Magic Bullet

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Denialorcoped

Well-known member
I've never used any of this software but i'm looking at the colorista, looks, mojo, and steady and they all look very appealing. Recommendations?
 
Thomas Lew said:
I recommend not buying it and using a real color grading program instead. Everybody uses those presets also and it makes your footage look exactly like everybody else's.
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Thomas, maybe you could recommend a "real" color grading program. I am not saying that to be snarky. I think that MB is customizable enough that you could come up with any look you wanted without just using the same presets as everyone else. But if there's something better out there that you like, do share.
 
First off I find Magic Bullet Looks a REAL color grading program. One only has to spend a few minutes on the right side of the app where you find all of the various tools to construct a look to understand you have some major tools at your hands. Simply having the ability to adjust Curves is an amazingly powerful add-on for Final Cut.

I agree that a lot of people are probably just applying one of the Looks and leaving it at that. If they are they're spending a LOT of money and barely using the power of the app.
 
There is nothing that you can do with a "real" grading program, that you can not do with MBL.
But there is a lot MBL can do, that a "real" grading program is not able to achieve.

Frank`s
redner2.gif
WOW (word of wisdom) of the day.


By the way, Apple`s Color is actually Color Finesse with a different label.
 
I think Magic Bullet works great as color correcting program (I personally use Apple Color, because it's a free addition to FCS), but Magic Bullet can be very powerful.

However, be sure not to just throw on a generic filter and walk away. Those presets are starting points...and often times people overdo the vignetting and color adjustments so footage looks very "magic-bullet-ish").

The best color correction/grading is when you can't even tell that footage has been corrected.
 
ikander said:
However, be sure not to just throw on a generic filter and walk away. Those presets are starting points...and often times people overdo the vignetting and color adjustments so footage looks very "magic-bullet-ish").

The best color correction/grading is when you can't even tell that footage has been corrected.
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Totally agree. In fact, using MB Looks, I don't even like to start with presets. I just go from scratch for each project, get a look I like, and then use THAT as the project preset.
 
sure there is a lot on the web re: MBL but he may have posted here to see what HMCusers think.

Under the hood, Looks is a real color grading program, as is Colorista. A preset will rough you in for what you are looking for, then you make adjustments from there. And if you or your client like the look of just the preset, then go for it :)
 
Galleddrim said:
Totally agree. In fact, using MB Looks, I don't even like to start with presets. I just go from scratch for each project, get a look I like, and then use THAT as the project preset.
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This is exactly what I do.

I used the presets when I first got looks at the end of 08, haven't used a preset since.

I would much rather use looks or colorista than color any day. I'm just not a fan of color.
 
I don't know if it's just me but colorwise, MB Looks just doesn't do it like Colorista. Looks is nice with all the presets, i'd like to think it as a quick way to get things done.

However, when i do have the time, I'll be on Colorista. I find the colour altering somehow more "accurate" than looks? I have no idea why but the colours and results from Colorista seem to be alot more appealing.
 
FuGZ said:
I don't know if it's just me but colorwise, MB Looks just doesn't do it like Colorista. Looks is nice with all the presets, i'd like to think it as a quick way to get things done.

However, when i do have the time, I'll be on Colorista. I find the colour altering somehow more "accurate" than looks? I have no idea why but the colours and results from Colorista seem to be alot more appealing.
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Different purposes. I use both. Colorista for basic color correction and grading, MB Looks for the more effects type stuff like post filters and processing. I agree that I'd always go to Colorista over Looks for basic color work. It's faster too.
 
I have magic bullet and I love it.. Use it on almost every project I do. I hated apple color personally.. I found it extremely unintuitive, time consuming to use, and there were horrible gamma shifts when I would send back to final cut pro.. Also having to render out from there was just a pain for me. Its really nice to have magic bullet looks and I can just load that up in 2 seconds and start grading right away. It does take alot of power to render, but I think you're saving time overall because it enables you to get sweet looks so quickly versus standard color grading.
 
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