Nattress Film Filter for simulating DVX cinegamma curve on XL2 Footage

[mgalvan]

Hey,

Recently picking up a DVX, I have forgotten how great its cinegamma settings are. I own the XL2 and although I like the XL2 image clarity overall better, the DVX's cinegamma setting is just unbelieveable. I tried to match it with the XL2 but just can't seem to get it. Which leaves me to doing it in post.

How would I acheive the DVX cinegamma curve in post with my XL2 footage, specifically using Nattress's film effects? In what ways would I need to adjust the S-curve with the filter to achieve the DVX look?

I'm trying to find a happy medium by using the XL2 for higher resolution 16:9 but achieving the DVX's gamma curve. I feel along with the 24p, the cinegamma is what really makes the DVX shine. Can anyone give any insight on trying to achieve this curve in FCP using Nattress filters? Graeme?

[Shaw]

That is a good question. Many would like to know - Canon particularily! We don't know the exact means by which the DVX acheives its look sadly. I'm sure there are plenty of people here willing to experiment if you post a few screenshots though . Maybe we can come up with something?

[mgalvan]

Yes, yes ... it looks like thats what we'll have to do ... I'm at work right now, but later when I get back to my edit suite, I'll try to gets some stills for everyone to work with (myself included).

[thisiswells]

I have many of the aftermarket plug-ins (just about all, except Sapphire) so count me in for the lab.

[jleo]

Simulating 35mm Motion Picture Color Saturation (with standard DV footage)

http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/filmlook/broadway2.php

[mgalvan]

Thanks for the article jleo. I am interested in simulating the DVX's gamma curves in post using XL2 footage. Since I have both cameras, what I'll do tomorrow is capture some of the same footage using both cameras and extract stills from them and post them for us to mess with (I would ideally like to try to simulate using the Nattress filters). Should there be a specific format I extract these stills as?

Also, I will shoot with the DVX using the Cinegamma settings, but how should I shoot with the XL2 - with its cinegamma settings on or regular video gamma?

[MattC]

I've been trying to get folks to do this for a while and have a few ideas, I'm in.

[MattC]

I would post the stills in an uncompressed format, TIFF probably. Also since the DVX gamma is the reference footage, I would then shoot the same still with the XL2 with a variety of settings but two to start: 1) with cinegamma and cinecolor on and 2) at factory presets.

With that said, I think you're going to have to boost the color gain of the XL2 to match the saturation level of the DVX, I would do this in-camera. Also, consider turning down the sharpening by at least a factor of 5 if not all the way. Oh and then we have to think about the black and the knee. Again, I would do multiple tests, but You probably want to shoot black either normal or stretch (and then crush them in post) and the knee at middle, at least to start.

Matt

[thisiswells]

Could you obtain any reference chart like MacBeth Color Checker? I think you'd get more accurate results for matching the look of two cameras with a chart rather than some random frame grabs. IMHO.

[Graeme_Nattress]

If you shoot a Macbeth chart on each camera, then that would help us plot the gamma curve and correct everything. If you want to send me the results, preferably as small clips naive DV codec, then I'll take a look at it.

I've got a nice new Simple S-Gamma plugin coming in on the next release of Film Effects, which does beautiful things very quickly on practically any video I've tried it on.

Graeme