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What's the "look" used in Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes"?

gsking

New member
I can't find any images online, but can anyone who's seen the movie tell me about the coloration they used?

I figured there was some "standard" definition for that look amongst the professional image/video editing crowd. And what better place to ask pro questions than here? :)

It looks like it's been desaturated, sepia'd, and contrast increased in the shadows. Kind of a Midnight Sepia style, but in daylight.

Thoughts?
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
There are a few CS Bleach Bypass plug-ins available, but you can do your own custom one pretty easily if you are proficient in layers and blending modes:

1) Load color image
2) make copy layer, turn visibility OFF
3) select background (bottom) color layer, and add a B&W adjustment layer. Click auto, and then selct toning to taste -- sepia for the Sherlock Holmes effect.
4) Now dial opacity of the B&W adjustment layer -- NOT the image layer -- down to around 50% -- you'll tweak it later.
5) Now select the copy color layer (on top) and turn its visibility ON -- the image will appear normal, but don't worry.
6) Change the blend mode of this layer to "Multiply." This will now add the saturation and contrast bleach effect. Adjust opacity of this last layer to taste, probably somewhere between 40 and 70%.
7) Tweak: Change opacity of the B&W adjustment layer to taste, probably somewhere between 30 and 70% depending on how much or how little color you want; readjust Multiply layer opacity as desired.
8) You may want to add a curves layer on top to balance dark zones, depending on the original image.

Voillá, you should be pretty close to what you are looking for.
 
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