How to fix overexposed footage

HeeHee wrote on 7/15/2002, 9:45 PM
Got some bad footage from having a feature on the camera turned on by mistake while shooting at a subject with a bright background. I don't know what setting it was because I was not the camera operator and the person does not remember what he changed. This is a wedding video, so I can't go back and reshoot. The overexposed footage is in the beginning during the precession, but then rights itself shortly after. I don't think the problem ocurred due to the bright background since the procession is fine. Anyway, Has anyone had any luck fixing overexposed video? If so, what effects do you use and in what order. I have not played around too much with this sort of thing so I have no clue where to begin. Anything I have done has made it look worse. Help!

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 7/15/2002, 10:04 PM
There isn't much you can do. Video doesn't have much of a contrast range, so when it's "overexposed" or too bright, all the lighter areas are pushed to white and the detail in the highlights is lost. You can use Brightness & Contrast to dim the image and increase the contrast, but any lighter areas will remain a uniform grey rather than showing any image. Probably the best you can do is try to get the skin tones to a reasonable shade, then adjust contrast to make it as pleasing as possible.
DataMeister wrote on 7/15/2002, 10:17 PM
You might have luck with the Brightness/Contrast filter. Probably you will only use the contrast options and not the brightness. However if the brightest part of your image is not white then you might bring the brightness down a little.

The best part of the Brightness/Contrast filter is the option to adjust the contrast center. If you move the contrast center up above half way, possibly all the way to 1.00 then boost the contrast a little you might be able to put a little contrast back into the whites without scrunching the blacks too much. But, play with it and see where each looks the best.

If however the over exposed areas went completely white then there is nothing that will put back detail where there is none.

JBJones
SonyDennis wrote on 7/15/2002, 11:55 PM
You should also give the following filters a try:

- Levels: mostly play with Gamma

- Color Curves: start with "Highlight Shadows" preset

///d@
BillyBoy wrote on 7/15/2002, 11:58 PM
Oh my God...

A "professional" would only fiddle with Contrast and Brightness as a last restort.
The proper way to proceed with over/under exposed video is the same procedure you use with still images. Use the Levels filter and color curves filter.

I have about a year's experience using Vegas Video and VF and have had excellent results doing the above and have pulled out what many would consider useless video from the garbage pile by careful manipulation of the FX filters I mentioned and others.

So why not use Contrast and Brightness adjustment? Because that filter effects the ENTIRE range of pixels in the image. So if you have something that is greatly over or under exposed you'll end up adjusting the "good" parts along with the bad, which almost always ends up looking like crap.

By using curves (typically a "S" curve) you adjust ONLY shadows, mid-range or hightlights...much more effective. While you can use the presets, much better to use a preset as a starting point, then customize it. I wrote a few articles giving how-to some time back. Now taking it to the next step you also adjust levels. It is truly amazing how much control the five sliders in the FX Levels give you
BillyBoy wrote on 7/16/2002, 12:06 AM
Also tweaking the HLS filter in conjuction with levels is also a powerful combination. There is no magic formula, every video is a little different, so lots of trial and error. For example just ramping hue up or down and lumanance and playing with the various levels setting you can frequently get a much improved balance. They key if there is one is EASY DOES IT. I'm constantly amazed how sensitive the FX filters are as implemented in Vagas. The so-called "adjustments" in some other applications is really a joke and at best a sledge hammer. In Vegas, I feel like an artist. <wink>
HeeHee wrote on 7/16/2002, 12:22 AM
Thanks to all for your tips.

I proceeded to adjust Levels/Gamma to .700, Brightness to -.25 and Contrast to -.35 before reading BillyBoy and Dennis' approach. It looks OK, but not perfect(I know it never will be, but...) I need to get some shut eye now, so I will try color curves on my next edit session.

Thanks again guys!