Shooting an X-Men Spoof with the New Canon DSLR Technicolor CineStyle

I shot this X-Men: First Class Spoof with the new Technicolor CineStyle picture profile (it was a 5d, as well). I had done some initial testing when the profile first came out, but never shot a real project on it. This X-Men short is my first real world experience with the profile.

X-Men: First Class Spoof - The cool mutants are out fighting crime... these "mutants" had to stay home, at the mansion.

I've got to say, I'm impressed! But there are some pitfalls to watch out for. It handles color and dynamic range a lot more naturally than the standard Canon Neutral settings, with contrast and sharpness all of the way down. Meaning, with a proper exposure, you can really dial in a naturalistic, filmic image. But you have to be very careful, because clipping in this profile looks horrible, producing harsh, blown out whites with sharp edges. But you can avoid this, if you underexpose a bit or light with this in mind. Because the blacks are raised a bit, you still maintain shadow detail and can bring the image up in post. Obviously, with this profile, you will need to grade the image, which for some workflows may be too much. But what I did was subtle for most of the video, adding a bit of contrast and some saturation on some of the shots.

Essentially, this is the go to profile for a filmic, natural image. If you want a more high contrast, extreme look, this may not be for you. Also, if you are someone who doesn't want to grade or grading isn't a part of your project, then this is not for you, either. Overall, an awesome addition for DSLR shooters.