Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The Waveform Monitor is a display that represents the luminance (luma) value of an image, which corresponds
to the lightness and darkness of the individual pixels. This is useful when making adjustments to the contrast or
exposure of your image. The Waveform Monitor displays the brightest parts on the top and the darkest parts on
the bottom. Of the three video scopes, the Waveform Monitor is the only scope whose values are presented left
to right and directly correspond to the left to right of the image being examined. The levels of a video signal are
represented by what's known as the trace. When the trace is near the top of the display, it represents the brighter
elements of the picture and should not exceed 100 (White) on the Waveform Monitor. When the trace is near the
bottom of the display, it represents the darker areas and should not go past zero (Black).
Select Scene 18 Slate 70 Take 2 in the Event Browser to view it with the Waveform Monitor, making sure you
have Luma selected from the Settings drop-down menu. Slowly skim through the clip of Katie sitting on the
bed. Notice how, as the camera pulls back, the brighter areas represented by the trace decrease as the camera
moves into a darker area (see Figure 15.3).
Figure 15.3
The Waveform Monitor.
The Vectorscope
The Vectorscope helps you analyze color hues in your video, can help reveal color-cast issues, and shows you
the intensity (or saturation) of the colors in a shot. The angle and direction of the trace area emanating from the
center help determine which colors the image contains. Working clockwise around the circular scale, from the
top, you have Red, Magenta, Blue, Cyan, Green, and Yellow. The box next to each color is known as a target,
and the center of the display represents zero saturation. The more saturated the colors are, the more the trace
area extends toward these targets. Colors should never extend beyond their target; otherwise, they become over-
saturated and your movie won't meet TV broadcast requirements.
Select Scene 1 Slate 1 Take 5 in the Event Browser to view it with the Vectorscope. This shot of the toy box has
a variety of color objects inside, including a green, yellow, and red baton. A red teddy bear is also prominent. If
you skim to the middle of the clip so that the entire toy box is included in the frame, you can clearly see these
colors represented on the Vectorscope by the lines extending from the center toward the Green, Yellow, and Red
target boxes (see Figure 15.4).
