How to FIX Lighting in Post - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial
Today we'll be taking a deep dive into relighting in post and how you can build upon what was captured in camera in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Workflow Setup
1:38 - Simple Example (Exposure Analysis)
2:27 - Simple Example (Power Windows)
3:52 - Power Window Presets
4:28 - Moderate Example (Tracking Windows)
5:00 - Moderate Example (Reducing Distractions)
6:39 - Advanced Example (Creative Analysis)
7:26 - Advanced Example (Multilayered Compositing Workflow)
9:53 - Advanced Example (Combining Power Windows)
10:48 - Advanced Example (Recap)
Notes:
The absolute last thing I want someone to take away from this video is that lighting doesn't matter and you can just "fix it in post". With the techniques shown in this video we are only manipulating the image, we are not generating, or adding new elements, it really comes down to what was captured. Even with the biggest budget movies, where half the movie is CG they still ensure what's captured in camera is lit properly.
One of the main problems with this method is something I highlighted in a "hot tip", we are operating in a 2D environment so we can make adjustments and manipulations in the X and Y dimensions but anything involving depth (Z) isn't gonna fly. A real light would be brighter on something that is closer and dimmer on something that is farther, but with this method of relighting both objects are illuminated equally. This is why I advised tracking in some scenarios to try and hid this issue. Relighting in a 3D space is possible, however it's currently beyond the scope of the color page in Resolve right now. It would also require a virtual recreation of the environment. I'm sure this can probably be done in fusion, but it would require someone smarter than yours truly to do it.
Now I'm sure I may get some folks asking why I didn't use magic mask in any of the examples. For these purposes I find rough shapes with blurred edges work nicely and in many cases can feel like on set lighting. You could achieve this with magic mask, but I personally find in it's current iteration power windows are more intuitive for this task, in addition to the fact that magic mask isn't really designed for relighting. As an AI driven auto roto tool I think it's great, certainly some ai quirks to work through though, just like their facial recognition/tracker technology. However if you feel you've developed a good workflow for relighting with magic mask I'd love to see it. I'm always open to learning.
There's this notion that you can shoot anything and through the "magical" power of color grading make it look "cinematic or whatever". In some situations this may get you results you're happy with, but it's ultimately a bad way of looking at things. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, you need the camera team, lighting department, production design, actors, director, etc.. that capture the images and sounds. Post production then helps elevate those captured elements to align with the directors vision for the project. Anyway that's my little rant on that, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, back to the notes.
Finally, if you've read this far I just want to thank you for taking the time, and I must apologize for the audio quality in the screen capture portion. The fan noise from my laptop was a real issue, and removing the fan noise resulted in some problems. I've been in the arctic for the past month and I'm still getting a hang of making videos while away from the studio so thanks for hanging in there with me.
References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode Filmmaker Lav, and Zoom H4N
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Intel 10th Gen i7
GPU - RTX 2070 Maxq
Monitor - It's a crappy laptop monitor, oh how I miss my studio monitor while on the road.