There is no denying the beauty of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, especially if you’ve seen it in IMAX or on any big screen.
To help achieve this look, 
FotoKem’s Dave Cole worked closely with the film’s cinematographer, Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS, who had created a color bible to follow (see our interview with him here). The two had previously worked together on Vice.
Most of Dune was shot digitally on ARRI Alexa LF (with some Super 16 film shots and some high-speed Phantom shots) and graded on Blackmagic’s Resolve. It was then output to film and scanned back in for the final color grade — an interesting process we will learn more about in a bit.
Let’s find out more from Cole about his relationship with Fraser and their work on Dune.
How did your previous collaboration inform your work on Dune?
Between Vice and Dune, we’ve done quite a lot of testing together — and not just in the DI. We began early on both projects and discussed lenses and LUTs as well as the movie’s aesthetic. So, we’ve gotten to truly understand each other when we describe colors and looks.
For example, we know the subtleties of what we are referring to when we talk about something needing to be “less black” or wanting to “add texture.” We’re also not afraid of doing nontraditional DI processes — both digital and analog. What’s unique about working with Greig is that he’s very willing to think outside the box about how to achieve an effect and not rely solely on the tools or features of the grading system.
An example of this was shooting out a Phantom-acquired shot as a reduced size on 35mm negative to simulate the size and grain structure of Super 16 and then scanning that back in to be used as a source shot.
How was the “look” of the film described to you by Greig and Denis? Did you look at any references?
Greig brought me one still photograph that he had found and said, “This is the vibe.” That was our jumping-off point when we dug into working on the LUTs. We talked about how he and Denis (see our interview with him here) wanted to keep it beautifully gritty and real, but we didn’t want anything to look pristine.
Greig also chose detuned lenses, and we weren’t afraid of their natural vignetting. We embraced those artifacts and the optical nature of the images he acquired with the gear he chose.
Was Greig or Denis with you for the grade? If not, how were you communicating?
Greig and I spent a lot of time setting the “color bible” for the film and had done iterations of almost every scene, which we presented to Denis. When Greig went off to film his next project, I referenced this bible and graded the entire movie based on this vision, our discussions and Greig’s references. Then I presented that pass to Denis, and we sat together for a final polish of things. Occasionally we’d send stills to Greig, and I’d talk to him on the phone about what we were doing.
Greig trusted Denis, and he also trusted me, so it was through that confidence, conversations and our history that this worked.
We had thoroughly covered our bases before he left; I had to join the dots and fill in the holes with continuity and nuance as well as bring that something extra to truly elevate the scenes as the movie finally came together. Likewise, a real collaboration and trust happened between color and the VFX team, led by Paul Lambert. [Watch this space for our upcoming interview with Lambert.]
Shot digitally, the footage was then output to film and scanned back in for the final color grade. Can you talk about why that was done? What challenges came along with that process?
Years ago, while testing on Vice, Greig and I talked about the possibility of a film-out/scan-back process, which was later successfully tested on some music videos here at FotoKem. Once Greig and Denis saw the scan-back tests we did for them on footage Greig shot, they found that the Alexa footage was enhanced by all the optical photochemical responses of film. This process offers a more organic way to transport the audience into the sci-fi world of Dune. It elevates the believability factor by grounding us in a subconscious reality.
Dune is a character-driven movie, and by using the film process, it brings an uncontrollable randomness to the character of the worlds and the people that inhabit them. This was the first time that FotoKem applied this process to a major motion picture. This, of course, adds time to the post pipeline. It’s quite a technical and artistic process in terms of further enhancing the creative.
The scan-back method was used for all 2D versions (not the 3D versions, for reasons inherent to that format). There was literally only one shot that we decided to keep purely digital — and that was because Denis just loved the pureness of what that shot meant on an emotional level.
Dune is VFX-heavy, like many of your past projects, from The Tomorrow War to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. What are some challenges, and how has that work evolved over the years?
When working on a VFX-heavy film, it’s great when one company is doing all or the majority of the work because there is uniformity, but that’s rare. It’s paramount to have a trusting relationship with the VFX supervisor, so they know you’ll do the best you can for their shots — and the movie as a whole — without breaking the visual effects. If I can’t make a shot work without breaking it, then I tell them rather than shoe-horning something in. Likewise, they can rely on me at the 11th hour to add nuance to a shot, which avoids iterative back-and-forth with the artists at the various VFX houses.
What has changed is that VFX teams are more aware of the need for mattes as a deliverable. Getting mattes from one source saves time, and when supplied from a source that trusts me, things are streamlined. When matte deliverables for the DI are built into VFX pipeline and it’s done well, then I can save time by not having to hand rotoscope, I have a more accurate isolation, and I can simply apply nuance. Everyone wins!
Any scene or scenes that stand out as most challenging or one that you are most proud of?
The final reel of the film was the most challenging. It’s the journey at night across the desert. It wasn’t traditionally lit; it’s natural photography with no stylized lighting effects. When you’re in the desert and the moon is out, you can see for miles. We really wanted to get that feeling of being out at night in the dark but still able to see.
The sequence progresses to pre-dawn and then the sun breaks. Throughout this reel – moon going down, sun coming up – the creative grade emphasized this transition, and it was an enormous undertaking. There was a lot of rotoscoping and shaping to keep the mood and tone and make the audience look where they need to look. There was a very slow but large tonal shift throughout the course of the 18-minute scene, and it had to be imperceivable and realistic. I hope no one will be aware of it. A lot of thought and effort went into it, but it should be natural and intuitive to the viewer.
Any tips for those wanting to become colorists?
You need to be dedicated and passionate about the art form — not just the technical aspects. Anyone can learn software, push buttons, move knobs. But a great colorist thinks outside the box and about how they can apply their technical proficiencies and aesthetic to realize the endgame for an image.
Have a vision and know how you can get there. To do that, try to observe everything – art, architecture, photographs, etc. Look at the real world at various times of the day and make note of what you’re seeing in terms of color and nuance. Then develop the craft – learn tips and tricks from others, practice and take the time to understand why things work or why they sometimes don’t.
Be super-collaborative and communicative. Everyone on a project has to be working toward a common goal. You need to be adept at expressing yourself and your ideas throughout the entire process while being tuned in to all other creative ideas, then you must be able to funnel the best creative vision into that final image.
