Color Correction DVDs and Books

Color Jumpstart Logo

If you're a fan of video tutorials, I recorded a series of 13 video lessons that provides over four hours of training spanning every room in Color. Buy it now for $59 from Magnet Media.

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Encyclopedia of Color Correction

For you bibliophiles, the Encyclopedia of Color Correction is a focused collection of articles that compiles color correction methods and information I've found valuable while working with my own clients. It combines specific color correction techniques with technical information relevant to colorists and finishing editors, and is an invaluable resource to post production professionals using Final Cut Studio. Available now from Amazon.com.

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Read My Articles
in Edit Well

If you're interested in learning more about Color, I write an ongoing series in Edit Well on using Color's unique feature set. Click the image below for more information on Edit Well, the online newsletter about the Final Cut Studio.

Edit Well Graphic

Don't worry if you're late to the party; you can purchase any back issues you need. If you're looking for color correction info, my articles appear in the following issues:

V1, Issue 2–Correcting Skin Tone (FCP)

V1, Issue 3–Using the Parade Scope (FCP)

V1, Issue 4–Controlling Contrast (FCP)

V1, Issue 5–Review of the Updated Scopes in FCP 5.1

V1, Issue 12–First Look, Color

V2, Issue 1–Article 1: Setting Up Your Color System, Article 2: Roundtripping With Color

V2, Issue 2–Using the Luma Curves (Color)

V2, Issue 3–Using the Red, Green, and Blue Curves (Color)

V2, Issue 4–Primary In Room Basics (Color)

V2, Issue 5–Creating a Glow Effect in the Color FX Room (Color)

V2, Issue 7–Secondary Correction Using HSL Qualifiers (Color)

V2, Issue 8–Secondary Correction Using Vignettes (Color)

V2, Issue 9–Efficient Tape to Tape Style Workflows in Color

V2, Issue 10–Better Black and White Effects in the Color FX Room (Color)

V2, Issue 11–Creating Shadows with User Shapes (Color)

There's more to come...

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Color Tips You May Not Know...

In between color correcting gigs here in New York, Apple hired me back as a freelancer to write the Color User Manual. I'm very pleased with how it turned out, but there were a few things that didn't make it in. For you colorists who've stumbled onto my site, here are a few truly undocumented tips that I've picked up in my travels:

Right Click and drag to the left or right in the Timeline Ruler to zoom into or out of the Timeline.

Hold the Control key down while dragging one of the four corner controls of a circle or square vignette in the Secondaries room (p. 224*) to rotate it using the on-screen controls. Or, you can Right-click and drag any corner to rotate a vignette as well.

Using the color sampling swatches at the bottom of the 3D color scopes to drag crosshairs over a specific pixel in the image preview (p. 161*) also places an indicator line over the Secondaries room curve controls–this shows the position on the curve where that pixel's hue, saturation, or luma value lies.

Dragging a node from the node list in the Color FX room (p. 235*) into the node view area results in the automatic creation of an output node, connected to the output of the node you dragged. This saves you a couple of steps because...

Dragging a node from the node list directly on top of any noodle in a node tree (the noodle highlights blue when you've dragged a node on top of it) lets you insert the new node into the tree in one step. (This only works if you drag a node from the node list.)

Dragging a node from the node list and dropping it with the mouse pointer positioned directly on top of any node's input or output automatically connects the new node to the one you dropped it on.

Press 8, 9, or 0 to use the keyframing shortcuts, instead of Control–8, 9, and 0. They do the same thing.

Press C to toggle the Timeline playback mode between clip and movie modes. This is the same as pressing Command-Shift-M, although the C key only works when the pointer is over the Timeline, and has some redraw problems.

Move the pointer over any scope in the Scopes window, and press W to switch to the waveform monitor, V to switch to the vectorscope, H to switch to the histogram, and C to switch to the 3D scopes.

* Color User Manual page numbers are given for each feature's general functionality for those unfamiliar with Color. See the onscreen PDF available from the Help menu or from here.

News and Updates

Color Correction for Any Project

Your program's not finished until it's color corrected. My suite is capable of accommodating SD, HD, PAL, or NTSC projects in a professional and relaxed atmosphere.

Color Correction Studio

Based in midtown Manhattan, I'm available for color correction, digital VFX, and online editorial. I have in-depth experience with Apple's Color, Final Cut Pro, and Shake; I also employ Imagineer Systems Mokey, Adobe's After Effects, and Photoshop in supporting roles. (link)

Four Weeks, Four Hours Screening in New York on August 13th

My feature Four Weeks, Four Hours is screening at the NewFilmmakers Series at the Anthology Film Archives, located here. Check out the official Four Weeks, Four Hours website, then come see it on the big screen!

Four Weeks Four Hours Movie Poster

The continued success of this project has been incredibly gratifying. It's already had six terrifically successful festival screenings, having been included in the San Fernando Valley Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Longbaugh Film Festival in Portland, Oregon, the ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, the 26th annual Breckenridge Film Festival, the Salento Film Festival in Tricase, Italy, and at the Hollywood FAIF International Film Festival.

Post Production Highlights

In June of 2008 I color corrected a series of four spots for Harrah's casinos for producer Matt Pellowski.

I also color corrected a set of music video b-roll outtakes for the compilation video Lights Out.

In May of 2008 I graded the HD narrative feature Oral Fixation for director Jake Cashill.

Later that month I color corrected director Liz Chae's hour long HD documentary, The Last Mermaids.

To date I've also color corrected seven episodes of Survival School, an upcoming HD reality series for the Mojo network on behalf of Amigo Media for Sirens Media.

In April I color corrected the HD narrative short subject La Juerga for director Michael Hill.

In March, I color corrected a 30 second Degree spot for broadcast featuring Ashley Tisdale for editor David Gater at Soho Editors.

In February, I color corrected the HD short subject The Business, by director Rob Lyons.

In September of 2007 I color corrected Entry of Buildings, a short film produced by Marble and Clay and directed by Gil Selzer. You can see the whole program online at the Entry of Buildings website.

Entry of Buildings Still

In June of 2007 I re-graded a project that I had previously worked on, actor/director Kaylynn Raschke's short subject, Sleep Tight.

Sleep Tight Rollover 01

She had been wanting to do a recut of this DV originated project, so after the reedit, I took the opportunity to regrade the entire project using Color.

Sleep Tight rollover

In April of 2007 I color corrected director John Magary's high definition short subject The Second Line, a drama of greed and despair in post-Katrina New Orleans. Shot in Super 16, the source negative was transferred to D5 at Postworks, and later captured as 1080p, 10-bit Uncompressed media for digital grading.

The Second Line Rollover

The Second Line was a finalist for the 2007 Student Academy Awards, and has been accepted to the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Second Line Rollover

Also in April, I color corrected director Myna Joseph's short subject, Man. Like The Second Line, this coming-of-age drama was also shot in Super 16, transferred, and ultimately captured as 1080p, 10-bit Uncompressed HD. Man has also been accepted to the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Man Rollover

In March of 2007 I color corrected Director Matt Kohn's architectural documentary Site Specific, produced by Metropolis Magazine. Shot and edited in DVCPRO HD, this project combined still images that I color corrected in Photoshop in addition to the source video. Site Specific was featured in the 2007 Sarasota film festival, as well as the the 2007 IFP Film Market.

Site Specific Rollover

In January of 2007 I edited and color corrected a series of web promos for writer/director Andrew Kessler.

Kessler Rollover

These web-only promotional videos are based off of a series of situational television ads with the same personalities.

Kessler Rollover