Footage too dark, how do I lighten??

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DVXnNYC

Active member
Hi everyone,

Upon reviewing my footage, there are a few clips that look too dark to me.

I'm assuming there is a way to lighten the footage (like in photoshop?) but I can't quite find it. And the three manuals of FCP I brought with me (not at home) don't seem to address this.

Can someone help me out?? It would be much appreciated.
:dankk2:
 
DVXnNYC said:
Hi everyone,

Upon reviewing my footage, there are a few clips that look too dark to me.

I'm assuming there is a way to lighten the footage (like in photoshop?) but I can't quite find it. And the three manuals of FCP I brought with me (not at home) don't seem to address this.

Can someone help me out?? It would be much appreciated.
:dankk2:
Click to expand...


My cheap shot method, is to duplicate the clip and place the dup on top of the original in the time line, and of course with the clips lined up timewise...

Then on the top clip, change the mode to 'screen'. Depending on how 'dark' this may be enough, or adjust transparency to vary the effect.

The same trick can be used to bring down blownout shots, but then use the multiply mode.

Of course, it should always be kept in mind, that you are fixing something, and there just may not be any way to recover... blown out means gone... 'blank black'... means gone...

You could also do some masking if the shot is relatively static and the unfortunate areas are not in motion... or traveling matte... of the motion is constant... or at least piecewise constant...
 
Wow, thanks for the quick and helpful responses!!

Very much appreciated and as I learn the program more, I'm sure I'll develop my own favorite way. This time, I used the color correct 3-way and it seemed to do just fine! But I have another clip shot outside when the sun went behind the clouds that will also need some tweaking...maybe I'll try another way then.

:beer::beer::beer:
 
Just say NO to 3-way to brighten ANYTHING. You'll introduce huge amounts of unnecessary grain/static.

Levels/Curves is the only way to go. I highly recommend "G-Levels"
 
curious from a technical standpoint how/why levels is better than the 3-way?
have you found G-Levels better than FCPs Levels?

shawn
 
ryan brown said:
Just say NO to 3-way to brighten ANYTHING. You'll introduce huge amounts of unnecessary grain/static.

Levels/Curves is the only way to go. I highly recommend "G-Levels"
Click to expand...


Hmm...looks like that program is $100?? You mean to say that there isn't anything in FCP that can match that? I'm not saying there is, I really just don't know. But if I don't have to buy anything extra, I would prefer not to.
 
DVXnNYC said:
Hmm...looks like that program is $100?? You mean to say that there isn't anything in FCP that can match that? I'm not saying there is, I really just don't know. But if I don't have to buy anything extra, I would prefer not to.
Click to expand...


There is a levels correction filter. When I first started using FC I read the

http://www.creativecow.net

website for tutorials on various things, and posted questions about FC and AfterEffects. I have not needed to read/post as much in the last few years, but should I have some effect or need some info, I'd probably go there and read/post as
needed.
 
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