How can I bring down highlights without changing the brightness of the overall image?

[David Baud]

I believe what you want to do is create a mask for that area and get back your level just for that selection. Depending on your shot it might involve some tracking… or create a mask based on the luma.

In DaVinci Resolve this is what you would achieve using power windows

David Baud
Post & VFX
KOSMOS PRODUCTIONS
Denver – Paris
http://www.kosmos-productions.com

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Curves are ideal for such fixes.

For more control: with AE CC, you can use Mask Tracking on only the overblown area. Then duplicate the layer and apply Curves (or even Levels) to lessen the overblown effect, on the top-most duplicate.

With AE CC2014, you can do the Mask Tracking thingy without having to duplicate the layer by taking advantage of Masked Effects in CC 2014’s Compositing Options feature.

HTH
Roland

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Adobe After Effects CC ACE/ACI
Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor

[Walter Soyka]

I’d first suggest the HDR Highlight Compression effect to bring down those levels.

If you’re looking for a bit more control, I’d build a luma matte using Threshold (or Levels) with a high value. Using Threshold set to 1.0 will give you a luma matte of only pixels with values above 1.0.

EDIT: I didn’t specify before, but you’d then of course use the procedural matte above as a luma matte for a layer that adjusts the brightness down, presumably with an effect like Exposure.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Darby Edelen]

You could use an adjustment layer with levels to invert the image and multiply it back into itself. The nice thing about using levels to do this is that you can change the intensity of the invert to get different amounts of rolloff in the highlights. You’ll also want to tint the footage on the adjustment layer (so that it doesn’t desaturate) and apply a small blur (to preserve edge detail).

Here’s a sample file. Note that it’s important the levels effect has clip black and clip white turned on. Also note that the adjustment layer is not at 100% opacity. Try changing the input black, input white, gamma and adjustment layer opacity to see how it affects the adjustment.

7650_hdrhighlightadjustfolder.zip

Darby Edelen

[Jordan Montreuil]

If I were to export the scene as a 10bit DPX sequence and bring it into Speed Grade, could I use the tools there to bring back the highlights?

[Jordan Montreuil]

I am working with PR 422 but have an original RED raw source.

[Darby Edelen]

[Jordan Montreuil] ” I am working with PR 422 but have an original RED raw source.”

I’d work with the R3D source. That’s going to give you the best chance of recovering highlights possible.

Darby Edelen

[Jordan Montreuil]

The highlights are not from the source footage, they are from layers I am compositing over the top of the source footage.

[Darby Edelen]

[Jordan Montreuil] “The highlights are not from the source footage, they are from layers I am compositing over the top of the source footage.”

Well that may complicate or simplify things. The easiest way to bring down the highlights in that case would be to dim the “highlight” layers you’re placing on top. How that’s done may be complicated depending on what the effect you’re trying to achieve is and how you’re going about it.

However, if you want to keep the “look of the comp” then you might be satisfied with reducing the over all exposure. That will definitely dim the entire comp but will keep the relative scale between the brights, mids and darks the same.

Darby Edelen