A color suite (also called a color bay, telecine suite, or color correction bay) is the

control room A control room or operations room is a central space where a large physical facility or physically dispersed service can be monitored and controlled. It is often part of a larger command center. Overview A control room's purpose is produc ...

for

color grading Color grading is a post-production process common to filmmaking and video editing of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. Various attributes of an image such as contrast (vision), ...

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

in a post-production environment.

Technology and specifications

The video source could be from: a telecine, a

video tape recorder A video tape recorder (VTR) is a tape recorder designed to record and playback video and audio signal, audio material from magnetic tape. The early VTRs were open-reel devices that record on individual reels of 2-inch-wide (5.08 cm) tape. ...

(VTR), a motion picture film scanner, virtual telecine or a direct-to-disk recording (DDR) or the older system called a film chain. A high end

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

color suite may use a Da Vinci Systems or Pandora International color corrector. If a VTR is the source for the video the room is often called a ''tape to tape'' suite. Many suites are designed to operate as a telecine suite or a tape to tape suite by changing the configuration of the suite. The operator of the suite is usually called a ''Colorist''. If a telecine is the source this is called a ''Film to Tape'' operation. A color suite may use one video standard or be able to change configuration to a number of standards like: high-definition video, NTSC, or PAL or a DI workflow. Color suites are sometime placed in

digital cinema Digital cinema is the digital technology used within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film. Whereas film reels have to be shipped to mo ...

movie theaters with a video projector for color correction to that display format. Da Vinci Impresario

The suite room will also have equipment in the production control room for monitoring the video signal such a

video monitor A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). When the input information that is supplied has an electrical signa ...

, waveform monitor and vectorscope. The suite may have an either a non-linear editing system (NLE) or linear editing system to control the source and record device. This may be internal to the color grading device, as in a Pandora's Pogle or Da Vinci's 2k or external, as in Da Vinci's TLC (telecine controller). A vision mixer may also be in the suite for monitoring different video sources or for simple or special effects in the video. A character generator is sometime used also for titling and subtitle. The suite may have equipment to read, log and insert into the video Kodak's Keykode. Keykode is bar coding that is placed at regular intervals on negative films to aid in identifying and counting of film frames. Evertz, Aaton and

ARRI Arri Group () (stylized as "ARRI") is a German manufacturer of motion picture film equipment. Based in Munich, the company was founded in 1917. It produces professional motion picture cameras, lenses, lighting and post-production equipment. It ...

are three types of readers for telecine use. The suite may or may not have audio post production equipment. This would be to monitor and if needed sync up the program audio to the video source if the sound was not on the film. An audio

mixing console A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...

and other audio equipment such as effects devices may also be in the suite. The audio may be from the film soundtrack. The term MOS is used, on a slate, when a scene is filmed without sync sound or any sound. A clapperboard slate is used at the start and sometime at the end of scene to mark particular takes recorded during a production. Other equipment that may be used in the suite are: digital still store\ Frame grabber to store references frames, noise reducer to reduce film grain/dirt and video noise;

video router A video router, also known as a video matrix switch or SDI router, is an electronic switch designed to route video signals from multiple input sources such as cameras, VT/DDR, computers and DVD players, to one or more display devices, such as ...

and audio router. The telecine, VTRs and some of the larger equipment are often placed in a central apparatus room or ''machine room'' and are interconnected through Cable trays or raised floor to the color suite by patch panels,

coaxial cable Coaxial cable, or coax (pronounced ), is a type of electrical cable consisting of an inner Electrical conductor, conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting Electromagnetic shielding, shield, with the two separated by a dielectric (Insulat ...

computer network A computer network is a collection of communicating computers and other devices, such as printers and smart phones. In order to communicate, the computers and devices must be connected by wired media like copper cables, optical fibers, or b ...

and multicore cables. Some color suites are at video post production facilities that rent them by the hour for the transfer of TV commercials, documentaries and movies. These color suites would have a client area behind the colorist. With the client present this would be called a supervised session. Image:Da Vinci Impresario - control panel.jpg, Da Vinci Systems, Joy ball control panel Image:Cc2kdui.JPG, Da Vinci Systems, 2k GUI Display

References

Technicolor’s Post production Facility
Technicolor, October 31, 2006
Nice Shoes Adds Fourth Telecine Suite
creativemac.digitalmedianet.com, November 1, 2004

UCLA, visited January 15, 2008
Postworks Opens Fifth Telecine Suite
digitalmedianet.com, May 23, 2006

{{VideoProcessing Film and video technology Television terminology

Technology and specifications

See also

References