Say Hello to My Little Batch
Say Hello to My Little Batch
The Cinematographer’s New Best Friend
Every cinematographer needs a partner, someone who’s got your back, someone you can trust when things get tricky, someone who helps you push creative boundaries. Well, say hello to your little Batch. It’s not a grenade launching best friend like Tony Montana’s, but it might as well be, considering how explosively it expands your palette of possibilities.
Batch mattes let you isolate faces, lift shadows, and sculpt the lighting in ways that were only previously available to a select few. Think of Batch as that creative boost you never knew you needed, taking your vision from good to cinematic greatness.
So grab your white suit, cue the synthesizers, and dive into how your new best friend, Batch, can supercharge your cinematography.
First You Get the Mattes, Then You Get the Power…
When Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki crafted his iconic visuals for The Revenant, he leaned heavily on mattes to dial in the look with surgical precision. Of course, back then, getting mattes meant spending truckloads of cash (and losing half your sanity in roto-land).
Enter Batch. Using our AI pipeline we generate Batch Color Quality Mattes for entire films or TV series in hours, not weeks. Think Chivo-level control, without Chivo-level budgets. It’s the democratization of roto, finally giving every cinematographer the keys to that beautiful, nuanced imagery you’ve always wanted (but figured you’d never afford).
So, how exactly are filmmakers using Batch to push their visuals further? Glad you asked.
Every Day Above Ground Is a Good Day (to Batch Your Shots)
What Cinematographers Can Do with Batch Mattes and Depth Maps
Batch mattes aren't just for emergencies, they're a creative powerhouse for cinematographers looking to push their visuals even further. Here’s how Batch helps you become the Tony Montana of your own cinematic world (minus the mountain of cocaine, of course):
1. Enhanced Control in the Color Grade
Batch delivers precision mattes instantly, so you and your colorist can experiment freely, keeping the creative flow alive and well. No waiting for rendering. No need to track stuff. You just… go!
2. Separate Talent from Background Easily
Quickly isolate actors from their backgrounds to enhance brightness, contrast, or overall mood. Combine these mattes with traditional windows to craft nuanced, precise looks.
3. Sky Manipulation & Day-for-Night Magic
Swap skies effortlessly or turn day into night convincingly without hassle. Whether the clouds rolled in at the wrong moment or you're crafting a dream sequence, Batch has your skies covered.
4. Instant Atmospheric Effects (The Good Kind of Haze)
Creating or evening out atmospheric haze is a snap, even if the fog machine had a mind of its own on set. Maintain consistent density across shots without the usual grading gymnastics.
5. Practical Magic (Lighting)
Love lighting with practicals? Perfect, Batch helps balance your actors and practical sources effortlessly. Picture this: your actor holding a lantern in a dark forest, perfectly balanced without breaking a sweat. No need for additional lighting units.
6. Crazy Control with Beautiful Depth Maps
And we haven’t even mentioned Batch’s Depth Maps yet! Enhance atmospheric perspective, create convincing depth-of-field effects, or fake tilt-shift lenses. Combine these with Batch Mattes for real power. It’s a game changer.
7. Tame the Sun (Or At Least Your Day Exteriors)
No more sweating bullets when clouds play peek-a-boo with the sun. Quickly balance shots during color grading, keeping daylight exteriors consistent and beautiful. This could be one for the dailies colorist as well!
8. Batch for Dailies (Who Saw That Coming?)
Run Batch mattes as early as dailies. VFX and editorial teams can utilize them for temp composites, and your dailies colorist can leverage instant mattes for cleaner, clearer looks from day one.
The World Is Yours
Batch is here to help you explore creative possibilities you might not have even known existed. If you want to play around with some mattes, test a few depth maps, or just chat cinematography our inbox is always open.
After all, as Tony says, “Every dog has his day.” And with Batch, yours might just come sooner.
Ready to Batch Up Your Cinematography?
Drop us a line, we promise to make you an offer you can’t refuse (wrong gangster flick, we know, but close enough). Let's get Batch working for you, pronto!
