Color Correction Video Tutorial

This week I balance and fix a dark image in Synthetic Aperture’s Color Finesse color correction application, but if you are using Apple Color, you can adapt this easily to Color by using the Master Gain, Gamma and Pedestal and the Advanced Tabs Red, Green and Blue gain, gamma and pedestal controls. You could also do this correction using Curves and guide your corrections using eyedroppering instead of using an RGB Parade waveform monitor if you wanted.

The image that I used in the example is on the CD from my first color correction book, co-authored with Jaime Fowler, “Color Correction for Digital Video.” That book is about to be released in an almost completely re-written revised edition called “Color Correction for Video.” This image is also on the DVD for that book.

Next week we’ll get into some more advanced techniques in Color, so make sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for this series.

Meeting the challenges of today’s weak economy

Last year was my best year ever. Huge projects and lots of them. Plenty of work to pass out to the great freelancers that I knew. This year… not so much. Actually this year is my worst year. From feast to famine.

So what am I doing about it? Losing sleep? Yes. But this is an inspirational and motivational column to convince you to wear out some shoe leather and burn up the phone lines.

There’s still work out there. Someone is doing it. So how do you get a piece of the pie?

Avid Gems 8

Get your bin tips! Step right up, folks! Get your bin tips here!

Once again:  maybe not sexy, but useful. One of these tips isn’t even in the manual and one of them was new to me until I re-read the manual.  Which ones will be new to you? You never know what little gem has slipped past you on the way to becoming the experienced editor you are.

Color Correction Video Tutorial

This video tutorial on color correction shows how color contrast can be used to really transform an image. A large part of color correction is improving and manipulating the tonal contrast - the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the image. But color contrast can be even more important in creating an interesting and arresting image. Contrasting warm tones with cool tones or playing colors against each other to create interest is something that sets the truly great colorists apart from the rest. The example in this video tutorial uses footage from Evan Nicholas’ short film, “Susannah,” which was shot with a RED camera, to show how tonal and color contrast can be used to improve the impact of a shot.

Avid Gems #7

I wasn’t sure if anyone was reading these, so I stopped for a few weeks. Then I got a very nice comment from Ra-ey Saleh who has been reading and learning from the tips, despite being an experienced Avid editor. He also asked if he could suggest a tip, so I’ll start this week with a great tip. Essentially, it’s nothing more than a common button, but it does perform hidden wonders, which is the whole point of some of these gems.

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