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How do you match color between 3 different cameras by using one as the reference?
I’ve been trying to match color between three different cameras from the same shoot. All cameras were filming simultaneously but have different angles. I have Camera A, Camera B and Camera C. What I want to do is use Camera B as my reference because it has the best color between the three and match Cameras A and C to it. I’m using a Matrox Axio LE editing workstation that is running windows xp. I went to an adobe premiere pro demo where I watched someone match the color between two shots using this hardware. I’ve tried using a couple of color correction effects with the picker or eyedropper tool but all it did was auto color correct my one shot to itself. Can anyone tell me what Color correction effect allows me to match color between two cameras by using one as the reference and also how to use it? So far I’ve had no luck.
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4 Replies
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Yes, I’d like to know as well. I’ve fooled with the various color correction tools for days now…but, nothing really matches well. The Fast Color Corrector using the eye dropper for white balance, the color wheel (used sparingly) and the saturation, plus the ‘gain’ from the Luma Corrector get me in the ball park. However, it takes forever (8-20 hrs to render!) So, I’ve ordered a new computer to speed things up (I hope.) But, I still can’t get a really good, professional color match between the 9 cameras I used for the shoot. The cameras ranged from a Betacam to Canon XL-1’s to a Canon A-1 to a canon HV30 and a little Sony Digital 8. Believe it or not, the Canon HV30 looked the best! Now if I could just match em’. I’m growing old on this project!
Filmmaker42
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Hi…
If you are doing full frame color matching and not try to isolate elements within the frame, you’ll want to use the Matrox Primary Color correction filter (or the advanced one depending on your needs).
You will need to adjust your user interface so that you can see your effects controls separate from the source and record viewers.
1) On your timeline Apply the filter the clip you want to change.
2) Park your playhead on the timeline in bounds of the clip you want to change (the one with the filter).
3) Double click a clip on the timeline that you are trying to match to. (In your case Camera B). This loads it into the source viewer.
4) In your effects controls, expand the Matrox filter exposing the Color Balance>Graphical color wheels. This is broken into the wheels for Master (overall) grading, or localizing the correnctions to shadows, midtones, highlights (dark, middle, brightest) areas within the frame. (as a note, this is one of the differences between the regular and advanced versions of the matrox color correctors. The Advanced lets you define where the breakpoints between shadows, midtones and highlights occurs. In the recular CC filters, these ranges are fixed.)
5) Not seeing your images I’ll stick to the master wheel. Beneath the wheel you will see two eye droppers. Choose the Refernce dropper.
Use this in the source viewer. Click and DRAG and bounding box over a portion of the image that contains the general range of luminance (brightest to darkest) this will give you a change in the color chip next to the reference dropper in effects controls window.6) Now choose the Match Eye Dropper fromt he effects controls and repeat the process in the RECORD Viewer. Once you let go of the mouse button, you should see the image change color, you will see the color chip in the effects controls next to the change, and the white balance dot in the center of the master color wheel will have moved out and away fromt he center of the color wheel indicating the grade applied.
Luckily you are using multicam material, so it will be easier to idetntify similar material in the source and record viewers to match.
if you are satisified, you can copy this clip on the timline and paste the attributes to other clips on from the same camera on the timeline. Careful of inadvertantly pasting other filters (like DVE’s) to the other clips on the timeline.
Remember that as you have 3 cameras this process will have to be repeated for each of the 2 cameras that you are trying to match to your refernce as they are likely different from eachother as well as the reference.
Hope this helps.
Alex
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
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For my part THANKS Alex. I’m strictly using the Premiere Pro color correction tools, but what you describe as Matrox correction tools sounds about the same. So, I will definitely give your suggestions a try, including the ‘dual eye dropper’ method, which sounds promising.
Much appreciated!
Wendall
Filmmaker42
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alex, could you repost this same workflow for novice premiere pro users on windows (not matrox). others more experienced seem able to navigate your post without much issue and apply it and i’m trying but…
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