by Simon Harrison | Feb 20, 2019 | News
We’re starting a Pro Editing series, aimed at those who are serious about creating slick, professional looking photography and video content.
We will be sharing top tips from our highly skilled team, with tricks on how to get the best out of editing software and our thoughts on new developments and programs. We also have a lot to say about Mojave – but we shall save that for another day. Today, we are going to be talking about Colour Grading.
Colour grading is a powerful tool when it comes to telling a story. The whole mood of a video can change with some simple colour grading – providing you ensure all the frames flow and have the same look. Our 5 pro colour grading tips will give you a good understanding of what to look for and where to start.
The Key Light
The key light is the term given to the main light for your photograph, whether that be natural light (a window) or artificial (a lamp for example). You need to establish where the key light is coming from before your colour grade begins.
White Balance
It’s really important to balance the exposure and ensure the white balance is correct at the start. This, in simple terms, is getting the white, white. It may not sound that important, but it sets the tone for the whole frame.
Use Hue/Saturation Curves Tool
Using the hue and saturation curve option enables you to make precise, easy adjustments to the saturation/brightness of specific colours. For example, if you want to increase the saturation of red in the frame, simply use the RGB Curve to alter the levels of red.
Consider using LUTs
A LUT (Look Up Table) is a modifier between two images. There are some great ones available online and if used well they will give your video a great effect (more in-depth post on using LUTs effectively soon)
Don’t go over board
When it comes to colour grading it is very easy to get carried away. Subtle changes are often the most effective. You want to achieve a polished professional look, not a fake one.
If you have any questions on colour grading, or any other aspects of producing great video and photography please contact us.
by Simon Harrison | Feb 1, 2019 | News
The world of website design never stands still, which is why we should take a moment to review what the current trends in design are heading into 2019. How many of these boxes can your website tick?
Mobile First
Since 2015, mobile searches have exceeded desktop searches, making mobile search the highest worldwide. As a result, Google changed the way in which they index sites and now they prioritise mobile friendly sites, even over the loading speed of a website. This has created a methodology whereby websites are designed for a mobile device first and then adjusted for a desktop second. Not only does this benefit your SEO and ranking, but it gives the consumer a much better experience.
Think simple
Clean, minimalist designs are characterized by loading quickly and are currently sought after for two very important reasons. Firstly, both the mobile users and desktop browsers can experience a website that loads almost instantaneously. And secondly, they are regarded as having a high SEO value, as a clean, minimalist design will help a site fulfil a lot of the speed requirements that search engines require.
Minimalistic needn’t mean boring though; the use of contrasting colours, icons, bold headings can look fantastic. It’s all about prioritising content and getting creative.
Grids & text overlay
Grids with a text overlay are quickly replacing the usual side bars and menus, due to their modern look and particularly asymmetrical designs. They point viewers to the content they are looking for and also help to keep the home page looking simplistic and fresh.
Video backgrounds
Despite the trend towards clean flat designs to improve speed and responsiveness, video backgrounds continue to grow in popularity as we head in to 2019. There is strong evidence that video backgrounds increase conversions, as they are far more engaging for visitors than text or images will ever be. Interested parties will land on your home page and watch the video, therefore decreasing your bounce rate and, because Google loves video, improving your SEO.
Single Page Design
A final trend for 2019 sees the growth of single page websites, to tap into the requirement for minimal design and faster loading speeds. Definitely not suitable for all businesses, the single page website is a great tool for those looking to drive visitor traffic to a contact point, without them getting distracted by other content.
Check out our website design page to view some of the websites our team have designed and as always if you need any help with bringing your own web design ideas to life give us a call on 01202 682322 or email team@thecollectivegroup.co.uk.
