-
Footage lighter than what I Captured…
Hey – I have a slight problem. I actually use FCE – I just completed editing my movie – burned it, watched it on 3 different TV’s. All of them display lighter footage than I actually captured. My movie is intentionally dark. I filmed it that way on my DVX100a & edited it on my IMac. It looked fabulous as I intended it. The finished copy is way too light. Is there a way to bring down the light a few notches with a broad sweep or do I have to lower the light on each individual clip which will take me two or three lifetimes? If I need to clarify anything let me know – I ramble senselessly sometimes 🙂
-
15 Replies
-
When you are viewing your movie in FCE, how are you looking at it? On the computer screen or on an external properly calibrated TV?
In order to know exactly how your film will look after compression and delivery, you have to be viewing correctly on your edit system.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
-
Thats because TV’s and computer screens are NOT the same.
The only way to judge the color of your video is to use a calibrated video monitor (NOT computer monitor) when editing. And I dont know that you can do that in FC Express.
**Hindsight is always 1080p**
-
Okay guys – you’ve undoubtedly nailed my problem – I am only viewing on my computer monitor. The color I’m happy with – only I want the footage a little darker – do I have to apply a filter to all my clips in the timeline or is there a filter or another way to lower the overall darkness of the footage more easily? I copied and pasted the file into a new timeline & it made one long continuous clip from beginning of movie to end of movie but I couldn’t apply a filter to darken. Thanks for your help. I did this on an embarrassing low budget & couldn’t afford a calibrated monitor though one is definitely preferred – I just have to make the best with what I got so any suggestions at this point would be greatly appreciated. If worse comes to worse I will darken each clip.
-
Brightness, contrast, etc is all part of judging color and can only be done reliably with a calibrated video monitor.
You will need to take your project to a system that has a calibrated video monitor and make the needed adjustments.
**Hindsight is always 1080p**
-
In a perfect world everyone would have calibrated monitors. This is not a perfect world and calibrated monitors are expensive. “Get a calibrated monitor,” is not a very helpful response in my opinion.
Still, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.
Therefor you must spend time, since you don’t have money. When exporting, select “Using Quicktime Conversion” and go into the options, there, you can apply filters -including Brightness/Contrast. Lower the brightness and consider bumping up the contrast slightly. How much? That’s where trial, error, and lots of time (or not, if you are lucky) some into play 🙂
To reduce the time wasted, you could export a smaller segment (instead of rendering the entire clip) and watch that one on your tv. Once you have the settings you like, render out the entire clip.
-
[Jeremiah Rounds] ” “Get a calibrated monitor,” is not a very helpful response in my opinion.”
I NEVER said to get one I said
[Zane Barker] “take your project to a system that has a calibrated video monitor”
**Hindsight is always 1080p**
-
Thank you Jeremiah!!!! That was the response I needed to hear since on ‘an embarrassing low budget’ I can’t afford a calibrated monitor nor can I hire someone who does – however on a film of this budget your suggestion is absolutely appreciated. It might not turn out the best in the world but for the budget I shot with – it will be adequate – my many thanks.
-
My apologies, if you interpreted that as regarding something you said. I only meant it as a general blanket statement regarding the tendency on forums to recommend using equipment that is pretty obviously out of reach for the person requesting help.
[Zane Barker] “take your project to a system that has a calibrated video monitor”
-Perhaps it would have been a tad more helpful to recommend where the average Joe might find such a system?Yes, if you have access to pro equipment use it. Nobody is disputing that.
If not though, ask around on forums and maybe someone can help you out with some practical advice.
-
[Jeremiah Rounds] “a general blanket statement regarding the tendency on forums to recommend using equipment that is pretty obviously out of reach for the person requesting help.”
Almost any monitor can be calibrated to some degree. Just setting the luminance properly with the pluge bar using color bars offers for many a vast leap forward in quality control, because at least they will then know that they have a baseline referenced to a known source. This does not require a lot of money, but it does require some learning. Without it, there is no one on the planet who can even hope that their video is being viewed properly or even close to the way it was envisioned.
So, when people say calibrated monitor, they don’t necessarily mean expensive monitor.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
-
[David Roth Weiss] “Almost any monitor can be calibrated to some degree. Just setting the luminance properly with the pluge bar using color bars offers for many a vast leap forward in quality control, because at least they will then know that they have a baseline referenced to a known source. This does not require a lot of money, but it does require some learning. Without it, there is no one on the planet who can even hope that their video is being viewed properly or even close to the way it was envisioned.
So, when people say calibrated monitor, they don’t necessarily mean expensive monitor.”
*steps up on soap box*
Regardless of cost, it is still out of reach if a tangible solution is not provided. Your post could be more helpful if you provided a little more detailed information on exactly how to calibrate a monitor. Or perhaps you could provide a link to a website that discusses how to best calibrate a monitor for use with video…
Otherwise (and please don’t take offense at this, as I mean none), you are just saying, “It can be done, but I’m not going to help you learn how.”
I guess the reason I feel so strongly about this is that I’ve been the guy asking questions so many times and I’ve been given a lot of unhelpful “Go buy more gear or ask someone else” types of responses. If you’re going to spend the time to write a response at all, why not give some helpful info if you know it, or at least point me in the right direction if you don’t have the time? Even a “google this phrase” type of response can be helpful.
*steps down from soap box*
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up