GEAR DATACOLOR SPYDER CHECKR VIDEO
CHART TOPPER
This pocket-size gizmo may be small, but it could have a huge effect on the colour management of your films
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
A ccurate colours are the person often does many jobs. Even if you have the luxury of an editor or colourist, these professionals still need a reference to ensure the colours match between cameras and lenses, in different lighting conditions and on different days. Big-budget productions will shoot a colour card before every take, usually held in front of the talent in the same light while ensuring there are no reflections or flares. For many owner-operators, it’s just an added step of complexity on set. Carrying a full-size colour chart and remembering to use it every time there is a scene or lighting bane of filmmakers’ lives, especially in indie production companies where one change is often a massive ask when there is so much other stuff to do. Even if you realise that it will make post-production workflows much more efficient.
grey and white patches, plus six skin tone patches. The only difference between the two colour targets is how they display on a vectorscope, so you can choose which works best for you. Datacolor claims that these high- gloss cards provide more saturated colour, wider colour gamut and easier identification of flare. We found that, in bright light, there could be significant flare – but it’s easy to spot. Sometimes odd speckles would appear on the colour patches in direct, hard light. But it’s easy to see this on the scope so you can fast-forward to a different point in the clip.
So Datacolor has launched its own pocket-size tool to encourage filmmakers to actually carry one at all times and use it. The Spyder Checkr Video is a set of target cards held inside a light, compact plastic case that you can even wear around your neck on a lanyard. The case is designed to fit comfortably in the hand while preventing fingers from casting shadows on the cards. However, our test version was very hard to open and you felt like you might break the hinges at any time. It never did fail, but was concerning. Inside the small case are a total of five high-gloss video target cards. There’s a 22-step gradient greyscale card, focus star card, 18% grey card for white-balance and choice of two colour cards. The Color Pattern Card includes 12 colour patches of six specific hues in two different saturation levels, one at 100% and one at 75% on a vectorscope. There are also black,
HUE’S NEXT The great-value Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video has colour-accurate swatches and grey balance targets
“High-gloss cards give more saturated colour, wider gamut and easy identification of flare”
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