Colour Truth: Metamerism In Cinema

What is Metamerism?

Ever wondered why an image looks perfect on one screen but completely different on another? That’s metamerism - a phenomenon where colours appear to match under one lighting or display condition but diverge dramatically under another. While subtle, this effect has serious implications for colour fidelity, audience experience, and ultimately, trust in moving image content.

Why does this matter?

From the set to the streaming platform, from broadcast to the cinema, colour consistency is more than just a technical challenge - it’s vital for storytelling integrity and audience engagement. Metamerism poses a growing challenge for filmmakers, post-production specialists, display manufacturers and broadcasters alike.

What to Expect

This event gathers a diverse panel of experts and creatives passionate about tackling metamerism head-on. Expect insightful talks, technical deep dives and practical discussions focused on understanding, detecting and managing this colour phenomenon to help raise industry standards.

Who Should Attend?

This is an IMIS Member and Industry Event - designed for professionals across the moving image sector: colour scientists, cinematographers, post-production teams, display manufacturers, technologists, and anyone involved in ensuring colour accuracy in visual storytelling.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

IMIS Members: Attend FREE of charge

Non-Members: Pay £40 for event entry and receive a full year of FREE IMIS Membership. This includes access to a global community, exclusive resources, future industry events, networking opportunities and more.

Why Join IMIS?

Joining connects you to a vibrant global network, provides ongoing learning, historic archives, expert content, industry updates, and a voice in the future of moving image technology. Plus, contribute to and shape the community through volunteering and engagement.

Info: Our host Pippa Considine will lay the expectations for the day and set the tone. She will introduce us briefly to the term “metamerism” and outline how today’s sessions will move from understanding the phenomenon in layman’s terms, to diving into specific industry issues relating to the technical, business and the creative point-of-view. By the end of the day attendees should leave with a basic understanding of metamerism and be inspired to think of practical solutions for how they could mitigate the issue in their own work.

Info: Led by an expert in cognitive perception, this short presentation provides the essential context for metamerism.

So, why do we all see colour differently? From early human survival to today’s colour-critical cinema workflows, our perception of colour has always shaped how we interpret the world. In this lively, accessible presentation, Dr David Simmons will unravel the quirks of biology and perception, pose intriguing questions about whether “colour truth” really exists, and introduce the slippery phenomenon of metamerism – that sneaky force that can thwart visual consistency. Expect a few visuals and thought-provoking takeaways to tee up the deeper technical, business, and creative conversations ahead.

Info: Expert John Frith will explore how today’s wide gamut display technologies create unexpected challenges for both audiences and professionals. With interactive examples, he’ll show how some viewers perceive colours differently on Rec.2020 capable systems – and crucially, why this matters. The session will unpack the vision science and offer some insightful stories behind the phenomenon of being colour anomalous.

Info: How does metamerism challenge consistent visual experiences?

This panel blends R&D with commercial realities from the exhibition sector. Experts will unpack the science behind screen technologies and examine how (and if) industry standards can respond. Together they will delve into some of the technical, operational and commercial issues in the cinema Industry caused by metamerism being manifested by Narrow Band Direct Laser Projectors.

Info: A short talk summarising feedback solicited from industry partners, experiments conducted, and an exploration into ways to streamline the workflow when working with different illumination technologies.

Info: A refreshingly non-technical look at metamerism through the lens of virtual production. This expert panel focuses on collaboration across disciplines and seeks to share perspectives on how metamerism can be best understood when there are many departments, clients, and stakeholder scenarios at play in time-critical environments. The panellists will discuss how to manage expectations and seek future solutions to mitigate colour risks.

Info: A practical look at colour consistency from traditional location sets to the post room. This expert panel delves into the challenges of achieving consistent colour fidelity work across varying lighting conditions, lenses, and display devices. They’ll unpack their specific metamerism challenges, talk kit developments, colour accuracy processes, and the practical workarounds professionals use to stay true to a “unified” vision.

This is a rapid-fire session practically talking through the realities of creative trade-offs. And finally, a few provocative ‘what-if’ ideal-worse case future scenarios will be thrown into the mix to fuel future debate.

Info: What is the cost of staying colour-accurate?

This is a data-driven look at exhibition and distribution trends, and the business case for investing in next-gen technologies. Expert David Hancock presents a snapshot of emerging trends, and potentially…a bit of a reality check on the cost of staying colour-accurate

Info: Final reflections, thanks, and key takeaways.

Info: Informal cocktails and nibbles.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Dolby Screening Room London Soho, 4-6 Soho Square, London, United Kingdom