Color : Newb

[morgan_moore]

Hello Im just looking at a workflow for grading my footage. I come from a background in working stills in Photoshop (professionally)

I have FCP (I edit in FCP) so thought I would evaluate Color... 1.04

I might go down this road or might not.. will probably try the Davinci Lite and could possibly purchase the $1000 version of Davinci

or be led down another path completely

My footage is 5d, EX1, or FS100 turned to proves BTW.

OK my newb observations on Color are either I don't know how to use it or it doesn't fit my needs.

Maybe someone would be kind enough to confirm (or correct) my understanding of the software..

-The windows are not resizable you get what you are given in Single or Dual Screen Mode?

-Secondaries..
There is no opacity slider to fade them in/out

Filters (colorFX)
There is no opacity slider to fade them in/out

(the background to this question is that in stills I tend to work in layers and blend the effects as the final 'move' before outputting)

-Secondaries - vignette
The HSL curves affect the whole image not the vignette area

-Secondaries - vignette
I cannot apply a filter (ColorFX) to this zone only

UI - I have to type numbers not use a slider!

Vingette - User shape
The feather facility is strange/unusable

As I said I'm a newb on this SW - but if what I have written above is true (and it may not be) then I think I am going to seek another grading solution

Any comments happily received

best

SamMM

 

[morgan_moore]

Put another way - how do I apply a curve to a specific portion of the image!

S

 

[Rain Man]

Grading video is just a different animal then photos or designing graphics. If you're already looking to use a program like Color or DaVinci stuff, it might be a good idea to invest in a book on color correction and grading. I'd recommend this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0321713117/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1327502717&sr=8-1

 

[hendosan]

While there's no slider, you can use the mousewheel to adjust numeric values on the fly. But Color and Resolve are really designed to be operated with a control surface instead of a mouse, and the UI is definitely geared towards actual physical controls.

As to the other points, you can't treat Color like Photoshop. There aren't really any grading solutions that work the same.

 

[morgan_moore]

Thanks for the input

Any input on local adjustment of curves welcome.

I know that one can use secondaries to 'stretch' (or bend) a portion of the image Using the sliders .. but I'm at a loss to see how to crush a portion of the image

For example my sky might have tones from 80-100 but my desire is to crush that down to maybe 60 or 70 to 100

(increasing contrast and 'mood')

Thanks

SamMM