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Color grading: how to create a high-tech look
Hi all:
We have a client here who wants their corporate video to have the kind of “Matrix”-y blueish, high-tech look, sort of like in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOIi1AbiDak
And we’re on a tight deadline. Now, I have used FCP’s 3-way color corrector, but it’s been mostly for relatively simple stuff, like correcting badly shot footage (without white balance) or, at the most, make the grass and the sky in a landscape shot look more vivid. I’ve never had to do something like grading an entire video to achieve a certain aesthetic look, and I’m looking for some pointers.
To tell you where I’m at right now, I’m thinking of applying a combination of: 1) reducing the image’s contrast; 2) desaturating it; 3) give a general, subtle blueish tint to the entire image; 4) highlight specific colors in some shots in particular, as needed; 5) perhaps, if necessary, blow out the highlights in some cases using the Bloom filter or something of that kind (depending on the shot). Am I on the right track, or would you do things differently?
(BTW, I would LOVE to experiment with Color for this project, but considering the deadline and my little experiencde with that program, I’d rather be conservative and stick to what I know best, i.e. FCP’s own color correction filters).
Thanks in advance,
Paulo.
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4 Replies
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If you have Color and just haven’t used it yet, you might be able to find what you’re looking for with the presets that are built into Color. Could be a quick solution, but I wouldn’t recommend using the presets often because you will have the same look as everyone else who uses the presets. So when you have time, you could experiment and create your own looks for future projects.
If you don’t know how to use Color since the interface is pretty intimidating, you could find some quick help from Walter Biscardi, the guy who made the Creative Cow tutorial video for Color. The program is actually quite easy.
Good Luck
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the easy answer is to try what you suggest on a shot and see if you like it!
What might work on some footage may look dreadful on others, so without seeing your material no-one can say.
You have obviously given some thought to your look – now you just need to try it out. You may find you hit the look before you have done everything on your list, or you might just discover some great different look that will make your grade look even better than what was requested.
You often find that reference to a movie is made only because its easier than trying to ask for something new. Don’t replicate it, develop your own interpretation and give them something unique to your client.
adam
Editor/Mixer
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK -
Run, don’t walk to https://www.redgiantsoftware.com/magicbulletlooks.html
This is exactly what you need!
W
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Crush blacks, blow out the highlights and push the midtones color balance wheel towards blue/cyan. You can do this with any of the color correction filters or in color.
Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro
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