Master Pedestal

all i know is that its what you use to crush your blacks in camera...
- =crushed black
+ =shadow that is detailed
 
I always figured it was because you are raising or lowering your "base" or "pedestal" at the bottom of the IRE waveform
 
Jeff Anderson said:
I always figured it was because you are raising or lowering your "base" or "pedestal" at the bottom of the IRE waveform
Click to expand...

I think that's right, Jeff. It seems that it raises what is termed "black" as a starting point on top of which the range of luminance is stacked.

It does seem to me that people use this setting rather creatively, but when I look at my image and adjust the Master Pedestal, there is a "correct" setting, and below that the blacks are crushed and the scene looks awful, and above that the scene is overly bright, which would lead to blow-outs in the highlights which looks worse than crushed blacks. Isn't master pedestal a calibration setting, that has to be set "right"?

I'm interested on your thoughts about this.
 
IMO master pedestal is just another setting to create the look of the scene. Sounds like you and I adjust the MP in the same manner. Periodically though I prefer a slightly more "crushed" look and adjust accordingly. Most of my work is corporate interviews though and they just need to not look washed out, but not overly contrasty too. Adjust it while you are connected a waveform and you can see exactly what you are doing - for the that "calibrated" look just get the blacks to sit right at 0 and you are good. Set them higher and you get that crushed look.
 
Thanks for the thread link. The "friendly debate" had me pretty perplexed, with all that 0 vs. 7.5 IRE business, until I realised that it's an NTSC thing. Ha ha - you NTSC people really do suffer, eh?
 
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