Best Way of Adding an Overall Color Tone in Final Cut 6?

[Shane Ross]

What’s wrong with doing this through a color corrector? That is what it is designed to do…color the footage. And since this isn’t and “overall” application, but rather clip by clip (each clip has a different tint), it is best done clip by clip. You could add the TINT to each clip, but then it changes the color quality and brightness and contrast, so you will have to adjust that as you go.

Shane

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[Russell Lasson]

You should open a clip in Color. It’s really a great program for doing…. color.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Colorist/Digital Cinema Specialist
Color Mill
Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.colormill.net

[Victor Perez]

This can very well be done with the 3 Way Color Corrector. As for an easy way ( if that means not CCing every single clip) probably not. You can do the main grades on the first couple of clips Blueish, Redish, Greenish etc and copy past to other clips in the Sequence per your choosing, but as Shane mentions every clip will most likely have to be tweaked for the best look.

If possible I would prefer Apple Color. Its just my preference.
hope that helps

Victor

[Sean Duncan]

Thanks for all your responses – I suppose its time to dip my toes into color and if I don’t do a good enough job I will make do with the 3 way corrector.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply – I just wanted validation that I wasn’t doing something stupid with the edit.

Take care.

[Adam Taylor]

whilst i would reccommend Color for anything colour….there is another method that can give quick results.

Place a Matte Colour onto a layer above your video on the timeline, set it to whatever colour you want, then use the composite blending modes to affect the video. You will get varying degrees of success, but it might be a quick way to alter the look.

You can also reduce the effect the blend has by reducing the opacity of the colour layer.

adam

Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK

http://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk

[Craig Sommerer]

This is exactly the method I would recommend. Matte layer, composite mode of choice, blend with opacity, done. If the results vary too widely, do a quick base grade with the 3 way first.

I’m amazed at how many times Color and it’s convoluted workflow and sequence prep is recommended when the OP may not have a grasp of the tools within FCP.

[Victor Perez]

Although Color’s workflow is different from that found inside FCP with its prep work, sometimes major depending on the projects effects, number of slow-mos, stills, etc… It was only when I dove into Color while working on an independent project and watching Walter Biscardi’s DVD on Color that I was able to learn it. And now I use it whenever possible and I believe it makes my projects standout even more.

All the above answers for the question are doable, and I will try the matte layer composite, it does seem much easier than sending to Color and faster when one is in a pinch, but just like FCP there are a number of ways to do an insert edit, some easier and some more difficult. I all depends on your workflow and time constraints.

Victor