The Importance of Dynamic Range for Your Promotional Video

Considering dynamic range is essential for a cinematic image, as it allows more degrees in terms of light, which is closer to what the human eye captures. Let me explain:

The Human Eye & Dynamic Range of a Camera

Dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities. Cameras have different dynamic ranges, depending on the power of the sensor. For instance, the human eye can capture 24 stops of light, while a typical DSLR camera can capture up to 12 stops. The 6K Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera I work with has 13 stops of light! Higher-end cameras, such a what is used on Hollywood film sets, like ARRI cameras or a RED, have up to 17 stops of light.

Taking Full Advantage of Dynamic Range of Your Camera

When you can expose the shot correctly, without losing any detail in the highlights (the brighter part of the image) and the shadows (the darkest part of the picture), you are taking full advantage of your cameras dynamic range. This is why people shoot in RAW formats or 'flat profiles' (i.e. such as S-log and C-log) as it allows for a higher amount of stops of light. Capturing the full dynamic range for your camera is pleasing on the eye, as it's closer to what the natural eye naturally picks up in terms of gradience of light. Taking full advantage of the dynamic range of your camera is an essential component of capturing what is often referred to as a 'cinematic image.'

In this video, I describe the importance of dynamic range and natural light in capturing an interview.

Why Teal and Orange Are Two Popular Colours for Video

What is the Teal and Orange Look?

The Teal and Orange look is a popular colour science trend used in video and images. It has been a conventional trend in Hollywood movies and TV for at least a decade now and is still very much in vogue. It is often attributed to the cinematic look you see in Blockbuster movies.

But why is the Teal and Orange look such a popular colour schema to use in film? The main reason is that teal and orange are two complementary and contrasting colours. But what in particular makes these two colours such complimentary, as indeed there are other complementary colours? Well, teal is used in the shadows (the darker part of an image), while orange is used in the highlights (the brighter part of an image). Orange is a flattering colour for skin, as skin colours exist on the orange spectrum. So when the highlights are orange, it compliments and draws one's eyes to the subject's skin. It helps contrast the subject from the background. Thus, it is flattering for the talent, as it helps draw attention to the person speaking or acting. In short, it creates a flattering depth to the image focusing on the subject.

So next time you’re watching a popular Blockbuster film, see if you can spot this trend. For instance, I recently watched the TV series Westworld. In the HBO show, the Teal and Orange look is often used:

After you understand this popular look, it’s hard not to see Teal and Orange.

The Teal and Orange look can also be referred to the 'California look’. It’s no coincidence, as Hollywood is the leader in terms of defining this iconic look.

Overused Trend?

Some critics in the film industry will say that the Orange and Teal look is overused. This may be the case, but certainly, if you want to make your video more cinematic, you can't go wrong with this look popular colour scheme. YouTube creators I follow, also highlight this point.

Future Blog Post I’ll Show You

In a future blog post, I'll show you how I colour grade, to get the Teal and Orange look. This can be accomplished by either pulling the highlights to orange and dropping the shadows to teal or you can also add a LUT using the Orange and Teal look. Stay tuned, and I’ll show you how to do this in a future video!

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How to Create Cinematic Video Using Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Software

In this video, I walk you through my 5 steps when creating cinematic videos using Magic Bullet Software by Red Giant. For more information on tutorials of Red Giant software visit their website: