Color Collective Builds the Right Look with Streambox

The use of a Streambox solution for immediate collaboration on color grading.

Color Collective is a colorist boutique for features, series, and commercials based in New York City with review sites in Los Angeles and Atlanta. They had been exposed to Streambox equipment for a number of years, so when it came time to get editorial clients in Los Angeles connected up with New York, it was a natural choice for their expansion project. Since then, Color Collective has added two reviewing locations in Atlanta also using Streambox systems.

These controlled environments offer color calibrated monitors with dedicated Streambox hardware encoders and decoders for optimum viewing experiences. Sometimes the locations network with other organizations that also use Streambox systems. The locations utilize Streambox Cloud Services for connectivity. Color Collective is just beginning to deploy the new cost-effective Chroma X encoder and decoder packaged as a small form factor device made available in a Hardware as a Service (HaaS) or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering.

The bigger challenge is that Color Collective needs to work with Directors of Photography (DPs) that are out in the field in a variety of locations. In the past they used to post video and then have to wait for feedback. Now Color Collective is using two new technology offerings from Streambox for a new form of immediate collaboration that enables a lot more input and a lot more review time together, even though being physically apart, when it matters most during pre-production.

Color Collective has been one of the first users of Streambox Sessions. Is a simple and cost-effective way to connect media professionals who require remote, real-time collaboration of high quality, color-rich, content across multiple locations without reviewers needing a Cloud account. This quick to set up and easy to use model is also cost-effective as Color Collective only pays for what they use on a project basis. Multiple stakeholders can log in from anywhere directly by just entering in a code that Color Collective sends them. As Alex Bickel the founder and senior colorist of Color Collective puts it, "There is no worry about specific IP addresses, this takes all the IP guesswork out of it."

The other major technology enhancement that is impacting the relationship between Color Collective and its clients is Streambox Mobile Media Player. Mobile Media Player is an application supporting ten programmable video channels for cost-effective viewing of high-quality video on iPads and iPhones in real-time. For some projects Color Collective will send out iPad Pro's for clients to borrow temporarily. Color Collective finds the iPad Pro reasonably color accurate as a "real-world display" for Rec. 709 projects. Users turn the brightness half-way down, turn True Tone off, and turn off night mode. The assessment of Color Collective is that this provides a decent real-world representation of what a project will look like out in the wild. Color Collective clients just log in with an iPad Pro and watch the color grading session in real-time. Alex explains, "The iOS-based app is changing the game for us by having our clients watching the color grade right before their eyes."

As it is almost impossible for some projects to get a DP, director, and colorist in the same room all together upfront, using the app on iPad Pros to let Color Collective colorists show clients what they are thinking is a great tool for look development. A DP can be at an airport to catch a flight, and the colorist builds them a LUT while they are waiting and shows them the options in real-time for what they will use in the field for the production. After the session, Color Collective emails the LUT settings to the DP. Alex points out, "What used to take hours waiting for feedback becomes real-time."

Using this Streambox solution provides Color Collective to go the extra mile by engaging right at the beginning of the process with a personal touch for DP's. Color Collective needed a company that had cost-effective solutions that also fulfill the need to be secure and look correct. For Color Collection- Streambox hits all those marks.