After reading an interview with the DP and colorist on the Apple TV+ war drama Greyhound (2020), we were really looking forward to seeing it. But it turned out to be no more than an SDR production from start to finish, with just a bit of gunfire and one scene in which Tom Hanks is kneeling at his bedside where the portals of the eponymous destroyer are brighter than diffuse white that took advantage of HDR’s extended range. After watching All Quiet On The Western Front last year, we inquired whether a film with only one or two scenes with highlights qualifies as HDR, and this confirms that the answer is a resounding no. Out of a gravely mistaken belief that contracting pupils in the presence of bright light is too uncomfortable an experience for audiences, the colorist of Greyhound lifted the shadows, ensuring that the highlights had as little impact as possible.
“If you’re looking out a portal, and it’s 700 nits, that’s a load for your eye to respond to. We found ourselves opening up the shadows somewhat to compensate for people’s sensory reaction, where the pupil closes down due to bright light.” – Shelly Johnson, ASC
Restricting highlights to only a few muzzle flashes and portals also betrays an astounding lack of imagination.
The Daejeon Chronicles 
Leave a Reply