The latest in a run of music videos created by Noiseboys, a project that began during the COVID lockdowns with a father and son performing together—Marc on guitar and vocals, Jamie on drums. What began as a shared creative outlet gradually grew into a full band covering Oasis classics while developing a sound entirely their own.

Their most ambitious project to date involved the Vocal Works Gospel Choir and was filmed in a converted church, The Mount Without, whose rugged Gothic architecture sits alongside more contemporary elements, creating a striking visual setting.

The Story

This project came to me late in post-production when the original editor, who had been slated to complete the colour grade, had to step away at the last minute. Because I joined the project so late, the photography hadn't been developed around a dedicated colour workflow or show LUT. Achieving the desired aesthetic—an intentionally bold interpretation of the classic teal-and-orange palette—therefore required creating much of that visual language during the final grade.

The challenge lay not in fighting the warmth already established in the photography, as it provided much of the atmosphere and character of the images. Instead, I introduced a series of carefully tracked areas of teal that allowed the warm and cool tones to coexist naturally within the frame.

It wasn't until we embraced a stronger level of colour contrast that the images began to find their place. A custom look with a generous split tone pushed the palette towards teal and orange, while careful sculpting of the tonal scale created a detailed yet weighty low end.

Once we made the choice to commit to a bold colour contrast scheme the images started to feel weighty and balanced.

Overall, the images called for a moody, dramatic rendering. The most effective approach was to allow them to sit low on the tonal curve with healthy contrast, embracing everything already inherent in the photography while encouraging it to become a bolder version of itself.

Reflections

This project reinforced something I already believed: colour grading is at its most powerful when it begins long before the first frame reaches the grading suite. A considered show LUT and colour-managed workflow allow the photography to carry much of the creative intent from the outset, making the final grade less about rescue and more about refinement.

Thankfully, on this occasion we were able to find the image we were searching for and, most importantly, realise the client's creative vision.