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Activity Forums Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy Changing Backdrop Color in FCP pro

  • Changing Backdrop Color in FCP pro

    Posted by Mark Pagan on December 12, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    Perhaps a naive question, but I’m writing to see about background/ color changes wihin FCP. I have a video clip of a dancer in front of a grey backdrop and want to see about isolating the backdrop color and changing it. Any suggestions?

    Thanks,
    Mark

    David Bogie replied 17 years, 5 months ago 6 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Chris Poisson

    December 12, 2008 at 8:44 pm

    You cannot change the color, you have to add a matte.

    Have a wonderful day.

  • Scott Davis

    December 12, 2008 at 9:13 pm

    Mark, key the background out and composite a different one behind it.

    Scott Davis
    View Scott Davis's profile on LinkedIn

  • Dennis Leppell

    December 12, 2008 at 9:30 pm

    limit effect in 3-way color corrector

  • Bouncing Account needs new email address

    December 13, 2008 at 5:01 am

    [Dave LaRonde] “Good luck trying to key a gray background.

    For that matter, good luck trying to cleanly key ANY background that was not specifically lit for the
    purpose.

  • David Bogie

    December 13, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    Reshoot.

    There is no easy way to do this but using the 3-Way Color Corrector will allow you to choose a very narrow range of pixels to which an effect will be applied. The interface for 3-way is about as dumb as it gets in FCP (nothing is labeled) so get out the manual and follow along. You also need to understand how to use the different output view modes the filter offers.

    There are other options if you understand how to create mattes and use them as inputs for other effects. You will take a copy of your footage and apply levels or color correction filters till you get a hard edge between the dancer and the background and the backdrop is a solid color without any tone. You will then use this video clip, after it’s rendered, as the matte input to drive other color correction or replacement filters.

    Reshoot it.

    bogiesan

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