'Tomorrowland' Cinematographer Talks About Using New Format Dolby Vision
Oscar winning director of photography Claudio Miranda has spoken about Dolby’s new-fangled format that offers high dynamic range, meaning a wider range between the blackest blacks and whitest whites.
"This is a great thing that’s coming,"said Miranda who shot Brad Bird's Tomorrowland — the first film shot in the format. "Night time blacks are just insane; they're just beautiful,” he enthused. “A starry night is true black; It makes the night feel very three-dimensional. And explosions get a flash of brightness that you don't get in the normal theatrical world.”
Another crew member who is enthusiastic about the format is colourist Stephen Nakamura, who graded the film. “The actors’ performance stands out more," he said. "You can see more detail in the eyes. You can see more of their facial expressions particularly in night scenes in a really subtle way.”
Miranda used this expanded palette to create distinct looks for the worlds.“When we first travel to Tomorrowland, I gave a little more glorious colour to it,” Miranda explained. “When Casey holds the pin and first sees Tomorrowland - the sequence that appears in the trailer - there’s adventure and hope and light. It’s warm and inviting and exciting. There’s a present day that’s more muted, a little more bleak. But there are also different versions of how we approached Tomorrowland driven by what is happening in the story."
Dolby’s plan is to equip theatres with Dolby Vision, along with Dolby Atmos sound in a specially designed configuration that also includes a video wall entry area. These premium theaters are branded “Dolby Cinema.” Tomorrowland, along with Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out and 2016's The Jungle Book, will have Dolby Vision releases, with additional titles in the works.
