Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
This calls up a list of numerical selection boxes allowing you to change
the lift, gamma and gain for each of the separate color channels. Let's look
at the correctly balanced chip chart image first ( Figure 3.1 a ) to see what
our goal is.
Look at the RGB Parade waveform monitor and notice the shape that
the test chart makes in each color channel. They are all basically the same
shape and relative height. The dark black chip in the middle should be all
the way at the bottom of the waveform. The white chips should be at the
top. Each chip should be at the same level across all channels. The slightly
higher red channel compared to the green and blue channels indicates
that although the camera was white-balanced, there is a very slightly red
cast to this “neutral” chart.
Now, call up the “grayscale_cool” shot ( Figure 3.2 a ) and notice the height
difference between each of the color channels in the RGB Parade waveform.
To the right of the color wheels in Color's Primary In room is the
Basic Tab. Under the Basic tab, select the Advanced tab ( Figure 3.2 b ).
Use the red, green, and blue lift controls to even out the difference in
height between the red, green, and blue cells of the waveform monitor.
In Color, center-clicking on the numerical box and dragging left and right
will change the level in large increments. If you have a scroll wheel on
your mouse, you can use it to move in finer increments.
At the top of the Advanced tab are three sliders for Red Lift, Green Lift,
and Blue Lift. Pull each Lift color channel down so that you “balance” the
shadows to near black (0) without being crushed or clipped. With each
slider, take your correction too far down to see where the clipping occurs,
then pull it back up so that the shape of the trace at the bottom of the
waveform “unflattens.” This “focusing” helps you see how far you can go
with each correction. It's always easier to see where the correction should
end up once you've taken it too far in each direction.
D e f i n i t i o n
lift: Another term for setup
or pedestal or shadows or
blacks. I use these terms
relatively interchange-
ably. The lingo of specific
professionals that you
deal with will depend on
their background, age, and
how “hip” they think they
are. I try to use whatever
terminology my clients and
colleagues prefer, to make
communication easier even
if the terms aren't quite
technically correct.
(a) (b)
Fig. 3.1 (a) This image is slightly color corrected to show the “ideal.” (b) This is the way the image should
look off the DVD. Though to the naked eye, it looks neutral, it is ever so slightly warm.
 
 
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