Color Correction in VT52 SE or SE 155 AND Audio Mixdown with VT52b

[Kurt_Henning]

Hey everybody.

I am working on “finishing” a movie for a church group. Jose’ has hinted about it, because he made the opening animation back in the spring.

Here is what I have.

We shot on MiniDV. We used similar cameras. We use the JVC-DV500 cameras. We have four of them. Three were manufactured in 1999. Our 4th is about 3 years newer, and has a popout screen on the side.

The movie has interiors, exteriors and a range of F-stops.

We have some color matching issues and it is my task to color correct to the best of my ability. All the footage has been captured and the rough cut through 1 hour 40 minutes. There is the ending that is still being completed. I am using the “color match” toolshed preset and I am having pretty good luck.

I know that the SE has 3 wheel color correction and modules that I have little experience with. I have no problem with re-reading the sections on the tool, but I am looking for advice from someone who may have had to do this and can offer advice.

The client is a MAC person, and has done some of the rough cutting on his own. Avalon Video also as a MAC and FCP 5.1 which has the “color” tool. I have zero experience with that applicaton. And frankly, I would rather use my tool of choice, the VT52 SE or standalone SE 155.

If anyone is interested in offering some assistance, I could post of PNG’s of various scenes to review. I have already gotten started and I a pleased with the results.

I would like to know if I am doing this the smart way. I am looking for technical solutions or alternatives.

And no, I don’t have the budget to send the files to LA to a real colorist. I am on my own.

My other task is working on the audio and prepping it. For much of the shoot, we ran one audio channel “wild” and the other channel would have a mic send. In post (toolshed), I have made presets to kill channel 1, take channel two and boost it and then make the “pan” set to 12:00 so I get the audio out of both speakers. I am aware that this defeats the “stereo” but for dialog, that is not a big deal.

When I am fiddling with the audio, I am adhering to 0dB as my loudest point. Mostly I am having the audio passages hitting at -6 and I will let it go to -3 if it is part that is more “spirited.”

Even using presets, this will take several days. Any ideas are welcome.

Kurt Henning
Avalon Video
Newtek Midwest Reseller and
daily user of Video Toaster[5],
TricasterProFX, LightWave3D,
SpeedEDIT and 3D Arsenal.
www.avalonvideo.com
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
785.841.9119
cell 785.691.7016

[joseburgos]

Enable overlay on bottom clip and then use the crop left to make a
split screen.
Now use the color correction tools to match one to the other.
Very important, don't do this until you make final color correction
to top "master color" clip.
Now match bottom clip to top.
Move the left crop amount to allow you to view more or less of the
background "master color" clip.
Once you have it looking the way you want, select bottom clip and use
tool shed to make a preset.
Preset naming is critical here so name it CX_000000_X (CX=camera
number, 000000=date and X=I for indoor/O for outdoor).
Do the same for the master color clip and I would make it camera one
but it does not matter as long as each camera has the right number to
match to it.
Use you shot log sheet for this whole process.
If you did a lot of shots with different cameras on the same shoot
indoors, assuming you did not change the location, the presets should
work fine.
Not the same for outdoors as the sun does not always shine the same
all day 
Anyway, different days, even for indoor shots, may not work with same
presets but you can try.

As to SE's color corrections tools, they are pretty good for the
limited amount of time I have used them.
Make sure you stay technical on what you want adjusted but the final
look is what the client wants period and it is important to have the
client present when creating the "master color" look.
So by technical on adjustments here is an example;
The client says he wants more contrast in the look.
I would start with the brightness level in the low portion of 3-Band
color.
This allows the dark levels to be darker without affecting the
overall look of the entire footage by using master or color
correction, color correction, brightness or contrast.
Test this yourself by duplicating a clip and enabling overlay on the
bottom clip, then lower master brightness on top/background clip and
3-band color, LOW brightness on overlay/bottom clip.
You will see that this gives a richer contrast as it is making the
dark/black levels darker while not touching the mid and high colors.

I wish I can help you with the rest of the color tools but I have
been winging it as to the results.
But I do stay technical and think about what it is exactly I am
trying to do so as to color correct only in that area.

Good Luck,

[Kurt_Henning]

THIS WAS COPIED FROM VTNT written by "Jose Burgos" of VFX house BurgosFX


Enable overlay on bottom clip and then use the crop left to make a split screen.

Now use the color correction tools to match one to the other.

Very important, don't do this until you make final color correction to top "master color" clip.
Now match bottom clip to top.

Move the left crop amount to allow you to view more or less of the background "master color" clip.
Once you have it looking the way you want, select bottom clip and use tool shed to make a preset.
Preset naming is critical here so name it CX_000000_X (CX=camera number, 000000=date and
X=I for indoor/O for outdoor).

Do the same for the master color clip and I would make it camera one but it does not matter as long
as each camera has the right number to match to it.

Use you shot log sheet for this whole process.

If you did a lot of shots with different cameras on the same shoot indoors, assuming you did not change
the location, the presets should work fine.

Not the same for outdoors as the sun does not always shine the same all day 
Anyway, different days, even for indoor shots, may not work with same presets but you can try.

As to SE's color corrections tools, they are pretty good for the limited amount of time I have used them.
Make sure you stay technical on what you want adjusted but the final look is what the client wants period
and it is important to have the client present when creating the "master color" look.

So by technical on adjustments here is an example;

The client says he wants more contrast in the look.

I would start with the brightness level in the low portion of 3-Band color. This allows the dark levels to be
darker without affecting the overall look of the entire footage by using master or color correction, color correction,
brightness or contrast. Test this yourself by duplicating a clip and enabling overlay on the
bottom clip, then lower master brightness on top/background clip and 3-band color, LOW brightness on overlay/bottom clip.
You will see that this gives a richer contrast as it is making the dark/black levels darker while not touching the mid and high colors.

I wish I can help you with the rest of the color tools but I have been winging it as to the results.
But I do stay technical and think about what it is exactly I am trying to do so as to color correct only in that area.

Good Luck,
José Burgos