Interesting Color Correcting Combinations

[McFellon]

Note: this is with FCP 7

Recently I've been trying out some new color correcting variations, mostly by taking a clip, copying it, color correcting each copy differently, then putting them back together. Some of them worked and a lot didn't. I realized that there is a lot more that you can do by doing this rather than just by color correcting one clip by itself.

I wanted to share one of my favorites. I did this one by splitting a clip, leaving one copy untouched (it still looks like it did off the camera). I lowering the blacks and raising the mids on the other copy. I put them together by using Overlay on composite mode.

Copy 1- untouched (left) next to the final result (right)



I lowered the blacks and raised the mids on copy 2



Copy 2 next to the final result



I really like how this one turned out. This combination doesn't really work if most of the shot isn't snow and/or if the subject isn't against the snow. I managed to get something kind of similar by raising the whites a bunch in just one clip, but it didn't look as good because I couldn't get the same contrast between light and dark.

I'm sure other people have done this, do you have any combos that worked well? Tell me what you think of this one. This type of color correcting is really fun if you have some time and like experimenting.

 

[juicedrummer11]

ive messed around a little bit with this only using a black and white clip with a color corrected/graded copy of it. then messed with composite modes. some interesting combos but i haven't messed with it enough to get anything super cool. if i do ill throw it up

 

[[~_~]]

Sometimes when you want to create contrast without crushing the blacks and losing detail you can use a complimentary color scheme (tone is a gestalt phenomenon. Blue is "darker" than red!). Give the blacks a blue/cyan tint and give the mids a red/yellow tint to offset. Fine tune whites to taste.

 

[WillStart]

quote for emphasis. this is usually what i do, creates a nice look.

 

[juicedrummer11]

same here. i usually adjust the mids and whites based on the style im trying to go for, then go with a slight blue/cyan shift with my blacks so its very minimal, or green depending on the video.

 

[NJurkiewicz]

threads for later

 

[McFellon]

I'll have to try this.

Thanks for the advice

 

[ski_utah]

threads

 

[NJurkiewicz]

/images/flash_video_placeholder.pngThis is what I do or a variant of it and it works pretty well

 

[[~_~]]

Here's an example from a video I shot today. I wanted to create more perceived contrast, yet dropping the blacks any more would crush them and make the detail disappear. Since the subject was green, I gave the background a complimentary tint (magenta). The only tonal adjustment I made was a boost in whites to give the leaves a bit of a "shine."

 

[Tanner-D]

anybody know of any good color tutorials using adobe premiere pro?