forums

Off-Topic The Intangible Sludge

GojiraCane

GojiraCane

All ACC
Joined
Dec 31, 2018
Messages
7,730
What is “The Intangible Sludge”? It’s a phrase recently coined by a film critic to describe the current trend of color grading within film and television, one that wildly alters the color scheme or simply desaturates it almost completely of color.

I first noticed this about a decade ago. David Yates was the director of the last clutch of Harry Potter films, and these productions seemed so lacking in color that at points they were almost black and white. You would see the same again with his Fantastic Beasts films years later. Then in 2016, Rogue One. Everything was grey or brown or yellow. This ultimately became Disney’s de facto mandated cinematography for most of their Star Wars films, the worst being Solo which has heavy color desaturation and is shot so darkly as to be almost unwatchable. The same is true now for House of Dragons.

I am curious if any of you have noticed this? It really, really pops out if view a film that was done before 2007. The trend to play around digitally with colors seemed to kick off then, and movies before were far more vibrant and life like with their colors. An example would be to watch a scene from the first Jurassic Park movie, then watch one from Dominion. Or compare A New Hope to Rise of Skywalker. Or Independence Day (1996) to Independence Day: Resurgence. Or the first Harry Potter movie in 2001 to the last one.

Personally, I miss colors in film. It’s hard not to notice the deliberate removal of colors from film - the Intangible Sludge - once you realize it’s a creative choice.

Some examples:

1667032591010.jpeg



1667032619321.jpeg


1667032656937.jpeg

1667032697228.png


1667032768520.jpeg



1667032936258.jpeg



1667033108729.jpeg



1667033207722.jpeg


1667033250057.jpeg


1667033302270.jpeg


1667033345647.jpeg


1667033459849.jpeg


1667033518663.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 1667033031309.jpeg
    1667033031309.jpeg
    153.4 KB · Views: 1
  • 1667032994767.jpeg
    1667032994767.jpeg
    114.2 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Advertisement
It's just what happens when you make a copy of a copy of a copy...
 
Advertisement
JD08 said:
It's just what happens when you make a copy of a copy of a copy...
Click to expand...
It’s certainly a trend…a lot of cinematographers and directors, even companies (Disney mandating a color scheme for instance for all Marvel films) are taking someone’s singular decision and applying it to the industry as a whole. Color grading has been a creative choice in the past - The Matrix (1999) had all of its digital world scenes shot with a green hue. But that made sense in the confines of that particular film. You wouldn’t necessarily want to shoot the remake of Home Alone in a green hue, but today you might because of “it looked cool in the Matrix”. Or under light it to the point it’s unviewable (Solo, GoT, House of Dragons), and then tell viewers that they need to adjust their TVs.

The reality is, we have had 15 years of film (and some TV) deliberately shot in as drab of a style as possible. Everything a sheen of gray, brown, or sickly yellow. If it ever swings back in the opposite direction it will be fascinating to read what peole make of this trend. And believe it or not, it’s a factor in why a Pacific Rim did so well in China, while Star Wars: The Last Jedi - which Disney had high hopes for and made a huge marketing push - flopped. One was brilliantly lit and a feast for the eyes, while TLJ was cited as drab and unappealing to Chinese audiences.
 
I blame Tim Burton and the success of the 1989 Batman.
 
I hadnt noticed it until this thread, but I also dont go to the movies much anymore, most of the films are trash.
 
GojiraCane said:
What is “The Intangible Sludge”? It’s a phrase recently coined by a film critic to describe the current trend of color grading within film and television, one that wildly alters the color scheme or simply desaturates it almost completely of color.

I first noticed this about a decade ago. David Yates was the director of the last clutch of Harry Potter films, and these productions seemed so lacking in color that at points they were almost black and white. You would see the same again with his Fantastic Beasts films years later. Then in 2016, Rogue One. Everything was grey or brown or yellow. This ultimately became Disney’s de facto mandated cinematography for most of their Star Wars films, the worst being Solo which has heavy color desaturation and is shot so darkly as to be almost unwatchable. The same is true now for House of Dragons.

I am curious if any of you have noticed this? It really, really pops out if view a film that was done before 2007. The trend to play around digitally with colors seemed to kick off then, and movies before were far more vibrant and life like with their colors. An example would be to watch a seen from the first Jurassic Park movie, then watch one from Dominion. Or compare A New Hope to Rise of Skywalker. Or Independence Day (1996) to Independence Day: Resurgence. Or the first Harry Potter movie in 2001 to the last one.

Personally, I miss colors in film. It’s hard not to notice the deliberate removal of colors from film - the Intangible Sludge - once you realize it’s a creative choice.

Some examples:

View attachment 213021


View attachment 213022

View attachment 213023
View attachment 213024

View attachment 213025


View attachment 213026


View attachment 213029


View attachment 213030

View attachment 213031

View attachment 213032

View attachment 213033

View attachment 213034

View attachment 213035
Click to expand...
Bring back early 80s hot white lights!!!

 
Advertisement
SpikeUM said:
I hadnt noticed it until this thread, but I also dont go to the movies much anymore, most of the films are trash.
Click to expand...
It’s one of those things where once you see it, you can’t help but not notice it.

Saw a bit of Andor this morning and what do you know, more color desaturation.

1667139754079.jpeg
 
An early example before digital capture/grading. But in this case a pertinent stylistic choice rather than a copycat trend.

1667140911961.png
 
Advertisement
Suhrthing said:
An early example before digital capture/grading. But in this case a pertinent stylistic choice rather than a copycat trend.

View attachment 213248
Click to expand...
Brilliant choice. Like Matrix (virtual world) or Terminator 2 (hospital escape scene), this was a stylistic choice and meant to evoke a 1930s Dust Bowl environment.

Unfortunately a lot of people saw this and thought, "this looks cool! I want my movie to be the same!" Even though it might be a superhero film. Or a sci fi piece. Or a comedy. And not in 1937 Mississippi.

Here's O Brother Where Art Thou without and with the color grading:

1667142358600.png


Unfortunately now we have a raft of directors and cinematographers that play with colors to evoke moods. Desaturation can be used to evoke something from a long time ago, or something dreary. Or two-tone (orange and teal) that was embraced by Michael Bay in his Transformers films. Or a filmmaker settles on a color to represent a theme, such as corruption. In isolation, it's cool. But everyone is doing it, and everyone is copying each other. So you end up with a host of films that look like The Road.

Even if they are not post apocalyptic.

1667142671937.png
 
GojiraCane said:
Brilliant choice. Like Matrix (virtual world) or Terminator 2 (hospital escape scene), this was a stylistic choice and meant to evoke a 1930s Dust Bowl environment.

Unfortunately a lot of people saw this and thought, "this looks cool! I want my movie to be the same!" Even though it might be a superhero film. Or a sci fi piece. Or a comedy. And not in 1937 Mississippi.

Here's O Brother Where Art Thou without and with the color grading:

View attachment 213251

Unfortunately now we have a raft of directors and cinematographers that play with colors to evoke moods. Desaturation can be used to evoke something from a long time ago, or something dreary. Or two-tone (orange and teal) that was embraced by Michael Bay in his Transformers films. Or a filmmaker settles on a color to represent a theme, such as corruption. In isolation, it's cool. But everyone is doing it, and everyone is copying each other. So you end up with a host of films that look like The Road.

Even if they are not post apocalyptic.

View attachment 213252
Click to expand...
Personally, in the examples you posted up top, the crushed shadows is more of a irk than the simulated film stock exaggerations. As far as the desaturation goes, I'm not sure why that's such a trend - I don't care for it either. It has it's place - it shouldn't be defacto.
 
Advertisement
And the Intangible Sludge continues…next up, Peter Pan and Wendy:


1678548957746.jpeg


1678549035047.jpeg


1678548978128.jpeg


In the last one, Hook’s jacket is actually red. You would hard pressed to know it here:

1678549184537.jpeg


Not every film has to be The Road or Batman Begins. Jeesh.
 
Advertisement
Back
Top