Creative Work
Frame by Frame - Total Solution for a True-Color Workflow
Frame by Frame, one of the most important film post production companies in Italy, decided to equip all its production studios with EIZO monitors from the ColorEdge and FlexScan series. The challenge was to build a consistent, true-color workflow across multiple teams and locations. EIZO's total solution of ColorEdge CG Series monitors with their built-in calibration sensors, ColorNavigator software, and ColorNavigator Network cloud solution was critical to achieving this goal.
Frame by Frame is a dynamic and creative company where a highly professional, young, and avant-garde team comes together. With more than 70 employees across various locations, Frame by Frame offers its customers a complete package from content production to the finished product (sound mixing, VFX, design, editing, color correction, finishing, and digital delivery). This resulted in the need for uniform color visualization. And not only between team colleagues but also between the other specialist departments from each project and location. EIZO wasn't just chosen for the renowned quality of ColorEdge series monitors. The complementary software solutions enabling consistent and accurate workflow management are equally important. For all workstations that are not directly related to color management, such as 3D renderings, and for all administrative areas, Frame by Frame also uses EIZO monitors from the FlexScan line. This way, every employee can always work with maximum comfort and the best display quality.
75 ColorEdge Monitors in Use, Including 2 PROMINENCE
Vladimir Vasiljevic, Technical Supervisor of the Rome-based company, explains how EIZO solutions were used to create a unified color management workflow between the different teams and locations.
How has the integrated sensor made your work easier and how much time has it saved you?
Being able to check the calibration regularly before each new project is a great thing. This is done automatically, at night, without interrupting creative work and without having to repeat the same procedures manually more than 70 times - amazing! The internal sensor in combination with the ColorNavigator software guarantees results comparable to those achieved with hours of calibration with special, external color measuring devices on older reference monitors.
Which features of ColorNavigator 7 and ColorNavigator Network did you find most useful for your specific needs?
First of all, the ability to replicate the monitor settings, i.e. clone a monitor so that all the other monitors work with the same values and show the same color representation. I was able to set up and test the first series in my lab to create a master, while I only had to load the settings file for all the other units to ensure identical color representation! Having color space customization available at the touch of a button has allowed us to tackle any job, from television series for major streaming platforms in Dolby Vision, to films for cinemas, to television commercials or websites. With ColorNavigator, our creatives can always choose the right environment for any job: sRGB, BT.709, DCI-P3, or HDR PQ P3D65 preview with a single click on the monitor. They may sound like strange acronyms, but every VFX artist, graphic designer, or editor needs accurate colors and reliable monitors for all kinds of projects.
ColorNavigator Network makes it possible to distribute the verification everyone is working in the exact color space to the supervisors of each team: the best way to protect against nasty surprises. As a service provider, we work with other companies that don't always have the same attention and expertise on color spaces, so it's important to coordinate, and ColorNavigator Network allows us to set up a custom visualization for the whole team and vary it for each project.
"L'amica genial" (My Brilliant Friend) Film Project
The "L'amica genial" (My Brilliant Friend) project was a great opportunity for Frame by Frame to renew its production processes and improve the tools already in the company. There was a lot at stake: a series that is already being broadcast in the USA before Italy in 4K UHD format and in Dolby Vision HDR.
The focus on quality was extremely important and led to the extension of the use of calibrated monitors to the entire VFX department, which had traditionally been reluctant to upgrade monitors as other departments took care of the final color. It was decided to provide the artists with the ColorEdge CG2730 and CG2420 monitors, which use the same technology as the models used in grading, but with a smaller diagonal and at a more affordable price.
All the time, except on set and in editing, EIZO CG series monitors were used where color fidelity was a must. For online editing/conformity checks, CS series monitors were used. For several years, with the advent of 4K, Frame by Frame has been color grading with the ColorEdge PROMINENCE CG3145, the CG318-4K, and CG319X, which have proven to be highly reliable tools. The advantage of having separate departments for color correction and VFX enabled a dialogue already in the preparation of the projects and a shift in focus to color and quality already in the compositing phase.
VIDEO PROGETTI - Professional Video Partner of EIZO
The system integrator who made the whole project possible is VIDEO PROGETTI, EIZO's Professional Video Partner. Video Progetti S.r.l. is an Italian company that has been operating for over 20 years in the field of distribution and integration of professional equipment for television, cinema, and telecommunications. With offices in Rome and Milan, Video Progetti is in constant contact with the main players in these sectors and participates in the development of the broadcasting sector by offering its customers the most advanced production technologies. It was only thanks to the decisive contribution of the system integrator that the monitors could be installed and integrated into the client's workflow.
Deployed Product
- ColorEdge PROMINENCE CG3146
- ColorEdge PROMINENCE CG3145
- ColorEdge CG319X
- ColorEdge CS2740
- ColorEdge CG2730
- ColorEdge CG2420
- ColorNavigator Network
- FlexScan EV2760
- FlexScan EV2460