Color Adjustment

[producer]

Hello everybody! I am so desperate. I tried so,so many variants of colour adjustment and other filters incl. Ultimate S,Magic Bullet Editor,etc.etc... but the video doesn't look like film. Just I think so,because it differs too much in comparison of any DVD movie. I use JVC DV for shoting and it is OK. But tell me what kind of FX or filters to use so that to get real film look? I always compare my video with some DVD movie. Is there a way to get a film look quality like Panavision,Panaflex,etc. with Sony Vegas 5 fx??? I mean that the colours there are so rich and excellent. In Vegas if I try to saturate a little more,the colours become "scrath"-like. I entreat every professionals there: please give me some exact examples of full fx adjustment for a professional and real film look!!! Thanks in advance!

[Gary_Kleiner]

Have you tried shooting on .... film?

Gary

[David Jimerson]

Video will never attain the ideal film look. The closest you can get is to shoot in 24p to begin with . . . or, as Gary points out, shoot on actual film.

You will never match a 35mm film camera, handled by someone who knows how, with a Mini-DV cam. Just isn't gonna happen. The latitude, the color sensitivity, the resolution . . . it's just not comparable.

You're looking for a perfection which, I'm sorry to say, just isn't possible.

[Shaw]

We could offer more help if you were to post grabs and tell us what you don't like about the footage. Also keep frame rate in mind. normal video won't look like film even if you play with the colors.

[givemefood]

With any miniDV work you should be able to produce film-look (nearly 16MM). I am new to Vegas but i can see a lot of default plug-ins that are available to perform this functionality for you. However, having said that... it's important to shoot your footages appropriately to have the ability to correct things in post. So irrespective of 24p or 30p or 60i, you need to shoot right.... and then let the NLE do its work.

I hope that helps....

[David Jimerson]

An approximation of 16mm isn't anything like Panaflex, Panavision, or anything you'd see on a commercial DVD, which is what this poster wants.

He's asking too much of Mini-DV. There are limitations.

[producer]

Ok,thank everybody for the help and response!!! I will attach a video sample soon /raw and post-processed by me/,so then you can tell me some of my mistakes,and at the same time you can give an advice about some filters it needs for professional film look. Just stay tuned! :)
Also, I am bulgarian,and I want to say: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me and Bulgaria!!!

[producer]

Tell me,please,just one thing: how to attach a video file /.wmv/ to my message here,so that everybody can see it?

[Shaw]

you can just type the link to the video source and we will be able to access the footage.

[SafetyO]

Look on the bright side. *Film will never look like miniDV. ;D

[GenJerDan]

Look on the bright side. *Film will never look like miniDV. ;D

Plus: Instant Gratification!

Dan

[producer]

Hello again!
So this is the raw file I made with DV cam. If somebody can process it with Vegas fx and filters so that it become professionaly film looked, I will be so thankfull. I mean the colour adjustment,frame and filters processing,etc. Just do everything as good as possible to reach the real film look!
Thank you in advance! The link is:
http://ezshare.de/files-en/231315/166/1a.wmv
Don't use the right click! Just click normally on the link,then you will see in the new loaded page a message to wait approx. 30 seconds. Then the direct link will appear. That's all.
I appreciate any reply and help!!!

[readw]

To get a film look you have to shoot the footage with that in mind to start with. To do that you need to know the limitations of DV very well. These include but not limited to,
- Colour saturation
- Focal plane
- Contrast range

As others have mentioned a film look can only be achieved by using film.

I have had a look at your clip and my comments are below.

I would suggest that you re-shoot the footage taking into account the above and the following if possible.
- Shoot on a tripod, hand held shots limits a lot of post production options.
- Shoot at a different time of day to get a more interesting look & feel.
-A polarising filter and the use of other filters may help the image.
- It looks like you have shot that footage on auto mode, manual settings will give you a better result.

You will need to do all the above and probably a heap more before even thinking about colour adjustment in post

Good luck

Warren

[scharky]

For achieving your "film" look, the posts above describe very well how to do that. But there is one more thing, or rather two, now that I think of it. FIrst, don't zoom, especailly with a cameras zoom button. This just reads, camcorder, no matter what you do with it. Second and most importantly is composition. In your shot, there is nothing happening. There is nothing to tell me that this is a story. Even if you had shot this on film, it would look like somebody with a handycam looking up at some buildings. What is the reason that you were shooting these buildings? Compostion is so important in telling a story, and achieving a "film" look.
And, if you really have to zoom, make sure your camera has a manual zoom ring, otherwise it will be handycam all the way.

[scharky]

As far as colors go, there isn't much your going to be able to do with a 1chip camera. You really just can't capture nice color defenition with the cheaper cameras. You might look at renting a DVX or Xl2 for your movie. Even a GL2 would give you a great improvement.

[producer]

For achieving your "film" look, the posts above describe very well how to do that. *But there is one more thing, or rather two, now that I think of it. *FIrst, don't zoom, especailly with a cameras zoom button. *This just reads, camcorder, no matter what you do with it. *Second and most importantly is composition. *In your shot, there is nothing happening. *There is nothing to tell me that this is a story. *Even if you had shot this on film, it would look like somebody with a handycam looking up at some buildings. *What is the reason that you were shooting these buildings? *Compostion is so important in telling a story, and achieving a "film" look.
And, if you really have to zoom, make sure your camera has a manual zoom ring, otherwise it will be handycam all the way.
Thank you very much for everything! Look,don't pay attention about the raw shooting. I know that it is by hand, and there is not a story. This is just a sample clip! I meant the the color quality at all and I think it is almost impossible to be so much better with MagicBullet for example... Anyway......
Ok,I will try to formulate my question better now. So:
Is it possible with Vegas to change the density of a color differently? For example: the sky - it is blue, but not so much like in the movies; the grass and the trees - green, but not so much like in the movies. It is the same about the other colors.
So,how to make the blue color only in a video to become with more density without affecting the other colors of the ground, of the buildings, of the glasses, etc.??? The same for green,red,etc.? You probably understand that I don't mean the saturation! That is the most general problem I want to solve!!!

[David Jimerson]

You do that with the Secondary Color Corrector. You can isolate colors to correct with that.

[scharky]

However, there is again where you are going to run into problems with a single chip camera. Colors will not be as well defined so that you can separate each color individually. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but it will definatly be a lot of work, and it may not give you the results you are looking for. This also brings up the question, which movie? Most films are shot with a predetermined color saturation, and look, depending on the film stock and processing. If you have a specific movie look that you want that may help. Some movies are very highly saturated, some are very desaturated, depending on the film maker. Some movies have really blue skies, some have grey. If you let us know a particular film that you are trying to mimik (color wise) then we may be able to give you a little more info.

[David Jimerson]

But PLEASE remember, ESPECIALLY if you're using a one-chip camera, you will NOT match movies you have on DVD.