Final Cut Pro Color Correction Debacle

[Dean Sensui]

You turned DOWN distribution offers?

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Walter Biscardi]

First off, the colors are so far off in the original and you always over-light a scene to just bring back the blacks in Post. I recently did the color enhancement for a feature horror film and the entire thing was basically shot flat with normal lighting. In Color I created an entirely different, dark look for the entire film.

With your shot, you’ll need to really stretch the whites to get the guy’s face back in. Push up the highlights and see if that helps. FCP 4.5 is not nearly as clean as FCP 6 and certainly Apple Color would be a huge help to you.

BUT, the moment you start raising the levels, the heavy compression artifacts will start showing up big time. This is why you shoot lighter and darken in post. You actually decrease the artifacts by crushing the blacks in post.

The title of your thread is wrong. It’s not an FCP debacle, this is something of your own making, unfortunately.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

Read my Blog!

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!

[George Snow]

Yes, two.

Most people sign away their movies and never see a dime. While the distributor might not get rich, even the worst movie will turn a little profit.

You might not the look of my movie. But, it has excellent acting, some truly unique kills, and the most disturbing climax released in a very long time. Even people that hate the movie, find the climax pretty damn good.

So, it still has a lot going for it (though a minority would disagree). I’m patient, and either I’ll make a little money on my own, or eventually get a deal that will throw me a bone. If I sold one copy at amazon I’ll make more money then many indie movie-makers get for a widely distributed movie. I’ve sold more then one copy.

Plus for a few hours on February 24th Us Sinners was the #1 slasher rental at Amazon. Psycho was #2. So, I’m good.

I just want when I release a proper DVD (with all the special features and commentary) that the movie look it’s best. I like the way it looks. But, if it can look better, I’ll give it all I got.

[George Snow]

I know all that now. I’m going to be much more careful the second time around.

How do I “Push Up The Highlights?”

I use the color correction 3-way for the whites and blacks. What do I use for the highlights?

Also, I know you mention to push the whites to get his face back in. But, in the end, I want his face to be shadowed.

I guess what I’m trying to ask is, I want the video to look the way it does in the Color Corrected version, but done so the wall and his face don’t blend together. Maybe with a little depth. If you know what I mean.

[Dino]

Vignette!

In the darkest scene faces still need light on them. Also, you can’t have shadows without light.

[Scott Thomas]

I just played around in Photoshop, is this more of the look you want?

I added a grain to try to hide the compression artifacts a little.

[Walter Biscardi]

[George Snow] “How do I “Push Up The Highlights?”

I use the color correction 3-way for the whites and blacks. What do I use for the highlights? “

The whites ARE the highlights.

I just played with your original still image and I was able to get very good separation between the actor and the wall and still maintain heavy shadows on the actor. My highlights were set to 350 on the first 3 Way CC and then I threw a second 3 way as a secondary.

He’s too close to the wall to get depth of field without a mask to cut him out and throw a blur on the wall.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

Read my Blog!

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!

[Shane Ross]

And if you want shadow on someones face, you LIGHT for a shadow on someones face. Make everything else brighter and flag the light on his face. You don’t light everything evenly then try to shade his face. I mean, you CAN do a little of this with COlor and even Colorista. But a lot of what you need to do to get the lighting you want is light properly on set.

ANYWAY, I digress. Boosting the highlights and maybe the mids will bring up more light to the scene…but you want the wall to be brighter and the face to be in shadow? Yeah, this is what Color can do that the 3 way cannot, POWER WINDOWS…selecting specific areas that you want to affect change. Even Colorista has this. the built in tools in FCP are very basic.

I remember well the statement my cinematography teacher made when I asked how do you light scenes you want to be dark. “You add a LOT of light. You want it to be bright in many areas, so you can see the dark. If everything is dark, then you can’t see the dark. You have to paint in the dark.”

or something like that.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Pat Mcgowan]

If it were me I would do two things:

1) take the money

2) run

[Dean Sensui]

George…

Instead of struggling with the limited color correction features within FCP, get Walt Biscardi’s training DVD for Apple’s Color (Stop Staring and Start Grading with Color).

It’ll change your life. It changed mine. Not only do I grade everything with Color, I’m also taller and can run faster. 🙂

Color is a MUCH more flexible and capable set of tools than everything combined within FCP.

It also helps to get at least some basic training in lighting. Understanding the craft will help you make the most of creating visual moods to help with your storytelling.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing