“How long will it take to grade this show?”
It is a question I am often asked, so I have some standard replies. Obviously every
TVC, movie or music video is different so a rough guide is the best you can offer your client without seeing the footage.
Things that impact on the time quoted are conforming, VFX shots not finished, cut not locked, number of cuts in the show, a director that wants to experiment!
This is a guide for grading time only, conforming headaches can often blow out so lets stick to what I know best. These times are based on doing the job properly. If your client does not have 10 days money for a feature, or 6 hours for a TVC, you can always negotiate, maybe include conforming and finishing time in the quote.
FEATURE FILM. 10 days
So 10 days grading, ideally no more than 8-9 hours a day. I know we have all done stupidly long hours in the past but in my experience your productivity goes down the longer you are perched in front of a screen. I try and break my day up a bit like a sporting event.
Work for 2 hours then take a 10 min drinks break. Another 2 hours then take lunch for an hour. The do another 4 hours in the afternoon split by another drinks break.
The breaks do a few things; you rest your eyes and mind. Get outside for a few minutes, take in some daylight and fresh air. Your clients will also benefit from this, remember they are not used to sitting in a dark room for extended periods.
DOCUMENTARY 45mins 1-2 days
Docos can be troublesome to grade especially if lots of raw or different formats are used. This can also impact on the actual grading time as matching lots of formats can be time consuming. Normally the grading will be more straight forward as most docos don’t have specific looks or styles in that case 1 day might be enough.
Doco clients normally like to attend the grade and are often very close to the project.
TV DRAMA 45 mins 2 days
TV drama is most impacted by the number of cuts in the show. Often the DP or director will be shooting while you are grading so are unable to attend the grading. Looks for each location will be set before in an initial grading session, maybe show 1 of the series. This means grading alone then doing a producer screening when the grade is finished.
I normally try and get a balanced grade on the whole show during day1. Day 2 is then used to review, a good chance to change things. Then start to add some nice touches, little windows, light glows etc.
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL (TVC) 30s 4 hours.
The early stages of a TVC grade are often the most important, as we search for a ‘look’ for the commercial. Coloring with a number of clients in the room often slows things down. Make sure you get a verbal lock off on the look. The last thing you want to hear after 2 hours of grading is “I’m not sure we have the right look for this commercial”
REMOTE TVC 30s grading alone. 3-4 hours
If I get sent a 30s TVC via the internet, I normally charge 3 hours for the grade with a 1 hour buffer that we may or may not need.
After the 2 hours I will upload an H264 Work in Progress (WIP) version. Get the feedback via phone, Skype or e-mail then use the final hour to make the changes.
Maybe send 1 more WIP, then finish. You can play ‘grading Ping Pong’ all day long pinging versions back and forth, not ideal so boundaries need to be set.
MUSIC VIDEO 4 hours….or “How long is a piece of string?”
Can be very difficult to quote, strong looks, lots of cuts, and matching VFX shots are all a factor in how long it will take. Music videos traditionally have a strong visual style so harder to create and in turn harder to match.
These are a rough guide only.
Warren Eagles
