Premier CS3 colour correction

[Tim Kolb]

There are a LOT of them…too many actually.

I’d start with plain ‘ole levels…that’s still my mainstay if I’m working in PPro. After working with Iridas Speedgrade, I’m spoiled.

The Fast Color Corrector probably isn’t a bad one to be familiar with, but for real color correction, I personally use levels.

It’s a relatively easy model to visualize as well…you have red, green and blue control in the highlights, the gamma and the blacks…

TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,

[Chris Buttacoli]

Unfortunately, Adobe Premiere has never really catered to color correction. Even simple white balancing is overly complicated. Levels is a great way to go, but the interface in PPro is just terrible. Why couldn’t it be like Photoshop or AE?

[Mark Whitney]

Adjustment effects such as Levels in Premiere Pro isn’t anything link what you’re probably used to such as the Levels effect in Photoshop. Fast Color isn’t too bad to work with though and the ProcAmp will get you quite aways and is usually what I start with.

I upgraded my version of the Magic Bullet Suite a few months ago and found that the Looks effect is now my main go-to color correction tool. I don’t use the Presets that often but occasionally they are a good starting point. Well worth investing in.

Mark

[George Sey]

The level are the same as the Photoshop and you can even transfer presets

[Mark Whitney]

Sorry, but I can’t agree with you on that statement. The PPro levels tool as 20 separate controls where as the PS Levels tool is a simple histogram and sliders. If you select the Setup icon in PPro, then you get a similar control.

The Photoshop tool is a lot less intimidating for someone new to color correction.

M.

[George Sey]

That of PPro is a little bit advance and to hassle to use. However, if you click the small icon(square box) at the top corner you get the photoshop style menu Levels tool simple histogram and sliders and you can the same results using the sliders.

I prefer that one and pretty fast too.

[Mark Whitney]

Right. That’s the SetUp icon I was referring to.

M.

[Chris Buttacoli]

Except that it is postage-stamp sized! It’s been like that since 6.5! Why? That’s what I meant by ‘terrible interface’. This is such an easy thing to fix. Maybe in CS4?

[Doug Helsby]

I have a clip that the camera failed to auto the white balance leaving a blue tinged clip. I have read the forums and there is a suggestion to use levels to alter the colour. I have tried to look for the square icon which gives photoshop type histogram etc but cannot see it for looking!! Is there one on cs5?
Secondly: Is there a good video clip that shows one how to use levels etc? I have the Linda training video for CS4 and the colour correction clip is not what I am looking for.

PS
If I have the correct colours in another clip can I save those colours and use them to correct the clip causing me the problem?

Doug