Colour Correction Help

Richard Jones wrote on 5/21/2016, 5:14 AM

This is a HUGE subject in its own right. You might try the Support - Training - Video - Vegas Pro link above where you'll find a host of useful tutorials, some op which cover some aspects of CC. You can also Google or, better still, try the MovieStudioZen site (it covers more than the Studio versions) which has a host of helpful tutorials available on a wide range of subjects.

Richard

musicvid10 wrote on 5/21/2016, 6:30 AM

The not-free Colormatch plugin is a good place to start.

iNdepthphoto wrote on 5/21/2016, 7:40 AM

Thanks Richard, I'll give it a look.

iNdepthphoto wrote on 5/21/2016, 7:46 AM

I'll look into that MusicVid10, I've download the trial and will give it a go!
Thanks for the info.

musicvid10 wrote on 5/21/2016, 9:43 AM

Since I see you're using Vegas Pro 13, did you try the built in Color Match FX?

iNdepthphoto wrote on 5/21/2016, 11:08 AM

I did sometimes it's really good sometimes not so good, it's kind of hit and miss... Unless I'm missing something.
I've tried colour matching to still retouched photos that shot at the time.
I've also tried it to other clips taken from a separate angle from another camera that's better coloured.

Grazie wrote on 5/21/2016, 12:28 PM

Couldn't get the User thing with Sony CM. Used Fred Baumanns.

Grazie

aboammar wrote on 5/21/2016, 12:32 PM

What do you mean exactly by "..the colour dials in Vegas really throw"?

Do you mean the color dials are not accurate to move?

Richard Jones wrote on 5/22/2016, 4:23 AM

Couldn't get the User thing with Sony CM. Used Fred Baumanns.

Grazie: Not sure why you couldn't get the Sony CM to work. I add the CM FX to the event I want to alter, then move the Timeline cursor to the comparator and take a clipboard shot of that scene from the Preview Window. Go back to the destination event and the CM Plug In, click on the "Clipboard" entry at the side and this then appears in the small screen in the Plug In. Do the same for a scene on the event you want to change which brings that scene into the FX and you will see the result in the third small screen and on the event itself.

Hope this helps.

Richard

Grazie wrote on 5/22/2016, 5:25 AM

O... K... Richard I'll try and give it another go. Really found the User thing icky. Maybe your clear instructions will push me towards it.

G

set wrote on 5/22/2016, 8:20 AM

Hi iNdepthphoto,

Have you already turned on the Video Scopes? Just want to make sure...
View>Window>Video Scopes (Ctrl+Alt+2)

I guess you mean the 'Colour dials' is the 'Color Corrector' FX plug-in with 3 color wheels?
You never seen this tool in Photoshop tools, but once you know how to use it, it will become a useful tool.

And once you know how to read the Video Scopes, especially the RGB Parade, and Histogram, that will be a helpful guide.
Adjusting three different camera brand, with each different unique tones is extremely a difficult process. I have Nikon DSLR, and a lot of time the color is so 'weird', compared to Sony camcorders or DSLRs. Canon usually felt too warm to me.

You might having multiple FX's tool added in order to match these colors. I usually use Levels, Color Curve, Color Corrector.
For more extreme adjustments, you may also adding 3 Levels to adjust each R,G,B channel.
Color Curve is also similar, you can adjust each RGB.

A bit more general info..., but hope helps...

Set

iNdepthphoto wrote on 5/23/2016, 11:09 AM

Hi Set,
I don't have video scopes on, I'll switch it on and take a look.
Yes the colour dials are what I struggle with and as I'm mainly a Lightroom user who's workflow is 70 / 30 Photoshop, the editing in Vegas isn't a problem for me, it's the colour correction is getting to me.
This might be a daft question but would I gather a raw video file is basically the same a raw image? Only to me they don't act the same, and I'm thinking any colour effect being say vivid is embedded in a video file unlike a raw image, but then I'm a photographer not a videographer so I could be wrong.
Lastly unlike yourself as a Nikon DSLR and Sony DSLR user, the Nikon has given me the best colour results.
The canon is a HD camcorder and gave the worst.

aboammar wrote on 5/23/2016, 11:52 AM

@iNdepthphoto .. Hold down the Ctrl key when using the color wheels for much more accurate adjustmets

Even though the built-in color corrections tools in Vegas Pro are as good as those found in most NLE, and are good enough for most people, I still advice you to do use the free version of Davinci Resolve for the ultimate in color corrections, and grading.

set wrote on 5/23/2016, 12:02 PM

iNdepthphoto,

Color correction is one of VideoFXs available to use inside Vegas, there are several other FXs you can also use for color corrections, such as Level, Color Balance (very similar to Photoshop's Color Balance), Color Corrector (secondary) for doing quick selection of one color and adjust that color. Use Color Curves for each RGB color if you need to... works similar to PSD's Curve.

Since you are new to Sony Vegas Pro, looking at VideoFX plugins list can be quite confusing.
Year ago I made a FX guide category where I hope this can help anyone who needs guide of how to choose the FX.

My list for Vegas Pro 13's own VideoFXs can be seen on the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-L9b62_CVdZRFJSQzJab0dvRDQ/view

For the flowchart only, look at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-L9b62_CVdZd1czWEFSMHFJdGs/view?usp=sharing

Besides of Vegas Pro's built-in VideoFXs, I have also made guide for NewBlueFX TotalFX3's FX list, in case the Vegas' internal FX is not enough.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-L9b62_CVdZU2RBQ1FySU5SREE/view?usp=sharing

When I first came to video editing from photoshop, I force myself to understand the VideoScopes, and first guide I can depend to is Histogram, just like we can find in Photoshop. You can switch the Histogram to show 3 RGB colors with Luminance rather than just Luminance only.

Doing color correction in video can be a different experience where the adjustment felt 'not so depth' compared to doing color correction in photoshop.
Speaking in Photoshop's terms, when you add more FX, you are adding more 'Adjustment Layers'.

As of 'Raw-quality ' for video, when you capture video with popular Canon camcorders / DSLRs, Nikon DSLRs, Sony AVCHD camcorders or DSLRS, you are likely similar like capturing photo in 'JPEG' format. All are ultra-compressed. So it is best to set white-balance correctly during shooting so you don't have to do extreme adjustment in post, as many times you can't have perfect corrected image too if your color are way off too far.
If you need similar 'TIFF' format for video, you need to invest an external recorder device, like Atomos Shogun for example, or Sony XDCAM / XAVC class camcorder or above. They are less-compressed format.
If you want similar 'RAW Video', that require different cameras which are not easily affordable. (RED Cameras or Blackmagic URSA cameras)

Add: as what @aboammar mentioned about DaVinci Resolve, that's the ultimate and 'killer' color grading and correction tool for video, support partial adjustments and movement tracking ability. But it is also a complicated application. You can try download free, but expect so many technical question there.
I currently still learning this tool.

Set

Richard Jones wrote on 5/24/2016, 5:13 AM

Have a look at:-

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/training/vegaspro/videos

which is one of the many training videos available on this site under the link I gave in my original post above. It is an excellent introduction and first rate starting point when you start to climb this paticular and steep learning curve.

Good Luck,

Richard