HOLLYWOOD — Director Steven Caple Jr’s sophomore feature Creed II (www.creedthemovie.com), from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, chronicles the next chapter of the Adonis Creed story. The film follows the young boxer’s life as he deals with a fearsome new opponent, his newfound fame, and his father Apollo’s legacy.
Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone.
Caple and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, turned to Efilm (www.efilm.com) senior colorist Mitch Paulson to give the film its final look.
“Steven and I were going for a natural immersive feel with this film,” notes Morgenthau. “We wanted the audience to feel very much inside Creed's journey. We approached the cinematography and the feel of the picture with a granular, textured and expressionistic approach. Mitch and the Efilm team embraced what we were going for and added to the look. Mitch's collaborative approach combined with his sensitivity and artistry elevated the look beyond what we dreamed of. The whole experience was a creative high from end-to-end.”
Paulson says he aimed to achieve a toned down cinematic look that’s most evident during the film’s boxing sequences.
“When you look at a pay-per-view boxing match, everything is brightly lit, which isn’t necessarily cinematic,” he notes. “We pulled back the red on the ropes in the ring and toned down the color to get something more dramatic and moody than what you’d see for a special sporting event on TV.”
Paulson delivered a standard theatrical, home video, and Dolby Vision theatrical HDR grade for the film, with the Dolby Vision pass completed at Deluxe’s new Stage One grading theater.