In March 2017 we set out on an adventure to capture a DJ set by Filippo at Cala Coticcio in Sardinia. Starting out from Barumini, we charted our course on the winding roads of Northern Sardinia and eventually arrived at the parking spot, approximately one kilometre from the beach.
The terrain between the parking spot and the beach was rough and uneven. It was a bit of a challenge for the crew to traverse while carrying filming and sound equipment gear, but we eventually made it to the beach.
The DJ set was filmed using a stationary Canon 6D and Canon 80D mounted on a DJI gimbal. The footage was spectacular, with the crystal clear waters of Sardinia’s coastline and the rugged beauty of the terrain providing the perfect backdrop for Filippo’s set.
To capture the true beauty of the beach, we took stunning aerial shots with a DJI Phantom 4 drone. The drone’s camera was able to capture the beach’s idyllic beauty making it a perfect addition to the footage.
However, video editing became a rather difficult task, as the footage from both DSRLs and the Phantom were in 8-bit colour space.
Colour correcting 8-bit video footage can be a daunting task for even the most experienced colourist. With limited bit depth, 8-bit video footage can easily introduce colour banding due to its limited colour palette. This can be an issue, especially when it comes to creating smooth gradients or blending colours. Fortunately, there are several methods of debanding 8-bit footage to create smoother, more realistic colours.
Colour banding is a phenomenon that occurs when the limited palette of 8-bit video footage causes a banded appearance in areas of the frame that should be smooth and continuous. This is most noticeable in areas of gradients, in the sky for example, where the limited bit depth causes gradations in colour to appear in steps, rather than in a smooth, continuous transition.
The good news is that there are several ways to reduce colour banding in 8-bit video footage. One of the most popular methods is to use a debanding plugin in Davinci Resolve Studio. These plugins can help to reduce the visibility of banding by introducing more colours into the palette and smoothing out gradients.
The process of debanding 8-bit footage is relatively simple. First, select the footage you want to deband in the timeline. Next, apply the debanding plugin to the footage. This will introduce additional colors into the palette and soften the appearance of colour banding. Finally, adjust the settings of the plugin until you achieve the desired result.
The lesson learned there was the more colours the better! That’s why we always shoot in 12-bit raw and above whenever we can.
Overall, we were satisfied with the final edits, given the limitations of the filming equipment.