006
Vacancy
A thriller short set over one night at a motel in the snow. The neon had to stay loud while the snow stayed blue and never went grey.
Director
Callum Reid
Cinematographer
Priya Anand
Camera
Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K
Delivery
DCP, Rec.709
Client
Low Road Films
Year
2024
Where it started
Shot in real snow with the motel sign as the main light. On the camera original the snow read as flat grey and the neon bled into everything near it.
The grade
We separated the snow with a luminance key and pushed it toward blue, then pulled the sign’s glow back so the red stays inside the letters. Faces under the sign keep their skin tone.
Delivered as a DCP for festivals and in Rec.709 for online release.