How can I get my footage to look better?

P

Phil1076

Well-known member
I like the HMC150 but after seeing samples of other peoples' work (such as http://vimeo.com/5333943, for example), my footage looks like crap compared to that.

What are some basic color correction techniques I could use (either in Premiere or After Effects) that are quick and easy and can give that nice saturated look?

Thanks
 
just some thoughts. dont judge the quality of your video based on ¥our NLE window or even your computers monitor. Having a properly exposed shot will do more than trying to make something not shot well look better with color correction. Study light and learn to use it properly especially when shooting nature. The video you posted I dont see much in that that cant be done in camera on the 150. A slight chroma boost ill give you more saturation. Also I dont think that video is a good example of looking good. Yes there are some great shots but almost everyone is overexposed in the snowy areas. You may want to try the panasonic vivid or the stock spark scene file.
 
I'm a big fan of the spark setting, it helps all the colors pop. I know that spark isn't designed for outdoor daytime use, but I like the look. I also like to use a polarizer to control reflections and glare. Learn to watch your levels and make sure you aren't heavily under or over exposing your footage.

http://vimeo.com/15263925
 
There are no people in the video, so no one was overexposed in the snowy areas. The grizzly shot is the only shot thats really overexposed in that video, and that was done intentionally as in the shots where I didn't overexpose the whites there is very little detail in the bear which was my main concern there. I used the waveform monitor and tried different exposures (I filmed him for 50 minutes or so). In post, very little was done, mainly just adjusting the gamma and contrast in levels and curves. I just put together a look that I liked. You can really make the colors pop just using an S-Curve in curves, but as was said, it won't make up for bad shots.

BTW: Beautiful video John
 
John - that was really nice footage from Thailand! - the colors sure pop. Can you share your scene setting, or did you use multiple. I am interested because I shoot in Sunny Arizona where it's tough with very bright light as well - Sofar I have had good luck with Cine-V but are having some issues as there is no knee protection...(a white t-shirt in the desert sun and you are dead :-( Cine-D is too noise IMO. Currently I am trying out Barry's LoNoiz setting which sofar looks the best of any tried, albeit a bit soft, but I'd rather sharpen in post than in cam. Thanks Tom
 
Lat - I use Spark almost exclusively, and a polarizer is great in taming bright sunlight. I also try and avoid shooting in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead. I like to shoot mornings and evenings the most. But I'm shooting on my own schedule and choosing what and when to shoot. Not everyone has that luxury.

John
 
John. For your shots on the boat as you are moving along. How did you stage the camera so that the shot is so smooth? Nice footage.

One point I would like to make about spark setting: since it is so saturated it is difficult to adjust the colors in post. Shooting something with a little less pop gives you more latitidue with color in post. Thanks.
 
Yeah, your motion is very smooth, which I know is a little more challenging especially at 24fps. Any good tips for that?
 
I'm an old-school shooter, I don't believe in pans or zooms. Set-up the shot and let the action enter the frame. I also shoot fully wide with my HMC150 which helps control the bumpiness of being on the water. And in Final Cut Pro, the Smoothcam filter is my friend. I'd say that 90% of the footage shot on the water has been run through Smoothcam. When shooting on-shore, I'm always on sticks.

Thanks for all the nice comments.

Ramkuma, you are right about spark over-saturating the color. For a lot of situations, spark can be too much. But if you're trying to make a tropical destination look even better, it works very well.

Cheers

John C
 
Nice work John. What would your recommendation be for weddings? Obviously different venues have different lighting and the weather makes a difference as well. I usually shoot on the flat scene file 1 and try to bump up the colors a bit in post.....Not getting great luck so far. I also like using the tripod.

Deer Film: "Spark" is just a name for one of the built-in HMC150 scene files.
 
Phil - I wouldn't recommend Spark for weddings, too easy to blow out the faces and lose detail. I work in Apple's Color, but you might want to try something like Magic Bullet's Looks. It's a good place to start if you don't have a lot of experience with colour correction.

After all the nice comments I've been getting, I've posted 2 other videos in HD to Vimeo, The Seychelle Islands and the Sea of Cortez. The Sea of Cortez was half shot with a Sony HDV camera and half shot with the HMC 150.

http://vimeo.com/johnchristie

Enjoy
 
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