NewBlueFX demoed their new plug-in suite Video Essentials 2 at NAB and it has a one-click white balance that does an outstanding job (just as simple as white balancing in Photoshop... i.e., click on something that should be white and you're done!). It also has several other FX that are amazing and as far as I'm concerned it's another "must have" plug-in. I can't wait for them to release it.
Hey Laurence,
Which version did you try? I downloaded all the ones available and none of them worked for me.
The latest - 1.1 preview 4 - couldn't even register, so the install was aborted.
I just tried the one in the top right hand corner of the linked page. I tried it with the 32 bit version of Vegas on a Vista 64 machine. Worked great. I only tried it with SD footage, not HDV yet, but the workflow was super simple and the results were simply spectacular.
It works great with HDV footage. And the final rendered results are absolutely brilliant. It's just a shame that the author hasn't had the support he needs (from Sony) in porting it to the 64 bit version of Vegas.
Yeah, Laurence I am intrigued by the functions of AAV Colorlab, but I can't get my head around the logic of the Windows and the process of application. Yes I can slide the values and so on, but I am at a loss as to actually what it is am achieving? Need a tute from someone - yeah?
Sony Colour Wheels are dead easy and have the sliders for Sat, Gamma, Gain and so on WHERE I'd expect them to be. However, in AAV, I DO like the inclusions of the Levels in with the Colour Balance - nice touch that! - makes for a convergence of analysis. But again, you DON'T get a reference "cross" when you drag over the Preview window - that SHOULD be in there.
Thx Laurence ...
Guess I'll go back to the author on this one. Tried on both laptop and desktop and neither even showed the eye droppers or any presets in the pulldown.
Tom
Look in the left panel where you see the labels "Adjust", "6-vector", "Black & White" and "Blur". You can check or uncheck the tabs without changing screens but as soon as you you click on the name of the catagory itself, the screen to the right of it changes. Then you'll see the eyedropper tools etc. Maybe you missed that.
I prefer the operation of the dropper in the Sony Color Correction filter. Instead of clicking on a single pixel, you can click-drag a box and the value is the average of all the pixels in the box. You can still click a single pixel if you'd like, but you have the option of averaging an area. I don't know why everyone doesn't do it this way.
I don't know why everyone doesn't do it this way. John? Maybe 'cos they don't know - like you and I, and a few "others"? And yes, that is one of the omitted options in this plug I would like to see offered. Also, "seeing" the graphics of the wheels moving as a I drag is pretty cool for my decision making.
However I kinda like Levels and the WB on the same menu.
This plug needs more of my time spent on teasing out options.
For a quick fix I use the Sony FX Color Curves - it is really fast and one can easily adjust the darker and the lighter parts separately.
Quite usefull because in low light recordings you often have some lamps or other bright spots.
Hi everyone. Sorry it's taken me show long to respond. Been really busy here. I might try the color corrector first. If I can, I might send you a screen shot.