Quick Tip: The Importance of Calibrating Your Monitor on Set
Calibrating your on-set monitors is essential for any DOP’s looking to impress directors and DITs. As Shane Hulbert says, “[the monitors] are the eyes of the production.” It’s how everyone on set can see the project as it’s being filmed, and you want them to get a pretty good idea of what the final picture can look like once it’s graded.
Calibration is important because it ensures consistent colors across every monitor on the set. Even though it might seem daunting, you can use software and tools, such as Datacolor Spyder X2 Elite Colorimeter, to guarantee accuracy and efficiency. Throw a LUT onto your footage and you’ll be able to deliver a “daily” almost identical to the picture the team saw during filming.
So when should you calibrate your monitors? Before you start ANY project, you want to calibrate your monitors with the colorists, DITs, and anyone who will have a screen looking at the project. The calibration should last a few weeks, but if possible, we recommend recalibrating at the beginning of every week if you’re on longer projects.
However, it’s important to note that some brands of monitors cannot be user calibrated, and must be sent to the manufacturer for calibration. If you’re unsure whether you can calibrate your monitor, check the user manual online before attempting.
