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Clarification on Safe Color Settings / Color Limiter Effect
Hi, I’m having some issues with the Avid color limiter, but I’m not sure if it’s my settings or just my understanding of how the avid color limiter works.
I find that when I use the limiter from Adobe (fast color corrector, set to RGB 16 – 235) the results look much better than when I do the same in avid using the Color Limiter effect (Safe Color levels set to RGB, 16 – 235 on Luminance, RGB Gamut). I also find when checking the results in color correction mode, warnings still appear on certain clips with the limiter effect applied. When adjusting to correct, I then find that my footage becomes washed out.
Basically, if I want the best results I have to export from Avid, then bring it in to Premiere, use the fast color correct and the re-export but that adds a lot of time and increases the margin of error. If you’re wondering why I am using limiters instead of correcting each clip individually, which is the ideal, it is because we are often rushed for deadlines and the limiters help a ton for getting things legalized and out the door.
This is for Canadian broadcast TV if that helps for knowing legal color levels, etc.
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3 Replies
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The footage needs to be graded to be safe before you apply the safe color limiter. Using it as a hard clipper won’t look great. Also you need tbe 422 option ticked. And don’t forget very short transients over 235 are normally permitted.
Pat Horridge
Technical Director, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online https://vimeo.com/channels/752951
VET
Production Editing Digital Media Design DVD
T +44 (0)20 7505 4701 | F +44 (0)20 7505 4800 | E pat@vet.co.uk |
http://www.vet.co.uk | Lux Building 2-4 Hoxton Square London N1 6US -
Hey Pat, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I always have the 422 option ticked, and really try not to go over 235 but realized slight overages are sometimes allowed. Usually I use it as a hard clipper per sequence, not on the entire show- but I still realize that isn’t ideal. I find premiere’s fast color corrector works extremely well- and I was wondering if there was a way of making Avid’s tools work in a similar way, but I think they are just very different beasts.
If I have to grade each clip before using the limiter, is there any reason why I wouldn’t just legalize each clip while I’m grading?
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I don’t have the information here at hand but there is an order of processing to take into account.
So it’s possible to have what you think is a safe limiter and then make an adjustment downstream of that.
I think that’s why a lot of folks grade and then add the safe color limiter on an upper track as a final check.Pat Horridge
Technical Director, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online https://vimeo.com/channels/752951
VET
Production Editing Digital Media Design DVD
T +44 (0)20 7505 4701 | F +44 (0)20 7505 4800 | E pat@vet.co.uk |
http://www.vet.co.uk | Lux Building 2-4 Hoxton Square London N1 6US
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