Dark video

alwrmcusn wrote on 6/11/2007, 10:17 AM
I'm a newbie both here on the forum and using Movie Studio+DVD. I had a friend convert/copy a VHS tape I made in 1985 (it's an oldie!). Both the tape and the DVD copy have places where I filmed indoors and now they appear very dark in some scenes and completely dark in others. I did a frame copy of a completely dark area of the DVD once about a year ago. Then using Adobe Photoshop Elements 4, I lightened the photo to a viewable status. That is.... the photo was so dark that it was completely black but using Elements I lightened (brightened??) the photo so that it was viewable. How do I use Vegas Movie Studio+DVD to lighten/brighten these clips? I have not been able to find anything on any of the menus that leads me to believe that I can do it with Movie Studio. Have I bought the wrong software?? If there is a way, can someone be specific with me? I'm finding this software very confusing to use. Thanks.

Comments

mtnorwood wrote on 6/11/2007, 1:04 PM
In VMS 6 you would:
1. Add the clip to the timeline
2. Select the clip and go to Tools, Video, Video Event FX (or click the "Event FX" icon at the end of the event)
3. Add one of the FX filters, such as Sony Brightness and Contrast, by double-clicking it
4. Click Ok to view the details/settings for this filter; modify them as appropriate
Chienworks wrote on 6/11/2007, 1:07 PM
The best tool to use inside Vegas is color curves, thought i'm not sure if the studio version has it. Look under Video FX. If you see color curves there then drag it onto the video clip on the timeline. A window opens up showing a graph with a diagonal line. Click somewhere near the middle of the line to add a point to it an drag the point up and to the left. This will brighted the dark areas while leaving the solid blacks and whites alone. Play.

If you don't see color curves then try the brightness & contrast effect. It doesn't work quite as well, but it can help a lot.
mtnorwood wrote on 6/11/2007, 1:19 PM
Yes, Kelly, VMS does have the color curves FX filter: "Sony Color Curves."

Good to know about the effectiveness of this over the brightness filter -- thanks.
alwrmcusn wrote on 6/12/2007, 6:49 AM
Mark and Kelly, Thank you both for your replies. I went to tools etc.... and tried both suggestions. I believe that Color Curves is my best solution. Now my next question is once I select the setting that I want, will it remain in effect until the end of the video? How do you select the start and stop area for the correction?
mtnorwood wrote on 6/13/2007, 10:19 PM
With the Video FX dialog open, you should see the keyframe controller. Check the online help for the Keyframe Animation topic for full details on how to use the controller. It will allow you to identify points (keyframes) in the event and the exact Color Curves setting for that point.
alwrmcusn wrote on 6/14/2007, 9:15 AM
I'm finding this program waaay over my head!
The Video FX dialog I assume is the list that contains the "color curve" option that I select and then opens a window with a curve graph and two pickup and move points. I adjust those two to the points that I want. If I want that setting to stay from that point until I want it to stop, I am not finding a "here to here" way of doing that. When I click on what I assume is online help I get a box that pops up telling me that help does not work in this version (Vista) of Windows. Using other software to make photo slide shows I have a beginning and ending mark that I can position to set up an effect or transition. I'm not finding anything that provides any (to me) useful help in the manual. I know that it is most likely a matter of terminology. I have no idea what the terminology is for what I want to do and the menus etc are therefore providing little or no help for me. I tried setting a beginning color curve and then moving to the end of the section and setting another color curve on the last frame. Hoping that it would progress from the beginning to the ending and adjust from the beginning setting to the ending setting. That did not happen. Is there a tutuorial on the CD that shows how this is done?Or do you or anyone else know of a simpler, easier to use software package that I can get. My intention is simply to load a video, provide simple effects, transitions, titles and then burn to DVD. I'm not looking to become the next George Lucas (would be nice, but lets face it everyone on the forum already knows that ain't gonna happen, smile!!).
mickbadal wrote on 6/14/2007, 12:00 PM
Sounds like you need to read up on "keyframes". Here's a jumpstart for you: When the "FX" dialog comes up for your color curves effect, you'll see a mini-timeline at the bottom of the dialog. That timeline corresponds to the main timeline, and you can choose spots along the timeline, and dbl-click to set a "Keyframe". Keyframes identify points-in-time that allow you to change the properties of the effect at that point-in-time, and then Vegas interpolates what to do between the keyframes. (Keyframes like this can also be set for pan/crop, titles, etc.)

As an example: Let's say you have a 1-minute video event, and want it to fade to black-and-white over the first 30 seconds, then back to color for the final 30 seconds. You add the "black-and-white" FX to the event. In the FX dialog that pops up, set a "keyframe" at 0 seconds and set FX properties to full color; another keyframe at the 30-second mark with the FX properties set to black-and-white, then a final keyframe at the 60-second mark with FX properties back to full color. Preview the video and you'll see the slow-fade from color-to-bw-to-color.

Keyframes can be set down to the frame level, so you can really customize the heck out of FX, pan/crop events, and titles.