A new idea for a unique look

Edalgo_Alvarez

Edalgo_Alvarez

Well-known member
Hey guys, I'd like to know if you could help me out with getting a specific look outta the DVX100A. I have read about getting the film look but I dont want a modern day film/HD look. Im basically trying to get an older film style look, the kind you would see in old cowboy movies; specifically the old Sergio Leone movies like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. You know, that kinda washed out look, but it still has lots of natural color. Thanks for the help guys!

Edalgo
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Edalgo,

just for fun,

Edit all your program.
Then take yur edited file, and put it in a timeline.
put a 2nd video layer in sync above the first one.
apply a gaussian blur on the upper one, and set the transparency to 15 to 25%.
Apply a very very small amount of sharpening on the 1rst layer (only if needed, depending on the softening effect of your particular gaussian blur filter).
Apply a color corrector (or gamma corrector) and lower the midtones values by about 5% on both layers.

Your image should look soft, and sharp at the same time, and retain the full color.

...and you can try hundreds of other possibilities.

good luck.
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

very welcome Edalgo !

if you edit with Final Cut Pro (as i do) , drop me a email, i have several tricks for many "kinds" of easy and ways to achieve different filmic looks in post.
You can also try the Nattress film effects from Graeme Nattress for Final Cut Pro.
antoine.fabi@sympatico.ca
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Thanks again Antoine, unfortunately I only have access to Premiere Pro, but Ive always wanted to try FCP. I wonder if your techniques would work on Premiere Pro just as well?

Edalgo
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Where do you guys learn all this tricks?
I have been using Final Cut Pro for quite a while too, but I don't know half of it.

All the best

Fidel.
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

You should be able to do it in any comparable NLE, though the actual steps might be slightly different. In Vegas or Edition, you would do it exactly as described.
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

exactly, all NLEs have multi videotracks.

and there are tons of possibilities, so you have to experiment to achive the exact look you want.

You can also apply a selective glow on high luma only, to emulate the "real" film look.

The only real risk is to apply too much of a good effect, which can look horrible on a TV. The safest way is to burn rewritable DVDs and see how it looks on the TV.
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Thanks Antoine, youve been a real help, not only in this post but also in the other messages Ive seen. Keep it up :)

Edalgo
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

antoine thats great.can u tell me the tricks, i m using fcp .do u know the black hawk down..thats colour was great..im need information for make dv looklike film quality.thanks..gueipul@yahoo.com
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Lpul,

first, i must say i am not good at writing english , i'm french canadian, but i'll try to explain what i know the best i can...

quality is interpretative and subjective...

Yes it is very possible to tend towards filmlike, but video cameras can't match film:

...all other things beeing equal ( 24 fps, camera movement lighting etc...

1-film has a wider dynamic range: on the same image, the recorded grayscale is much wider with 35mm film than with a video camera, so the image is far less contrasty, softer, but with more resoluion...
. so with film, you can shoot a scene where you will see details in very high luma portions and also in the dark portion of the image.

2-Film (depending on the film size and lense) has a shallower Depth of Field than a video camera.
I'm writing an article on that subject right now, i'll let you know when it is ready, probably in about 3 weeks.

3-video cameras tend to "wash out" the color in high luma portions of the image...and the contour of a bright object is agressive. Film, on the opposite, dont "wash out" the color, but it rather add a soft but precise "glow" around a bright object ,because of a chemical "contamination". It is subtle, but it is beautifull.

SO... how can we close the gap with filmlook...

here are my suggestions, but many people will desagree with these ones...

1- for shure, shoot 24p advance, thin v detail freq, color matrix= cinelike (i also like the DVX100A's "enriched" color setting, but with color phase= +2)

2- use the "high" gamma setting, not the cinelike gamma setting, nor the cinelike D (DVX100A) nor the cinelike V (DVX100A)
gamma "cinelike" setting tends to darken the the dark areas and add "fire" to bright objects, plus, there are no luma knee on the original DVX100.
I prefer to use "high" gamma setting (which lighten the dark details) and close the iris to avoid overexposed bright objects. I like master ped set to 0.
...thus you'll be able to see details from both dark and bright objects.
...Best of Both Worlds...
The film gamma curve is easy to do in post by lowering the midtones luma values, but lost details can't be recovered.

2-use two laywers of video, a "reference" one, and a very slightly blurred one (the upper one...see my post in this thread)

3-to improve the color, once you've finished editing your final timeline, export it as a "self contained" file and import it again in a DVCPro50 timeline. Then, apply Graeme Nattress "G Nicer" filter to recreate some of the lost (DV 4:1:1 color compression) chroma info. It does a very impressive job ! ...that way, you'll have an improved color resolution in a DVCPro50 timeline. Save it to DVD high speed because if you save it back to DV25 format, the advantages will be lost again in the 4:1:1 compression.

If your goal is going DVD, then you WILL see the improvement on any decent TV monitor.

I know i wont be very popular with the "High" gamma setting, but i prefer this look over the "cinelike" cinelike D" and "cinelike D"

but the "best look" is subjective...and it can change over times...

...experiment, experiment, and experiment...

have fun !
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Lpul,

i did some more testing tonight with my DVX100A...

dynamic range, from black to white in the same frame...

both "Cinelike D" and "High" had a higher dynamic range than "cinelike". "Cinelike V" has the least dynamic range of all the above gamma settings.

...the DVX is so customizable...

there is no "the best setting"

choose the one "you" prefer

good luck
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Antoine.. register so I can give youi a cookie.. :)

Thanks for the very valuable post!
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

hi Jarred Land,

It is a pleasure to post here in this forum.
I have learned many good tricks and new ideas here !

i registered 3 weeks ago... i probably made something wrong...

could you send me a email so i could try again ?

thanks !

Antoine
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Antoine i would like to know the benefit of exporting a self contained movie into DCPro50 rather thanexpoting a reference movie.

Nico
 
Re: A new idea for a unique look

Encheval,

sorry for the confusion, you"re right, you can use reference movie, as long as your render files are intact.

the final product (DVCPro50 timeline) could then be exported as a self contained movie to be archived on DVD data if you want to keep the DVCPro50 file if (like me) you do not have the DVCPro50 deck.
 
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