Uruguayan Netflix film 'Togo' completed with DaVinci Resolve Studio

The post-production companies SKAfilms, Colour Studio y Trailer Films, all based in Uruguay, collaborated in the post-production stage with DaVinci Resolve Studio (Blackmagic Design) from 'Togo', a Netflix original production directed by director Israel Adrián Caetano.

This feature film tells the story of Togo, starring Diego Alonso, who lives and works in Montevideo. The main character, who is dedicated to taking care of cars, helping with parking and offering directions, but is forced to protect his financial livelihood and his life when he comes face to face with drug traffickers.

In the post-production of the film, a work dynamic was used with a ACES color management in DaVinci Resolve Studio. SKAfilms and Trailer Films, both responsible for proxy file management, mastering and preparation of IMF content, together with Color Studio, in charge of grading, focused with complete confidence on the creative aspect of the project and the material to be delivered, thanks to the consistency provided by the ACES environment.

Color-managed processing eliminated any uncertainty and time-consuming troubleshooting in post-production, and teams could easily share material in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

Agustín Fagetti, editor of the IMF package at SKAfilms, comments that "Since SKAfilms, Trailer Films and Color Studio work in ACES format with Resolve, we were able to exchange DRP project files, which was very useful in order to simplify the post-production process. In addition, we had the possibility to consult beforehand with Color Studio about the HDR color space settings and everything that Netflix required to create the IMF package properly according to their specifications and standards. In a matter of seconds, we could ensure that we were “Everyone on the same page.”

When creating the desired aesthetic for Togo, Color Studio used the halo effect in DaVinci Resolve Studio to add flares and light reflections around high-contrast edges.

The colorist Daff Schneyder, from Color Studio, acknowledges that "we were extremely surprised by the exceptional effects that DaVinci Resolve Studio offers. In addition to the halo effect, we also used the grain effect throughout the film. Without these tools, we would not have been able to achieve the uniform, warm aesthetic that the director had in mind."

Bundling with IMF

When it came time to create a IMF package for Netflix, the SKAfilms team was ready. “The IMF format can be very complex in terms of the metadata and internal structure, especially when working with high dynamic range images, but the design of DaVinci Resolve Studio made the process easier and much more intuitive,” says Fagetti.

To maintain a consistent look and feel across the thousands of different types of screens on which viewers consume content, Netflix requires adherence to the most rigorous standards. Although Netflix guided SKAfilms through the process of obtaining the IMF package, Fagetti noted that creating it in the same program in which the feature film was graded was a fundamental advantage.

"Getting the IMF packages into DaVinci Resolve Studio was a game-changer for us. We could make sure we had the right settings in terms of color management and could easily resolve any issues that arose, thanks to the metadata." Dolby Vision en el programa. La estructura interna del paquete en sí es maravillosa, dado que no es necesario enviar toda la película nuevamente con cada ronda de cambios. Solo se mandan los cambios específicos, y la tecnología IMF de Resolve, con la ayuda de los metadatos, determina qué fotogramas/tomas son adecuados y cuales se deben volver a enviar, y solamente genera nuevos archivos para dichos componentes”, explica.

“La versatilidad que ofrece DaVinci Resolve Studio facilitó la gestión virtual de archivos, por ejemplo, al importar metadatos Dolby Vision en la línea de tiempo para generar los últimos ajustes. Sin DaVinci Resolve Studio, SKAfilms no hubiese podido hacerse cargo del paquete IMF”, concluye Fagetti.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzgRwvch-W4