How to color correct before using Magic Bulle Look Suite?

F

filmguy123

Veteran
From the Magic Bullet manual:

"Look Suite is not a color correction tool—it is designed to be used on footage
that has already been color corrected to have even and consistent contrast,
gamma, and color characteristics. Apply Look Suite after your favorite color
correction plug-ins—this way you can use one Look with no keyframes on a
whole scene and get beautiful results!"

--------------------------------------------

I wasn't entirely sure what this meant... how do I color correct before the look suite? Do I just use an "auto-balance" first (I know Apple Color has this; does FCP6?). Or do I go through and maybe make skies bluer, grass greener, skin tones stronger, etc. etc. - or do I just do a simple autobalance and then Look Suite in essence replaces Color Correction?

Also, when using Magic Bullet Look Suite, where does Apple's Color fit into this? Will my use of Color likely be very limited then?
 
If you read Stu's book, he talks about CCing in layers basically. Before you do CC for a "look" you want, you do some CC to bring the shots all in line, even out the look. If one shot is too bright, etc. Then you apply CC for a "look."
 
I would use Bullet for the whole process. Each take need individual CC anyways keep a consistant look. But ther may be other ways of workflow.

Frank
 
filmguy123 said:
Do I just use an "auto-balance" first (I know Apple Color has this; does FCP6?). Or do I go through and maybe make skies bluer, grass greener, skin tones stronger, etc. etc. - or do I just do a simple autobalance and then Look Suite in essence replaces Color Correction?

Also, when using Magic Bullet Look Suite, where does Apple's Color fit into this? Will my use of Color likely be very limited then?
Click to expand...
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Remember, there is a difference between CC (color correcting) and color grading. Color correcting corrects differences between like scenes. Color grading is used to give your movie an "overall look." And Mark is right, do the correction first, then grade for your look.
 
MB looks take FOOOREEEVVVEERRRR to render...Colorista (MB's color correction tool) is awesome, though.
 
Don't use MB for the whole process. That's not what the guy who invented it will tell you to do.

The first step of Color CORRECTION is CORRECTING. If your are on FCP for example, use your scopes and your three way color corrector.

This is called PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION. MB is not designed for this.



THEN... Use MB, Nattress Film Effects, ETC. You want to make sure your shots match and are in range, and then go nuts.

This is called SECONDARY COLOR CORRECTION

Now sometimes your footage matches pretty well and you just stick your MB on and you are somewhat good to go. But when that's not the case you will create more work and headaches for yourself trying to correct with the secondary color grading plugins later.


READ this tutorial on Primary Color Correction
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/cc_legal_fcp3.html

You can watch this PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION tutorial:
http://redgiantsoftware2.com/Downloads/videos/colorista/FInal_Cut_Intro_web.mov
it's for colorista, but explains three way color corrector in FCP and the scopes and how to do PRIMARY color correction.

Here's a SECONDARY COLOR CORRECTION or COLOR GRADING TUTORIAL
http://redgiantsoftware2.com/Downloads/videos/colorista/FInal_Cut_Advanced_web.mov
again for Colorista, but gives you an idea of what types of things are done in secondary color correction
 
Thanks a bunch. I'm still wondering - where does Apple's Color fit into the mix then? The only thing valuable I've seen with COLOR, that I can't do with CC tools in FCP and then Magic Bullet, is the "auto-balance" feature. Is there a plug-in or feature for this within in FCP?

And/or - am I missing something that I'd need about Color?
 
filmguy123 said:
Thanks a bunch. I'm still wondering - where does Apple's Color fit into the mix then? The only thing valuable I've seen with COLOR, that I can't do with CC tools in FCP and then Magic Bullet, is the "auto-balance" feature. Is there a plug-in or feature for this within in FCP?

And/or - am I missing something that I'd need about Color?
Click to expand...

wow... baby steps my friend :) There's a ton of control Color offers that you can't get in either FCP or MB. Start by figuring out what you want to accomplish, and work from there.
 
filmguy123 said:
Thanks a bunch. I'm still wondering - where does Apple's Color fit into the mix then? The only thing valuable I've seen with COLOR, that I can't do with CC tools in FCP and then Magic Bullet, is the "auto-balance" feature. Is there a plug-in or feature for this within in FCP?

And/or - am I missing something that I'd need about Color?
Click to expand...
FCP has auto balance.
Please read the Ken Stone tutorial I directed you to.

Color is a high end color grading tool. For one thing it renders at quality that FCP can't. For another thing it's a complicated workflow. For a third thing you can "relight" scenes with masks that you can assign to motion track various elements in the shot. FCP can't do any of that. MB and MB looks can do some "relighting". Color is more high end that MB.

Learn how to balance your shots and use scopes in FCP first. The Ken Stone tutorial will tell you how to use the three way color corrector in FCP.

The Colorista Video tutorials will introduce you to scopes.
 
Is there an online library of more user created looks for Magic Bullet? I know it has a bunch, but a user library with user ratings of different custom looks that people make/upload would be cool - does such a thing exist?
 
this might be off topic, but when everyone is saying "Magic Bullet" are they referring to the Magic Bullet Red Giant made? or is there other companys that makes them?

I'm trying to buy a Magic Bullet, and does anyone recomend one from some where? (which company makes the Magic Bullet that comes with the DVX when you buy?)
 
filmguy123 said:
Is there an online library of more user created looks for Magic Bullet? I know it has a bunch, but a user library with user ratings of different custom looks that people make/upload would be cool - does such a thing exist?
Click to expand...

Bump on that.

Also - any opinions on "de-artifactor" - how good does it really do converting it to 4:4:4?

Finally - do they make Magic Bullet type looks for Photoshop? These are cool effects, would be nice to apply them to stills, too!
 
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