Video keeps failing harding test – working with stock – HELP NEEDED!!!

[Paul Wright]

Having the same issue here.

Just had a video back for a fail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW9xO4UoYAM

Heres the video, I know why its failed, every flash frame on the report is in, so I guess just take out the flashes and it should be ok right?

there is a couple of shots where im not sure though.

2close ups of the drummer have failed and the shot at the end where the building comes into view have been flagged. Whats the best way to edit luminance? I am aware that that could be the most ameteurish question ever!

Just I have to get this edited and out tonight.

Cheers in advance.

Paul

[Angie Taylor]

If it’s luma flashes causing it – easiest “quick & dirty” solution would be to run it through AE using the Broadcast Safe/ Broadcast Spec plug-in to make sure luma is safe.

Hope this helps!

cheers,

Angie

Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices

https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
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[Angie Taylor]

To make your video luminance levels safe you can also try the FREE “Levels – Computer to Video” animation preset, search for it in the Effects and Presets panel. This will push the luminance levels from between 0 and 255 to between 16 and 235 (Broadcast safe).

cheers,

Angie

Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices

https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Taylor/118378194869002

[Lawrence Vaughan]

again, amazing response. Wish I’d have been aware of these solutions back then. SOmething to bear in mind for the future. Thank you all!!

[Rafael Amador]

[Angie Taylor] “If it’s luma flashes causing it – easiest “quick & dirty” solution would be to run it through AE using the Broadcast Safe/ Broadcast Spec plug-in to make sure luma is safe.”
If you just pass it through AE is enough. No need of Broadcast Safe filter.
AE is RGB. When exporting to any YUV codec any Luma value over 100% will be clipped.

You can apply the Broadcast Safe filter in FC, set to “Very Conservative”, or better use Color.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Angie Taylor]

Actually it is still very possible to render unsafe values from AE so the best solution is to use the free Levels – Computer to Video preset which will redistribute the black, white and gamma levels evenly before outputting. This means you don’t lose information like you would if you just clipped the values.

The Broadcast Safe plug-in allows you to create safe colors either by reducing luma or chroma values so offers a little more control than just banking on clipping values which is a risky business and can look terrible.

Hope this helps.

cheers,

Angie

Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices

https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Taylor/118378194869002

[Paul Wright]

Sorry I hijacked the thread there. I have tried the recomendations, and while it washes the picture out a little, I’m sure no-one will notice but those who made it.

Cheers for your help guys.

[Angie Taylor]

Hi Paul,

Glad it helped.You’ll probably find that although the image looks “washed out” on the computer monitor, it will look fine when broadcast.

For broadcast, pure black has a value of 16 which looks like a dark grey on a computer monitor, hence the washed out appearance. Do you have access to a PAL monitor to check it on before output? I’m pretty sure it will look a lot better when you see it broadcast.

cheers,

Angie

Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices

https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Taylor/118378194869002

[Rob Alexander]

Hi Paul,

The harding test is specifically designed to identify a potential epilepsy risk so whilst your flashes may or may not be illegal in luminance this is unlikely to be the cause. The specs are quite detailed but as a rough guide if more than 25% of the screen has a dramatic change in luminance more than 3 times per second (i.e. flashing) then it will fail. This also applies to red flashes (your building at the end), repeated patterns within the image can also cause a fail as can fast moving shots which might not immediately seem to be flashing but do in fact cause rapid luminance shifts – I’m thinking of sunlight through trees shot from a moving vehicle as an example here. Your video is very contrasty and the whip pans may be causing issues.

One solution (which you regularly see in movies on TV these days) is to dramatically reduce the contrast in the offending areas such that the change in luminance is not so great – i.e. lift the blacks so they’re much more washed out and potentially drop the whites too. I was watching the new Star Trek movie the other night on channel 4 and many of the action scenes looked like this.

Hope this helps,
Rob

[Mandy Tranter]

I’ve just had a programme fail the Harding test, and I am getting the post house to correct the luminance problems that are listed on the report. Obviously I want to prevent any further failures of future programmes, and I’d heard that there was a plugin available for Avid that helped to identify issues prior to Harding test. Does anyone know about this plugin? Where I can buy/ download it?

Mandy