For the Colorist

The KODAK Gray Card / R27 helps you establish grading which best maintains the lighting in the original film. That can save considerable time and take the guesswork out of wondering, "How is this scene supposed to look?"

Always grade the center portion of the card to 18% neutral gray. That will give you a good grading reference to transfer the scene(s) that follow.

1. Center the controls using a baseline reference.
2. Locate the first shot of the KODAK Gray Card / R27. Roll into the shot to make sure the lighting does not change.
3. Set the voltages or IRE values for the gray card to those indicated below.
4. Use these settings for grading the scenes referenced by the gray card. Make corrections, if needed, to improve overall color and contrast.
5. Store the settings so that they may be recalled for future use.
6. Proceed to the next card and set up accordingly.

Grading Value for KODAK Gray Card / R27 - normal exposure (component values)

Note: The values specified in the voltage and IRE tables are all COMPONENT RGB values with no setup. The IRE values indicated are percentages of component RGB voltages.

Values are based on 0-700 mV equal to 0-100% of voltage.

Note: If the Cinematographer has designed special lighting e.g., colored gels, fire, low-key, etc, or used special lens filters, the lighting on the card will not match the scene. However, grading the gray portion of the card to 18% neutral will help to maintain the desired effect in the transfer.