print to project it on cinemas.
I would like to know your opinion for the best choices of the release stocks and for the color correction process (to prepare the final print) in terms about contrast and so. I know that I'm suppose to give a gamma that will be different in case we aim the film technology in opposition to TV... but I'm not sure if I have to take care about that in the postsproduction process... or if it's something to prepare just at the end of all the process...
I've shot on 1080p with no gamma corrections neither matrix corrections, everything was at factory settings.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Most indie films shot on the F900, Varicam, and lower-end cameras shoot in video gamma modes (aka "linear" though not a correct term) for correct display on electronic monitors -- as opposed to a "log" mode that emulates the 10-bit Cineon Log scan of color negative film, which needs a viewing LUT applied to look normal on a video monitor.

So most D.I. facilities are used to either getting digital masters that are in some form of 10-bit Log or in a standard (usually 8-bit) video gamma. They have their own LUT's to convert those formats to what the film recorder needs to put the image onto film.

So in your case, since you are shooting in standard video gamma mode, just create a color-corrected master that works for HD video displays and let the D.I. facility correct that for film-out. I'd do some tests, though, to see if you need to create a certain look in the final color-correction that is friendly to the transfer process to film. I'd color-correct a minute of footage, take it to the D.I. facility, and have to record it to film.

As for as stocks, most places that use an Arrilaser go to intermediate stock, which can be printed to any print stock, though most facilities have optimized their settings for printing onto standard Vision 2383. Therefore a print made onto a stock with a higher gamma and D-Max, like Vision Premier 2393, will have deeper blacks and more contrast and color saturation, not necessarily a bad thing.

Places that use a CRT recorder usually use a camera negative stock like Fuji 64D or Eterna 250D, or Kodak 5201 (50D) or 5205 (250D)

 

[illia]

Thanks a lot mr mullen, your answer is so complete that I've printed it to be able to remember and study all the data you gave to me!