Hulu Original Series Chad Powers Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Senior Colorist Todd Bochner marries a filmic look with stylized broadcast footage.
Blackmagic Design today announced that Hulu’s new original streaming series “Chad Powers” was color graded by Senior Colorist Todd Bochner of production and post facility Harbor using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software. The show blends a cinematic narrative with stylized broadcast football footage to create a unique visual experience.
Starring Glen Powell as hotshot quarterback Russ Holliday, the series follows Holliday as he tries to resurrect his football dreams after a mistake ends his promising college career. Disguised as Chad Powers, Holliday joins the struggling South Georgia Catfish team.
“When cinematographer Mark Schwartzbard and I first discussed the project, we knew we’d be cutting between two distinct visual styles: the main story, which had a filmic look, and the broadcast segments, which were designed to emulate live ESPN style game footage. We used broadcast cameras and graphics provided by ESPN to create a convincing broadcast aesthetic, while the story scenes were shot with a more cinematic approach, using PVintage lenses for texture and depth,” Bochner explained.
With the contrast between the filmic story and broadcast game footage established, Bochner then blended the two looks in post using DaVinci Resolve Studio, with the show’s opening scene immediately setting the tone for the series.
“It was our first dive into game footage presented as if someone was watching it at home. We aimed for a cinematic feel, using printer lights to keep blue tones in the shadows and ColorSlice to maintain rich, properly toned uniforms. The contrast between the filmic story and the broadcast style footage helped establish the visual language of the series,” Bochner said.
“With multiple team uniforms featured throughout the series, I found Resolve’s ColorSlice to be the perfect tool, contributing to a subtractive color feel. It helped keep the uniforms vibrant and consistent across scenes, enhancing their overall tones. Furthermore, Magic Mask helped track uniforms when they moved out of frame, allowing me to maintain consistent color,” he added.
“We pushed the color to stay rich and deep while maintaining natural skin tones,” Bochner explained. “I used a variety of FX plugins, including Color Compressor and Diffraction, which were particularly helpful in dialing in the filmic story look.”
“Everyone involved, from top to bottom, was deeply invested in the look and feel of the project,” he concluded. “Having a clear vision from the start made the process smooth and creatively fulfilling. From early camera tests to final color lock, it was a fun and collaborative experience.”
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