The basic color corrector is for simple things and gives you the ability to shift hue, but for me I go straight to one of the 3-way correctors. There are three main plug-ins to use: the built-in Final Cut Pro color corrector, the built-in 3-way and/or Magic Bullet Colorista. I prefer external hardware scopes, but absent a dedicated waveform monitor and vectorscope, I have been able to use the built-in software scopes to get the job done without any issues. Of course, I open the video scopes tool and set the timeline’s RT settings to permit real-time scopes. This mode allows you to operate FCP in a manner similar to Avid’s dedicated color correction mode, except that in FCP you can also apply and tweak other effects filters with the same windows open. Working in this mode allows you to move from one clip to another, up and down the timeline, and immediately apply new filters or see which have already been applied. This loads the timeline into the viewer, so when you click on the viewer’s filter tab you will see the filters applied to the timeline clip where your cursor/playhead is parked. Once I’ve consolidated the clips to V1, then I change the playhead sync mode (located in the canvas pulldown menu) to Open. Open playhead sync – a “color correction mode” Be sure you move the clip only vertically and don’t accidentally slide the clip a few frames out of its intended position. When you do this, be careful to check the edit points to make sure you maintain the correct cuts. The exception would be multi-track composites, which require several tracks. Before I start grading, I will move all clips down to V1. The typical one I encounter (if someone else edited the project) is that video clips are spread across a number of vertical video tracks. My first step is to go through the timeline and fix any problems. I’ve developed a recipe of go-to plug-ins and a grading workflow that help me to create the ideal look. Many clients don’t budget the necessary pre-flight time nor the rendering at the back end, so for these reasons, I find myself still doing advanced color correction/grading inside FCP – even for feature length indie films. This pre-flight time is necessary with feature-length projects, multi-clip timelines, as well as sequences with speed effects and other issues. Working with Color requires some prep time inside FCP in order to correctly set up the timeline for a successful roundtrip. There are many projects for which it is one of the best grading options however, I also find that for quite a few projects, it’s still better to work inside of FCP and not use the roundtrip between Final Cut and Color. I’ve written about Apple Color before and like the application. As an editor/colorist, I’m comfortable with grading inside a number of NLEs, ranging from Avid Media Composer and Symphony to Apple Final Cut Pro.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |