Picture and sound post-production on Romeo and Juliet

Technicolor completes extensive picture and sound post-production services on new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet directed by Carlo Carlei

Technicolor Credits include Kim Honeyman (Producer), Dolores McGinley, Jaime Leonard (VFX/Design Lab); Paul Ensby (Senior Colourist); Adam Mendez (Re-recording and Foley Mixer); and John Ensby (Lab contact).

The tragic story of star-crossed lovers has been adapted for screen by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and is directed by Carlo Carlei (Fluke) with Amber Entertainment, Indiana Production Company and Swarovski Entertainment taking production credits.

In the title roles are Douglas Booth (Great Expectations) as Romeo, and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as Juliet. The film also stars Damien Lewis (Homeland, Band of Brothers) as Lord Capulet, Stellan Skarsgård (Thor, Good Will Hunting) as Prince of Verona, and Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist, Saving Private Ryan) as Friar Laurence.

Technicolor was involved throughout the post production process, providing services which included DI, conform, grading, film-out, DC creation and mastering, along with visual effects and audio work. Colourist Paul Ensby completed the grading of the film using Autodesk Lustre, which featured original footage shot on Arri Alexa by acclaimed DoP David Tattershall (Star Wars Episode I, II and III).

Ensby said: “Shot in Italy, the luscious landscapes and sets were carefully graded to ensure the entire natural colour palette and light was shown in all its detail. The lavish costumes and set design were protected and in some cases enhanced to keep a wide colour gamut throughout. Also, small, natural looking image movement was introduced to focus the eye and to gently keep the idea of the camera not being still during longer shots. The result is a beautiful looking film, full of colour, light and movement.”

Technicolor Re-recording and Foley Mixer, Adam Mendez, recreated the sounds of Renaissance Verona with Foley artists Jack Stew and Andrea King.

Mendez explained: “All the characters have deeply textured costumes, from the grand dresses of the Capulet’s ball to the heavy woven cloak of Friar Laurence, so we took extra care creating a unique sound for each. Many of the locations are quiet and still which means that the smallest movements become important. Our Foley stage setup allowed me to capture some very subtle performances to emphasise the stillness and intimacy of the film.”