Color Correction Help: Here's the Videoclip

ken c wrote on 8/20/2007, 7:07 AM
Hi, here's the videoclip of the best color correction I could get... it's still off:

http://www.dtu1.com/ColorCorrectionHelp.wmv
(662k, short clip)

The first half, from my A-cam, looks great... the second half, color-corrected the best I and others could do, looks bad.

Important question: since this is the best I can do, and I'm under a deadline, should I just scrub the b-cam footage altogether and make it a 1-cam shoot DVD, using the A-cam footage?

(thanks also to Grazie and everyone else who tried to help with this challenging color correction puzzle... it's much appreciated)...

This will be for a video series that will sell thousands of units over the years, and I do not want to get negative critiques/commentary re "the content was great, but the colors were funny" type of thing, since that'll cost me sales. I've spent hours trying to correct it, you'd think just a little level correct and saturation would do it, but it doesn't... and since I do 10-15 second a/b cuts, it needs to match if I'm to use it.

So is a 1-cam shoot with good color, better than a 2-cam shoot, with slightly off/mixed color? It's a judgement call - and I respect your folks' opinions, since you're the pros, I'm not... what do you think?

thanks!

-ken

lesson learned: use identical cameras for both angles, and white-balance/color correct before the shoot! for next time...

Comments

Jay Gladwell wrote on 8/20/2007, 9:32 AM

If this were my project, and in light of the time constraints, yes, I would ditch the B-camera footage.

Jim H wrote on 8/20/2007, 2:57 PM
I agree with Jay. The brownish b-roll isn't a very compelling composition anyway. Got any cut away footage of the audience you could drop in to break things up?
ken c wrote on 8/20/2007, 4:40 PM
Hi, good idea, but same issue re color correction, for c-roll that I also have of audience shots, I'll take a 2nd look at it to see if it'll fit...

Well at least I learned a valuable lesson, re white balancing and getting same cameras and doing color checks on the monitor, Before the shoot, eg night before,
to make sure it's all even.. a few hours there would've saved the shoot for better b-roll..

ken
farss wrote on 8/20/2007, 4:51 PM
One person on a stage, well two different angles of the same thing isn't very compelling. After all what is SAID rather than what the speaker looks like is the thing, I guess. I mean unless there's PPTs or something similar it could even be just on CD and that has a big advantage these days, people can listen to a CD while they're stuck in traffic.

Bob.
ken c wrote on 8/20/2007, 6:57 PM
Right, Bob ... but yes there's a lot of ppt slides and technical text overlays and other content... and besides if they were just cds, I couldn't price them at the $495-$695 for 3 DVDs that this set will be selling for... perceived value is higher for video than audio.. though that's a terrific idea re also adding audio cds as an extra, then I could bump the price up by a couple hundred. Thanks! ca-ching!

-k
randy-stewart wrote on 8/20/2007, 7:26 PM
Ken,
You might consider dirtying up the C roll footage of the audience...maybe make it black and white or gainy or color drained as a quick cut-away for interest (Spot suggested this to me once when I couldn't fix a badly shot clip). Also, you could mirror image the A roll once in a while for a switch. I've seen this done on a couple openings of the VASST training DVDs for an interesting effect (however, might not work for a seminar format). Throw in a quick cut away to some Hawaiian footage for fun (just kidding, an inside joke). I'm sure there are other ideas out there too. Hope this helps a little.
Randy
Grazie wrote on 8/20/2007, 11:27 PM
I agree with Randy.

Use the footage, but use it to MAKE appropriate emphasise.

* BnW is great for this.

* Bring it in to make a point in something you are saying

* Multi grid it up for that 24 look

* Grid it up against Facts and figures and then return to the MAIN angle OR have working behind facts and figures - this would blend it WIT the PowerPoint look.

* Use it behind the MAIN as a kinda watercolour "wash"

* Use it as a tiny "Ken" in one a 1/3 corner - high middle low . . I don't care - with your ACTUAL words scrolling past "Little-Ken"

Look, once we get away from or "get over" the WB issues this or future footage CAN be valuable as something else. And it can provide anther dimensions/layer of interest and engaging the viewer

BIG CAVEAT: It really does depend on what you are trying to achieve - you may want your viewer to "hang-on" your every word. There IS a delicate balance of "smack 'em" and being TOO visually rich - yeah?

But for my money, Ken, I do realise you are taking this experience very seriously. Sure I like that, but sometimes you need to sit back and just see what you have captured and work with it, or not.

Ken, you are a Star!!

Regards,

Grazie


FrigidNDEditing wrote on 8/20/2007, 11:57 PM
Ken, I'm not sure if you've watched the video editing master class, but that was a great example of adding excitement to an otherwise bunch of talking head footage. I highly suggest it if you haven't seen it.

Dave