Light Iron Colors Its World With Sony BVM-X300 4K OLED Monitor

Light Iron is a postproduction company with an extreme focus on maximizing image fidelity.  The company relies heavily on technology to increase filmmakers’ creative control over their projects, and the newest arrow in its quiver for hitting that target is Sony’s BVM-X300 4K OLED master monitor.

At Light Iron’s Hollywood and New York City facilities, the company needs monitors with the latest features and best capabilities, which is why they have three of Sony’s X300s.  Sony allows Light Iron’s team to efficiently and effectively color correct and master content, which is the nucleus of the company’s postproduction services.

As technology rapidly evolves, so does Light Iron’s business.  Light Iron’s team has always been focused on filed-based workflows at its core, including 4K end-to-end services, which have continued to attract filmmakers who are interested in cutting-edge image fidelity.  After a beginning in features, Light Iron now also works closely with episodic groups, who look to the company as a leader in 4K+ and High Dynamic Range (HDR) productions.

With technology that is frequently adapting and trends that come and go, Light Iron needs products that can meet these ever changing demands.  The BVM-X300 handily supports what Light Iron calls “The Fidelity Tripod.”  Some monitors deliver 4K resolution.  Some deliver wide color gamut.  And some deliver high dynamic range.  But, according to Light Iron, the X300 is the first display that delivers all three at the same time at the best in class.  Light Iron’s customers appreciate the results they are getting and consumers are going to enjoy experiencing superior imagery.

4K has been around for many years, as a step up in resolution that offers four times the detail and and clarity of HD, resulting in a more realistic and more textured visual that is becoming standard among industry peers.  In addition to being part of the professional workflow, 4K is experiencing widespread adoption in the consumer environment.  Light Iron’s customers are delivering content in 4K and it is critical to be able to assess and perfect that content using a 4K viewing source, like the X300.  As the transition to 4K concludes, it is imperative to employ a 4K monitor as a part of the postproduction process, and Sony’s X300 currently stands above the rest.

The X300 uses a unique wide color gamut RGB OLED panel and Sony’s original color management system, so Light Iron has seen accurate color that is truly bright, has high contrast and EOTF accuracy.

In addition, High Dynamic Range has been a buzzword in the consumer and professional space and is making strides.  HDR displays a much greater aesthetic image when compared to Standard Dynamic Range, so it is a technology that is essential to a colorist who is always looking to achieve the most realistic and beautiful viewing experience – one that rivals human perception itself.  Having a monitor like the X300 that works in tandem with the capture of HDR footage has been extremely beneficial and now with the transmission of HDR content on television sets, viewers get a chance to see just how great these images can look.

On the same monitor, Light Iron’s team will view content with different display profiles and will frequently switch between the 2D and 3D color space, in addition to P3 and Rec. 709.  With high dynamic range infiltrating all professional and consumer markets, the company is beginning to display in BT.2020 color space, among other newer profiles.

Nearly every project in Light Iron’s different facilities now goes through one of its X300s before leaving the building.  Recent 4K episodic clients such as Amazon, ABC, and Discovery are regularly using our X300s, as well as HD productions with AMC, Paramount, and Lionsgate.  In addition, Light Iron’s three X300s are regularly used for primary grading of HDR and UHD masters, as well as broadcast passes of theatrical versions, such as BluRay or HD videotape.

Since installing X300 monitors facility wide, employees in every department request it as part of their workflow.

With broadcast television, OTT networks like Amazon, and movie studios delivering content in 4K and HDR, coupled with HDR televisions hitting the market in droves, the BVM-X300 came to Light Iron at just the right time.