Modern VideoFilm used four Blackmagic Design da Vinci Resolve systems for color grading and 3D stereoscopic effects for James Cameron's Avatar.

To handle the immense scope and complexity of color correcting the alien worlds of Avatar, Modern VideoFilm developed a network of da Vinci Resolve systems all connected via optical fiber. Three systems were installed at Modern VideoFilm's main office in Glendale, Calif., with the fourth system installed 56 miles away at the Fox Studio lot.

By building a color-correction suite directly on the Fox lot, Modern VideoFilm was able to handle the enormous number of real-time color corrections and 3D transfers between facilities. These requirements included up to 120 color changes on some EDLs, using hundreds of nodes and creating multiple versions for the theatrical release.

Mark Smirnoff, president, Studio Services, Modern VideoFilm, says, "The Avatar look and feel is very specific, and James Cameron and his crew knew exactly how they wanted every frame to look. The sheer size and scope of what we were working on required the absolute best in color correction and 3D, and da Vinci Resolve fits that need perfectly."

"Avatar and Modern VideoFilm really put the power and flexibility of the da Vinci Resolve to the test and showed why the system is the highest standard for color correction and 3D," days Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design.