A quick question:
If you need to color correct one of those tapes ( to better match the other tapes ) do you make those corrections on the media in the media pool so that when those clips are on the timeline they all have the same color correction?

I've been stumpted by this before when mixing/editing multi-cam shoots...

Eileen, I can't speak for any one else but that's the way I do it.
This way, you 're not faced with having to CC multiple events.

Mike

Plus, correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no way to color correct just an event directly, and have it only affect one take on the event.

So the only way to do it would be at the media level, which in most cases is the better way to do it for a multiple camera edit.

But is there a way to do it on a specific take at the event level? Since I could see that there could be reasons to do that as well, once in a while.

Sure, just click on the fx icon near the right edge of the event to apply fx just to that event.

Save that CC setting and you can apply it any time it's necessary, now or later.

Mike

Here are links to a frame from each camera I'm trying to correct. No corrections have been applied to either image.

Correct Camera
http://www.woolbrightvideo.com/images/tmp/CorrectSetting.jpg

Incorrect Camera
http://www.woolbrightvideo.com/images/tmp/IncorrectSetting.jpg

To expand on Mike's reply here's a way to create a CC fx for any particular camera:

Shoot a few frames of a neutral gray surface [a photographic 18% gray card is ideal but not absolute since you're only interested in relative values].with both white balance settings. Do this twice, once under tungsten lighting, once under daylight.

In Vegas, use the split screen preview to display the two side by side, and apply CC to make one match the other. Save the setting labeling it as to camera and correction. e.g. PD170Cam1Day2Tung. Repeat for the 2nd pair labeling it as PD170Cam1Tung2Day. Repeat as needed for each camera in your stable. Now you're just a couple of mouse clicks away from color balance nirvana.

Bas

If anyone has some tips on where to begin CC for this example that would be helpful. I'm still trying to learn how to use Vegas Pro 8.

Joe

Joe, this is strictly my opinion but I prefer the one you labeled as incorrect.
It's got a warm look to it in comparison to the correct one.

Mike

Great solutions, thanks!

I just learned something by accident....

As I opened one of the images Woolbrig posted I dragged it from one monitor to a second monitor and half way between the two it became painfully obvious to me how different my 'identical' monitors show the colors... I had my own split screen comparison and the difference was pretty shocking.

Eileen

You can use the color corrector to change the white balance. Use the negative sign eyedroppers for the mids and highs and drag-select areas which should be grey/white.

If that doesn't fix WB completely, add a secondary color corrector, target the highlights (high luminance areas) and knock saturation down.

2- Past that, you can start taking any major colors in the scene that are different and use the secondary CC to get them to match better.

To color correct:

1. Calibrate your monitor(s). Use the Spyder2 product (about $120 retail).

2. Use this old tutorial. It's as good as any:

Finding White/Black points with Color Cast Videos

There are several plug-ins that can fix that for you. Take your pick (but avoid combining them):

Color corrector--
I used the Choose Complementary Color picker for each of the three color wheels (see the Help file on how to do so). Then I reduced the Saturation to about 0.85.

Color Balance--
In the Midtone range, I reduced Red to about -0.056, and reduced Green to about -0.021.

NewBlue Color Fixer MSP--
I like this plug-in. It's very easy to work with and does a nice job. Use the Source Light color picker, and click on the light shining onto the wall in your "correct" image. Then reduce the strength to about 40-50%.

Download this VEG file:

Color Correct VEG

Put it in the same folder with those two still images you posted and see if the corrections get you close. I first did a levels correction with Color Curves (on both the good and bad images) and then did color correction on both. I did the correction even on the "correct" image because I couldn't get the bad one to look exactly the like the other without introducing additional problems. So, I created a nice color balance that was still a little too warm, and then warmed the good camera (i.e., set it towards red) to match.

I used the technique outlined in that short tutorial I linked to in my previous post.

Bops, I can’t find the NewBlue Color Fixer MSP on NewBlue’s homepage. So where can you buy this plug-in?

Jøran

Actually, the Color fixer plug-in is part of the NewBlue Video FX MSP bundle that's included with VMS Platinum Edition. I'm not sure if it's available with any of their other bundles... sorry about that.

FWIW, I somewhat prefer the "wrong" version because of the warmer colors, but then again, I've only seen one frame. I like John M's suggestion to bring both to a happy medium.

here's a file that I did in a few seconds with color curves ( it's what I've found is best for something like that ) having a few shots to correct it with would have been better ( to get the higher ends) but have a look and tell me if it works ).

COCO4U.zip

Dave

Thanks for all of the tips and samples. Based on the contents of this thread I was able to make the two clips match successfully.

Joe

I had this thought that if you shot the same color chart with all your cameras, there should be some way to automate, or at least reduce the guesswork in color correction. Since you have known values in the chart, I'd think matching those colors to a standard would be a relatively simple process.

Any thoughts?

Ted

Since you have known values in the chart, I'd think matching those colors to a standard would be a relatively simple process.At first thought, it would seem it should work that way, but it doesn't.

The math gets complicated but the issue is somewhat like trying to bring an out-of-focus picture back into focus: It is not a reversible process, so while you may be able to improve the focus a little, you'll never get a perfectly sharp photo. Same thing with color. If the color balance was set incorrectly, or the scene was lit with colored light (stage production), or you are trying to match two dissimilar cameras whose sensors have different characteristics, you can't just simply ask some piece of software to "make this one like that one."

However, if you have a test card photo from both cameras taken at the same time under the same lighting conditions, that will certainly make the process easier. You might even be able to use the secondary color corrector to apply a different correction to each part of the color spectrum, although I don't think I've ever seen a tutorial on how to do that, and perhaps it wouldn't work.

Vegas' color correction tools were one of the biggest advances the development team ever made in the product, and they let you do amazing things. However -- perhaps others can chime in -- I think that other competing programs may now provide capabilities that might make it easier to match cameras, create a "auto-white-balance" starting point (for further color correction), and do semi-automatic fixes for the all-too-common indoor/outdoor color balance mistake.

"The math gets complicated but the issue is somewhat like trying to bring an out-of-focus picture back into focus: It is not a reversible process, so while you may be able to improve the focus a little, you'll never get a perfectly sharp photo."

Sure you can, with Fourier transforms, and a lot of computing power, it is possible. Only wrinkle is that you need the original optics that produced the out-of-focus image.