Latin America. Oscar-winning cinematographer for the film "Life of Pi" (ASC), Claudio Miranda, uses DaVinci Resolve Studio and the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel device to edit and evaluate his projects as a filmmaker, as well as more personal ones.
Miranda is recognized for his work in several feature films such as Tomorrowland: The World of Tomorrow, Oblivion: The Time of Oblivion and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, as well as for his collaboration in short films, music videos and commercials. In addition, the director has recognized the importance of understanding, as a filmmaker, the process of editing and color grading.
"I like to test the cameras. In my opinion, it is better to treat recorded material when I am alone. By looking at overexposure and underexposure, details in the midtones, and color in the light and dark areas, I was able to learn about the equipment and its potential in the digital intermediate. Over the years, I spent a lot of time with colorists and learned a lot from them. I always ask questions, and I also find DaVinci Resolve Studio to be extremely intuitive," he said.
In a recent advertisement for car brand Infiniti, Miranda relied on many of daVinci Resolve Studio's features and the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel device on the set. He went on to explain: "We used a screen to project the background on shots taken indoors and in some exterior scenes of the car. In addition, the DaVinci Resolve Studio program really helped speed up the work. I could add blur and Power Windows, adjust the lighting and instruct the operator to dim the lights, or even relocate or correct the perspective."
He added that "All the windows of the vehicle had a different tint, so I generated a vignette for each one and corrected the differences in terms of color and luminance. As soon as it captured the images, it added one or two Power Windows that gave more light to the interior of the vehicle. We had to carry out all this during the shooting. The only time I had to resort to caching was when we were using more than one type of blur. In general, the whole system is very fast. The customer and the director were amazed at the flexibility and performance of the software."
Miranda's work dynamics are completed with a DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel, as well as the UltraStudio Express and UltraStudio 4K Extreme 3 capture and playback devices. "I love the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel," he added. "It allowed me to work faster, and it's much better to optimize the images with the physical spheres. Also, I like being able to easily switch between editing and color grading."
In addition to the work on the set, Miranda also has a system in her home to perform tests, pre-production shootings and color references, as well as to carry out personal projects, which she edits and colors in DaVinci Resolve Studio. "At first, I used another program and then imported the material into DaVinci. But I questioned whether that extra step was necessary. I had to use only one app," he explained. "Also, as a filmmaker, I don't tolerate seeing images that aren't graded, so it's ideal for me to turn to a program that allows me to switch between the two tasks."
"I prefer to record in RAW format, not only because it allows me to observe all the features offered by the camera, but also because it is compatible with DaVinci Resolve Studio. I find it so fast that I don't need to render the proxy files. I particularly love stabilization tools. If it is necessary to make an approach in a certain shot, it is great to be able to use the originals to see where you start to lose sharpness, "concluded Miranda.
