Simulation of film media in motion picture production using a digital still camera

Abstract

The introduction of digital intermediate workflow in movie production has made visualization of the final image on the film set increasingly important. Images that have been color corrected on the set can also serve as a basis for color grading in the laboratory. In this paper we suggest and evaluate an approach that has been used to simulate the appearance of different film stocks. The GretagMacbeth Digital ColorChecker was captured using both a Canon EOS 20D camera as well as an analog film camera. The film was scanned using an Arri film scanner. The images of the color chart were then used to perform a colorimetric characterization of these devices using models based on polynomial regression. By using the reverse model of the digital camera and the forward model of the analog film chain, the output of the film scanner was simulated. We also constructed a direct transformation using regression on the RGB values of the two devices. A different color chart was then used as a test set to evaluate the accuracy of the transformations, where the indirect model was found to provide the required performance for our purpose without compromising the flexibility of having an independent profile for each device.