Color gradient question!

jgastelb

jgastelb

Well-known member
Just wondering what people are doing about color gradients in Vegas. Whenever I do one it seems to change the skin colors as well. I would like to put a certain tint without overwhelming the people in the scenes. Is it better to overlay, multiply a solid color above the video layer or just use a secondary color correction inside the same video track? Thanks for any info!
Jgastelb
 
There are a million and one ways to grade footage. You have asked possibly the most open ended question possible.

First, know what look you want. Don't grade footage just because "I have to grade it or else..." Is there are particular look you are trying to get? If so, post a grab of that look and a grab of your footage and we can walk you through some steps to get something you want.

Remember through, "garbage in, garbage out."
 
Bennishahn,
Please don't take offense but I think the most open ended question would be what way to light a scene. I was asking for more of a guideline than a one scene answer.
Yes I do know the garbage in garbage out rule. I'll try to be more specific:

If I have a scene where everything is light correctly, whatever that may be since that is subjective, then I add a solid light color on top of that layer it usually will bring the opacity down from the end product. In really bright footage taken outside the image usually comes out pretty good and the skin colors remain more natural with the gradient.
In night scenes, however, the skin color changes a lot. This is what I'm talking about. Now, I know... When shooting night scenes make sure you cast lots of proper light casting shadows where you want and use the light from different angles until you get what you want... But even with that I'm having trouble trying to match some of my work to the footage I see here. Sorry to make this long. I'm just curious as to what is preferred by the filmmakers in this websiteusing vegas. I consider DVXUSER to be my classroom since I never went to film school and I'm eager to hear what other people are using. Please if you have the time put in your 2 cents. That's all!
Jgastelb
 
Jnatalie,
That's a good idea. Now do you put the sepia on the same video layer or to an empty event above maybe?
 
Glenn Chan,
I have been working with the secondary color corrector and it gets pretty good results. Sometimes I like the gradient map too. But I know there are several ways to get the look in Vegas and I would like to learn them all. I have been spending hours messing around with the looks of the coloring a lot but I just would like to know all of the options out there that I may have overlooked. Thanks!
Jgastelb
 
Sorry if I came off harsh, didn't mean it that way.

But do please try and post a grab and we can try all the different ways Vegas has to get an end product.
 
BennisHahn,
Here's a pic with no cc. The second one has color corrector II (emerald tint), unsharp mask (-200 amount + .020 radius) to soften, brightness/contrast, sepia with neutral green and color curves. This is just me messing around not a short or anything. The look I was going for it's sort of a CSI type thing.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/attachment.php?attachmentid=572&stc=1&d=1150674096
 

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