Colorist Uses Davinci Resolve Studio for Oscar Nominated 'Mustang'
Blackmagic Design today announced that DaVinci Resolve Studio was used to complete post production, including the final DI and online edit, on this year’s French Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, “Mustang.” Colorist, Yov Moor talks about his work on the film, using Davinci Studio and what it feels like to have the film considered for an Oscar.
ProductionHUB: What are the benefits of using Davinci Resolve studio on 'Mustang'?
Yov Moor: The whole creative workflow was seamless with DaVinci Resolve, it was hugely useful as we could use its editing capabilities together with the grading toolset. Because of the rush to get the film ready for Cannes, I actually only had five days to grade the entire of ‘Mustang’ from scratch. Five days to work on any film is challenging, but it’s especially difficult when you’re dealing with a topic as delicate as in Mustang.
With Resolve, I was able to quickly and easily do things such as correct fading on a shot, or even simply test new ideas without wasting precious time sending scenes to be technically re edited and then waiting to receive the new results. We could also make technical adjustments to the edit ourselves during the grade phase, without needing to render out new timelines each and every time, all from the same application, which was crucial in saving us even more time.
One of the most useful features for me was Grouping, which allowed me to create several different grades on multiple clips of relevant shots at the same time to experiment with different moods and ideas. The Tracker in Resolve is also extremely powerful. I could quickly and easily create masks and follow the movements of characters and more in seconds.
PH: How does DaVinci Resolve measure up to other color grading software?
Yov Moor: It’s very impressive. I like so many of the features Resolve has. The simplicity of the editing toolset is fantastic, Resolve really is a true editor with all the features you would expect from any editing program such as the ability to cut, edit and assemble clips in a timeline, add effects such as transitions, and multicam editing capabilities.
I also liked the way you can manage groups in Resolve, it’s so useful and smart. You can easily group several clips together using node trees with the Group Pre-Clip and Group Post-Clip modes, which allow any changes you make to one clip to apply to every member of the group. This made my work much faster as I could more easily iterate through different looks and moods until I found the right one.
The fact that Resolve is nodal is also very handy, it’s a great way to approach color correction as you can mix different node combinations to create different effects in a very visual way.
PH: What vision did you have for the look of the film?
Yov Moor: When it came to grading, instead of being told this image has to be green or yellow, David and Deniz would tell me what sensations they were aiming to achieve with each shot. The girls in Mustang are always moving, instinctive, bursting with energy. The color grading, my work, was really to enhance this life through color. I hope audiences take away both the message on women’s lives and the vibrancy of the film, which my work contributed to.
PH: Do you have a favorite before/after clip from Mustang?
Yov Moor: Honestly that’s very difficult to say, my answer would be I’m proud of the before and after on all the movie! It was a challenge to complete the grade in such a short time and it’s really amazing to see the final result turn out so well.
PH: Do you tend to default warmer or cooler colors? Why?
Yov Moor: The choice to use warmer or cooler colors all depends on the director or DOP, and their vision of the final picture. I personally am totally open minded in terms of color. My work is normally to understand what the director and DOP want to achieve, and translate that into the final movie.
PH: Will you be turning to Davinci Resolve again for future projects?
Yov Moor: I definitely will. Resolve was so useful throughout the making of Mustang, and now a lot of facilities work in DaVinci Resolve, so I’m sure I will keep using it down the road!
PH: How did it feel to receive an Oscar nomination for the film?
Yov Moor: Incredible, I’m so proud I was a part of Mustang as a colorist. Working with Deniz was a beautiful and interesting experience, I immediately recognized a strong director. I was touched by not just her artistic vision, but also the cultural and political message she was showcasing about the situation facing women in Turkey and many other conservative societies around the world..
It’s incredible to see such a personal picture of what these sisters are put through. All five are heavily punished for the seaside play by their ultra conservative caretakers, a grandmother and uncle, who lock the girls in their own home, take them out of school, and prepare them for marriage instead. It’s enthralling to watch what they are willing to do to fight back.
About Yov Moor
Yov Moor is an independent colorist located in Paris, France. His tech background and expertise includes digital cameras and recorders, color management, dailies management, on-set DIT, DCP creation, film restoration, VFX compositing and more.
