HDV Color Correction setup

[Russell Lasson]

[massimiliano] “- Can I use the JVC deck as Final Cut video output to connect a broadcast monitor, instead of buying a kona card? “

If you’re going to use Color, the answer is no. It currently doesn’t support firewire out.

[massimiliano] “- is Apple Color the only option? “

There are some plug ins for FCP you could use, like Colorista. You could also try After Effects or Shake. I use Color and love it.

[massimiliano] “- what kind of video format do you suggest for color correction? Right now the movie is on the Final Cut TImeline as HDV 720p24, but I was considering to export the work in a single file. “

If you’re going to use Color, then I’d suggest leaving it as is, but rendering out to ProRes HQ.

You’re really going to want a calibrated monitor, otherwise, you’re just guessing on what it actually looks like.

-Russ

[Brigitta Boccoli]

Hi Russ,
thanks.

Yes, I was thinking to get a monitor in order to be more precise.
I believe it has to be an HD broadcast monitor, right?

How can I get a fire wire output through the deck?
Does it means that everything played in the timeline will be displayed in an external monitor through the deck?

[Zak Mussig]

You can’t monitor HDV over firewire. If either of your cinema displays are a 23″ aluminum model, then your cheapest route to HD monitoring is with a Matrox MXO. That’s probably still the cheapest even if you have to buy a monitor to use with it. Go with Dell instead of Apple to save a good amount of money.

Beyond that, the other comments about Color and Colorista are all good.

Zak

[Jeremy Garchow]

MXO:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/ross_shane/MXO.php

[Michael Gissing]

Monitoring is important. I can’t use Color without upgrading my graphics card and G5 but I have found a combination of 3 way CC in FCP with Lyric filters Shadow Lift, Masked CC etc) and the Nattress filters for Gamma curves & Chroma Smoothing gives me a lot of CC control. I am mostly doing HDV in 10 bit uncompressed. Needs a fast big RAID!

Gets tricky if you want certain looks that Color can do. Magic Bullet Looks might be just the ticket instead of Color. I have only seen the online demos but it looks impressive.

[Shane Ross]

Thanks Jeremy, good catch on the MXO article.

And I’d like to second the COLORISTA option. If you find Color a bit daunting…Colorista is a plugin that works right inside FCP, and has the typical 3 color wheels, but FAR BETTER control than the 3-way color corrector, and you can layer this plugin and do SECONDARIES (separate isolated areas) so that you can work on other parts of the frame. BUT, with the release of the latest update of Color, it now supports the MXO.

If you use the MXO it would be best to get the Apple Cinema Display. The MXO is designed with this display…the Dell tends to flicker a little. And this really is the cheapest broadcast quality color correction option you have. The next level would be a Decklink card and then $4000 HD LCD

Shane

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[Brigitta Boccoli]

Well, thank you guys so much…
now it is clear.
This is the very last question:

I am familiar with vectorscopes and other color monitoring tools,
do you think I can try to perform a color correction just with the help of vectorscopes?
I don`t need to give any look at the footage, but I would like to find a safe luminance and saturation, in order to have the same results in different monitors or tvs, and off course change here and there the RGB balance.

[Michael Gissing]

Scopes are an important aid but in the end a good monitor is vital

[George Sloan]

Massimiliano,

Can’t decide if I should buy a good consumer HDTV LCD monitor
or something like a low price JVC Professional SD production monitor $400. Budget is very limited Not shooting HD much yet but will be sooner or later. I am using FCP and the exact same camera and computer as you. I have a lot to learn but making a little money nonetheless.

Curious as to what you ended up using as a monitor.

George

[Brigitta Boccoli]

Hey George,
I am working on a feature film with your setup, and it is going well.
I tell you what I have, and consider it a poor man choice:

Instead of buying a 4000$ JVC HD monitor, I would get a JVC deck, so you don`t ruin the camera capturing and exporting footage (JVC HD BR50) . The deck allows you to monitor hd material on a regular hdmi HDTV.
Of course you have to go back to tape with your clip in order to have HD footage on your HDTV.

If you have a G5 new generation (with PCI express) you can always get a very inexpensive Blackmagic Intensity Card, it gives you the possibility to watch in real time your FCP timeline on the HDTV.

Keep in mind that we are shooting in HDV (it means a very very compressed format), so we cannot correct colors, selective colors and contrast that much.
It makes the choice of a HDMI TV a good monitor.

HDTV = 400$
HD broadcast monito = 4000$