· 1 min read
Against the reference still
Everyone agrees the look before the shoot. Almost nobody agrees what the still actually meant.
colourprocess
Marcus Chen
A reference still is the cheapest agreement in production and the most frequently misread. The director sees contrast. The DP sees a lens. The client sees a mood they will describe later using a completely different word.
Ask what it is a reference for
We now annotate every reference before it goes in the deck. Three lines, no more:
- what in this frame we are copying
- what in this frame we are explicitly not copying
- what would have to be true on the day for it to work
The third line is the one that saves money. A still shot on a 200-foot dolly track is not a reference, it is a wish.
The grade is not a rescue
If the look is decided in post it was not decided. Protect the practicals, expose for the thing you care about, and leave the grade something to do rather than something to fix.