Music Video: Kendrick Lamar — 'Alright'
Issue: August 1, 2015

Music Video: Kendrick Lamar — 'Alright'

LOS ANGELES – Ntropic (www.ntropic.com) colorist Trevor Durtschi worked closely with London Alley Entertainment director Colin Tilley, and DPs Rob Witt and Corey Jennings to create a dramatic black and white video for rapper Kendrick Lamar. The Alright video marks a continuing collaboration between the colorist and director, as the previously teamed up on Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda.

Lamar’s Alright video features a clean black & white color palette. The rapper and his crew are shown in gritty environments throughout California. Lamar floats through many scenes, his feet never touching the ground. In other scenes, he is perched high above the street on light poles and signs. 

Durtschi worked with multiple power windows and luma keys. While coloring for B&W, his focus was more on contrast than hue and saturation. Using DaVinci Resolve 12, he was able to push the image without worrying about color noise and keeping skin tones balanced.

“The best sessions were when we got to collaborate and treat each shot as an individual painting,” he recalls. “Colin isn’t afraid to push the boundaries, so he gave me the freedom to shape the image. It’s part of what makes him such a strong director.”

Vinnie Hobbs edited the project, and Hoodyfx handled VFX work.