The Netflix limited series Clark featured the most inventive use of HDR we’d ever seen, so we just had to reach out to colorist Bill Ferwerda to ask if he’d be willing to talk with us about his workflow.
What camera was used on Clark?
[The] Sony Venice.
Was an HDR monitor used on set or during pre-production?
There was not an HDR monitor on set. All tests were done in SDR and final grade starting in HDR.
Was ACES used, or the camera’s native log color space?
[I worked in the camera’s log color space]. ACES was not used. Anytime I have used it, there has been a technical compromise or a workaround we have had to deal with. I’m happy to avoid ACES if possible.
Were dailies in HDR? What kind of remote workflow was used?
HDR was not used on the dailies. The show lived in an SDR environment until final color. I can’t comment on workflow because I wasn’t involved. The only aspect of the production that Company 3 handled on this project was the final colour. All other aspects such as conform, VFX, etc. were handled by a company in Sweden called Edisen.
Your own feelings about HDR and Dolby Vision or Eric Broms’ willingness to embrace HDR?
Like any other format, HDR is a tool and it’s up to the creative team to embrace it, to suit their needs. I am the colorist for The Handmaids Tale and on that show we don’t go above 100 nits. This was a creative decision made from the beginning. Jonas, Eric Broms (DOP) and I took the view to push it as hard as we could to get the most aggressive yet tasteful image possible. HDR, like color, is all about experimenting and learning as you go. Things we did on Clarke would not suit or look good on The Handmaids Tale.
Anything else you think might be interesting – tips for grading HDR, your inspiration for the look(s) of the show?
Inspiration comes from experimentation. You must do things repeatedly at the beginning of a project while searching for a look. You will be surprised by how many times you upgrade a look by not settling on the first thing that looks good.
I was brought into this project by director extraordinaire Jonas Åkerlund. Jonas comes from music videos and has an aesthetic that is very aggressive and pushed. I love working with him because he always makes me be my best. Some other projects we have worked on together are Polar, Madonna, Rammstien, and Ozzy Osbourne. You now may be getting a better understanding on why the show looked the way it did. Looking back with Jonas when we first met on “Polar”, we spent an entire session listening to Ozzy
Thank you so much, Bill!
The Daejeon Chronicles 
Leave a Reply