Real-time collaboration during post production of the feature film “Rotting in the Sun,” a part of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival’s Premieres program, was facilitated by Blackmagic Cloud. Lead Colorist Ernie Schaeffer and his team at Caffeine Post used DaVinci Resolve Studio for grading, online editorial, and mastering.
Artistic Vision and Collaboration
The black comedy “Rotting in the Sun” skewers both the business of filmmaking and modern solipsistic culture. Directed by Sebastián Silva, who plays himself in the film, it follows his collaboration with social media influencer Jordan Firstman on a series after saving him from drowning. The project was shot in Mexico City.
Silva is no stranger to Sundance success, having won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema at the 2009 festival for “The Maid,” and the Director Award: World Cinema Dramatic in 2013 for “Crystal Fairy.”
Technical Approach
Caffeine Post, also based in Mexico City, worked closely with Silva and DP Gabriel Díaz, who was in Chile. Schaeffer described their process: “We printed samples to 35mm positive to find a look that balanced digital sharpness with the softer tones of 16mm.”
Schaeffer emphasized the importance of alignment among the color team, director, and DP. He noted, “Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve’s remote collaboration features provided us with the time and flexibility we needed to achieve our vision.”
Workflow Details
Caffeine Post structured its color team similarly to a sound team, with roles such as image supervisor, lead colorist, ambient colorist, dialogue colorist, FX colorist, and color premixer. This structure allowed for detailed control over various aspects of the film’s visual elements.
The team utilized Blackmagic Cloud to manage their workflow, especially given that Díaz was in Chile. Schaeffer explained, “We used Resolve’s collaboration features to experiment with and set the look initially. Then, Caffeine Post worked on adjustments using Blackmagic Cloud.”
The collaborative setup enabled efficient communication and ensured that the post production pipeline remained in sync as the film progressed through picture lock, VFX versioning, subtitles, credits, and replacement shots.