Last Breath, Alex Parkinson’s intense new thriller starring Woody Harrelson, arrives in UK cinemas today, March 14th. Expanding on his original documentary (graded by Dirty Looks Belgium in 2018), Parkinson recreates the gripping true story of a deep-sea diver trapped on the ocean floor with only five minutes of oxygen remaining.
The film was graded by Adam Inglis here at Dirty Looks with the conform, online and delivery completed by Joe Fisher and Flame Artist, Margo Lazarenko with DI Producer, Sarah Morowa.
The picture finishing and delivery of the film presented a unique set of challenges, demanding a blend of technical expertise and creative problem-solving to balance a diverse media timeline.
A Symphony of Sources:
The Dirty Looks team worked closely with Adam to harmonise footage from the Arri Alexa shot by Cinematographer, Nick Remy Matthews, underwater footage by Ian Seabrook, dynamic drone shots, grainy CCTV and ROV (underwater robot) feeds, multiple full CGI VFX, plus archival sequences from the original documentary.
The film’s visual tapestry was woven from a huge array of sources, each with its own inherent characteristics and limitations. Adam worked meticulously in the grade to marry the crisp, high-resolution Alexa footage with the low-resolution, often noisy feeds from CCTV and ROV cameras which required a delicate touch.
Working closely with underwater cinematographer, Ian Seabrook, Adam created a greenish yellow underwater palette to ensure the underwater scenes weren’t just blue but had a unique feel and realistic as to what the water at the bottom of the North Sea would look like when illuminated by the lights.
The film features over 400 VFX shots. In one crucial scene depicting a diver’s cyanosis, a condition that dramatically alters skin tone, Adam invested significant time testing the shots to accurately recreate this effect. This involved pre-grade testing and adjustments during the grading process, ensuring the result was both realistic and impactful.
Maintaining Consistency in the Storm:
A pivotal scene involved a boat navigating a storm. Ensuring consistency in the bridge’s movement was a major undertaking in the online. While some shots were captured with a Steadicam, others were static. The team meticulously crafted the illusion of a turbulent sea, ensuring a seamless flow while preserving the cinematographer’s original vision. This required extensive online work, balancing the need for consistent motion with the integrity of the original composition.
HDR and Low-Resolution Footage:
Working with low-resolution footage not designed for HDR presented a unique challenge. To prevent these images from blowing out in the HDR environment, a colour space conversion was implemented, effectively clamping the images to 108 nits. This ensured that even the most challenging footage could be integrated seamlessly into the film’s overall visual aesthetic.
The Dolby Vision Deep Dive: 4000 Nits
The final hurdle arose when Focus came onboard, requiring a 4000-nit Dolby Vision version alongside the planned theatrical, HDR10 1000-nit, and Rec709 versions. This necessitated another HDR trim pass on a newly released Sony 4000-nit monitor.
This leap into the realm of 4000 nits was an interesting journey. The extra brightness range made a tangible difference, particularly in high-luminance areas like the underwater flare sequence. The highlights gained extra detail, resulting in a more nuanced and visually rich experience. At 4000 nits, (once audiences in the future are able to monitor in such a high dynamic range), the roll-off is softer, allowing for a more natural and immersive portrayal of these intense moments.
The film was released in the US last week to glowing reviews from critics and cinema audiences.
