earth icon

Creative Work

khara, Inc. - Color Reproducibility and Reliable Color Management at Every Step of Production

khara, Inc.

Evangelion
© khara
EVANGELION:3.0+1.11 THRICE UPON A TIME


khara, Inc., the video production company renowned for producing the Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition series, has been using EIZO ColorEdge monitors for many years. They recently installed a 27-inch CG2700S and a 24.1-inch CG2420 monitor. We spoke with the personnel in charge to get their impressions of the newly installed ColorEdge monitors and to understand why they continue to choose EIZO.

khara, Inc.
Left: Yohsuke Chiai, Designer
Center: Nanae Hirabayashi, Composite Director
Right: Yuto Abe, System Engineer
 

Highly Acclaimed for Color Reproducibility and Reliability

Yuto Abe, System EngineerAbe: Our company has been using EIZO ColorEdge as our production monitors for over ten years, with our last installation occurring eight years ago. As the number of monitors in use for extended periods has grown, we decided to refresh our system and chose to continue with EIZO due to their proven track record and reliability. We recently began updating the monitors used in the production process, where precise color management is crucial. Our goal in selecting new monitors was to enable the production team to focus on their work without distractions while maintaining a seamless user experience. Currently, we have approximately 50 ColorEdge monitors in use in the studio, with an additional 20 units available for immediate deployment in case of unexpected needs or emergencies, ensuring uninterrupted production. 

At our company, we handle everything from illustration, design, and 3DCG production, to compositing and in-house editing, using ColorEdge monitors at every stage of the process. As color management in production becomes increasingly important, the most significant advantage of ColorEdge is their exceptional color reproducibility. Colors are rendered with precision, and there is minimal discrepancy in their appearance across different monitors. This ensures that when the director reviews footage or the production staff checks overall image quality, the colors remain consistent regardless of the monitor used in the studio.

Furthermore, we collaborate closely with the post-production team and engage with external affiliates to ensure that the color mode for each project is aligned. Discrepancies in color reproduction between monitors at different stages of production can result in a final that does not match the original vision. However, using ColorEdge has virtually eliminated any instances of color miscommunication. Moreover, EIZO’s high-quality manufacturing means we don’t have to worry about product malfunctions, allowing the production staff to focus on their work with peace of mind.

CG2700S and CG2420 in Action

Yohsuke Chiai, DesignerChiai: I'm in charge of motion graphics, effects design, and visual development, and I use the CG2700S for my work. I typically use the SDR color mode, but since the CG2700S also supports HDR display I can easily switch to HDR for projects that require it. The ability to change the color mode or toggle between SDR and HDR with a simple switch on the front of the monitor is incredibly convenient. Additionally, the monitor has minimal reflection and glare, which has significantly reduced my eye fatigue. Previously, when I used a monitor from another manufacturer, I often experienced eye discomfort after extended periods. Since installing the CG2700S, I’ve noticed a significant reduction in eye strain.

I often use the CG2700S with my MacBook Pro, connecting via a USB Type-C® cable. This configuration allows the monitor to simultaneously power my laptop and display the screen, eliminating any concerns about charging. Additionally, when I take my laptop to meetings or leave the office, I can resume work immediately upon returning to my desk by simply connecting a single cable. Not needing a separate power adapter has made this solution highly convenient.

khara, Inc.

Nanae Hirabayashi, Composite DirectorHirabayashi: I’m responsible for creating the animation that the audience will see. This involves compositing background art and effects with animated characters, adding special effects, and processing the footage. At my workstation, I have a multi-monitor setup with two 24.1-inch CG2420 monitors positioned side by side. One monitor is used for previewing video, while the other displays the materials to be composited. The thin bezels allow seamless viewing between the monitors, facilitating efficient footage review.

It is essential to have a monitor that allows me to verify the correct colors during the filming process when footage is transformed into a finished product. The CG2420 features a built-in calibration sensor that automatically calibrates the monitor periodically, ensuring consistent color accuracy. This allows me to proceed with confidence in the colors on the screen and deliver the finished video data to post-production with peace of mind.


Color Control in the Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition Series

Hirabayashi: Precise color control is crucial for this series, especially when depicting scenes with red. While we refer to “red” generically, there are in fact numerous shades used throughout each scene, ranging from dark red to bright red and even shades of red that are closer to orange. Additionally, many scenes feature intense flashing lights, such as explosions and flames, which require meticulous color control. Thanks to the high color reproduction capabilities of ColorEdge monitors and their ability to clearly display both dark and bright areas, we have been able to work with confidence and have not encountered any issues with color control or when depicting flashing light.
khara, Inc.
 

Efficient and Accurate Color Management

Hirabayashi: By utilizing ColorNavigator, the dedicated color management software for ColorEdge monitors, we can precisely adjust brightness, color gamut, and gamma values, enabling us to customize multiple color modes for each project. The software also enables seamless export and import of color preferences, significantly reducing the workload associated with adjustments. Another great feature of the monitors is their factory calibration, which minimizes individual differences and allows us to start using them in our studio right away.

Abe: We also utilize ColorNavigator Network, a centralized management platform for multiple ColorEdge monitors. Since the CG series is equipped with a built-in calibration sensor, we can run all calibrations at once from ColorNavigator Network in accordance with specified adjustment targets. We have it set up so that every 200 hours the monitors are automatically calibrated while they’re not in use. This has significantly reduced management time, and having reliable color management on the system side has provided peace of mind to production staff. For asset management, we can easily check each ColorEdge’s usage status, color mode settings, and the date and time of the last calibration. We can also register unique asset information such as the connected PC and username for each monitor, which is extremely convenient.

ColorNavigator Network provides centralized quality control of ColorEdge monitors for studios and other enterprises with multiple creators and editors who work on shared projects. Administrators can manage multiple monitors via a web browser, enabling quality control even from remote locations. This reduces the labor required for maintenance and ensures consistency between monitors throughout each stage of production.

Learn more about ColorNavigator Network here

High Expectations of EIZO in the Future

Abe: We are exploring the possibility of further utilizing ColorNavigator Network to set the color modes on all monitors simultaneously. Additionally, we are developing replacement schedules that consider the overall operational hours of all currently installed models. In the future, we would love to use the ColorNavigator API with ColorNavigator Network and see an increase in the number of compatible models.

Our company currently uses an asset information management system, but we would like to be able to complete all asset information checks, such as serial numbers, control numbers, and operating hours, within ColorNavigator Network. Leveraging the ColorNavigator API in this scenario would allow us to strengthen the integration between our existing systems and ColorNavigator Network, facilitating the development of an automated asset information update program. This could potentially enhance our asset management and operational efficiency.

EIZO’s free ColorNavigator API is available for software developers and system administrators to integrate color management software functions into third-party applications. This streamlines the user experience by making essential color management operations accessible directly from active creative applications.

Read more about ColorNavigator API in the press release here

We have been using ColorEdge without any complaints and will continue using them in our next monitor refresh. Looking ahead, we anticipate further integration with software to streamline color management operations, so we hope that EIZO will continue to create high-quality products and provide robust system support.
khara, Inc.

Special thanks:
khara, Inc.
Website
 

Deployed Products

ColorEdge
Case Studies
Page Top
  • likedin
  • facebook
  • X
  • youtube
  • Instagram
  • rss