Mastering for calibrated vs. uncalibrated client screens?
Hey everyone,
I'm primarily a boom op, running a Sound Devices 833, but I've been helping out more with delivery for some smaller indie projects shot on a C70 or even a KOMODO-X. We spend a lot of time getting the grade just right on a properly calibrated monitor, aiming for a technically perfect master. However, I know a lot of our clients are reviewing these masters on their laptops, often with VLC, and definitely uncalibrated.
My concern is that while our master is 'correct,' it might look crushed or totally off on their screens, and they'll flag it. I've tried doing a slightly 'safer' grade sometimes, pulling the blacks up a touch or dulling highlights just to survive the laptop review, but then it feels like I'm compromising the actual master.
How do you all balance delivering that technically perfect file, knowing that the first impression for many clients will be on a wildly inaccurate display?