Color Correction : How to match skin tones ?

Nat wrote on 7/23/2003, 10:56 PM

I went to an Avid tour and saw an Xpress Pro demo. There was a nice function that allowed the editor to match skin colors from 2 different shots. I'd like to know if there's an easy way to do this in Vegas. I'm not too good with the color correction tool. Let's say I have shot 1 featuring bob who's inside a building, and shot 2 where he is outside. How could I easily match is skin color ?
Thanks,
Nat

Comments

GaryKleiner wrote on 7/23/2003, 11:14 PM

>Let's say I have shot 1 featuring bob who's inside a building, and shot 2 where he is outside. How could I easily match is skin color ?<

Bring up shot 1 on the preview monitor. Click on the Save to Clipboard icon on the preview tools(looks like two pages). Click on the pull-down menu for the split screen and set it to clipboard. Click on the split screen icon.

Bring up shot 2 on preview. In split screen mode you can click and drag any area you want to see what's in the clipboard for comparison.

Gary Kleiner

GaryKleiner wrote on 7/23/2003, 11:15 PM

...then use the coror correction filters to adjust shot 2.

GK

BillyBoy wrote on 7/23/2003, 11:30 PM

Bob's skin tone SHOULD look a little different inside and outside a building. If you try to make the inside and outside shot the same skin tone one or other other will look artficial.

Nat wrote on 7/24/2003, 12:36 AM

I know, it's only an example, want I'd like to know is if there's an easy way too match the colors within the color corrector plugin.
Thanks

BillyBoy wrote on 7/24/2003, 10:05 AM

The short answer is no. Others have already explained what to do, but not really HOW to do it. With my Bell Palsy still driving my left eye crazy I can't really write a detailed tutorial right now, I probably wouldn't do that good a job if I tired.

A couple hints:

1. Be sure each event, the one you're using as a guide and the one you're adjust to have the same filters and in the same order in the plug-in chain.

2. Note the numerical values of the color wheels on each, adjust accordingly.

Part of the difficulity is in using the eye dropper tool it is nearly impossible to click on the same pixel. In fact if you're just a few pixels off you can get very distorted results. What's missing so far from Vegas in this otherwise excellent filter is some read out to indicate WHERE you are X,Y wise within the image. Those that use Photoshop know what I mean where you can turn on a window that in real time displays the exact X,Y positon you are in the image as you move your cursor around and it also reports the values in RBG color. That would be a killer addition to Vegas.

Nat wrote on 7/24/2003, 10:56 AM

Thanks Billyboy, I wanted to know if there was an easy way, it's a good thing there is not because I will learn the tools more deeply that way. The feature in Avid Xpress was quite impressing, but all the rest of the program is so painful compared to Vegas :)