10-bit images, on the other hand, use a full range of 0 to 1023 to store each color channel. (Again, YCBCR video uses a narrower range of 64940 to accommodate super-black and super-white.) The additional numeric range allows for smoother gradients and virtually eliminates bit depthrelated artifacts. Fortunately, while you cant always control the bit depth of your source media, you can control the bit depth at which you work in Color independently. This means that even if the source media is at a lower bit depth, you can work at a higher bit depth to make sure that the quality of your corrections is as high as possible. In particular, many effects and secondary corrections look significantly better when Color is set to render at higher bit depths. For more information, see Playback, Processing, and Output Settings.
Basic Color and Imaging Concepts
Color correction involves controlling both an images contrast and its color (exercising separate control over its hue and saturation). This section explains these important imaging concepts so that you can better understand how the Color tools let you alter the image. For detailed information, see: Contrast Explained Luma Explained Gamma Explained Chroma Explained Primary and Secondary Color Relationships Explained The HSL Color Space Model Explained

Contrast Explained

Contrast adjustments are among the most fundamental, and generally the first, adjustments made. Contrast is a way of describing an images tonality. If you eliminate all color from an image, reducing it to a series of grayscale tones, the contrast of the picture is seen by the distribution of dark, medium, and light tones in the image. Controlling contrast involves adjustments to three aspects of an images tonality: The black point is the darkest pixel in the image. The white point is the brightest pixel in the image.
The midtones are the distribution of all tonal values in between the black and white points.
An images contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest and brightest tonal values within that image. Typically, a higher contrast ratio, where the difference between the two is greater, is preferable to a lower one. Unless youre specifically going for a low-contrast look, higher contrast ratios generally provide a clearer, crisper image. The following two images, with their accompanying Histograms which show a graph of the distribution of shadows, midtones, and highlights from left to right, illustrate this.
In addition, maximizing the contrast ratio of an image aids further color correction operations by more evenly distributing that images color throughout the three tonal zones that are adjusted with the three color balance controls in the Primary In, Secondaries, and Primary Out rooms. This makes it easier to perform individual corrections to the shadows, midtones, and highlights.
For more information about adjusting image contrast, see Contrast Adjustment Explained.

To accommodate editorial changes, reconforming tools are provided to synchronize an EDL or Final Cut Pro sequence with the version of that project being graded in Color. For more information, see Reconforming Projects. Filters: Final Cut Pro FXScript or FxPlug filters are neither previewed nor rendered by Color. However, their presence in your project is maintained, and they show up again once the project is sent back to Final Cut Pro. Note: It's not generally a good idea to allow various filters that perform color correction to remain in your Final Cut Pro project when you send it to Color. Even though they have no effect as you work in Color, their sudden reappearance when the project is sent back to Final Cut Pro may produce unexpected results. Final Cut Pro Color Corrector 3-way filters: Color Corrector 3-way filters applied to clips in your sequence are automatically converted into adjustments to the color balance controls, primary contrast controls, and saturation controls in the Primary In room of each shot to which theyre applied. Once converted, these filters are removed from the XML data for that sequence, so that they do not appear in the sequence when its sent back to Final Cut Pro. If more than one filter has been applied to a clip, then only the last Color Corrector 3-way filter appearing in the Filters tab is converted; all others are ignored. Furthermore, any Color Corrector 3-way filter with limit effects turned on is also ignored. Transitions: Color preserves transition data that might be present in an imported EDL or XML file, but does not play the transitions during previews. How they're rendered depends on how the project is being handled: For projects being roundtripped from Final Cut Pro, transitions are not rendered in Color. Instead, Color renders handles for the outgoing and incoming clips, and Final Cut Pro is relied upon to render each transition after the project's return. When rendering 2K or 4K DPX or Cineon image sequences, all video transitions are rendered as linear dissolves when you use the Gather Rendered Media command to consolidate the finally rendered frames of your project in preparation for film output. This feature is only available for projects that use DPX and Cineon image sequence media or RED QuickTime media, and is intended only to support film out workflows. Only dissolves are rendered; any other type of transition (such as a wipe or iris) will be rendered as a dissolve instead. Superimpositions: Superimposed shots are displayed in the Timeline, but compositing operations involving opacity and composite modes are neither displayed nor rendered. Speed effects: Color doesn't provide an interface for adding speed effects, relying instead upon the editing application that originated the project to do so. Linear and variable speed effects that are already present in your project, such as those added in Final Cut Pro, are previewed during playback, but they are not rendered in Color during output. Instead, Final Cut Pro is relied upon to render those effects in roundtrip workflows.

Stage 11: Creating Additional Transitions, Effects, and Titles In a 2K or 4K workflow, you can also use a compositing application such as Shake to create additional transitions or layered effects, including superimpositions, titles, and other composites, after the color correction has been completed. Each image file's frame number identifies its position in that program's Timeline. Because of this, when you send frames to a compositing application, it's vital that the frame numbers in filenames of newly rendered media are identical to those of the original source media. This requires careful file management.
Finishing Projects Using RED Media
RED media has become an important acquisition format for both broadcast and digital cinema. When you install the necessary software to use RED media with Final Cut Studio, you get access to a variety of workflows for ingesting, grading, and mastering programs using native RED QuickTime movies in Final Cut Pro and Color. This section describes the various RED workflows that Final Cut Studio supports. For information about grading controls that are specific to native RED QuickTime clips, see The RED Tab. When youre working on a project that uses RED media, there are essentially four workflows you can follow: Transcode All Native RED QuickTime Media to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) If youre mastering specifically to video, one very simple workflow is to transcode from RED to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) clips, and then master Apple ProRes 422 (HQ). After initially ingesting and transcoding using the Log and Transfer window, this workflow is similar to the master flowchart shown in Video Finishing Workflows Using Final Cut Pro. Keep in mind that whenever you transcode native RED R3D media to Apple ProRes using the Log and Transfer window, you preprocess the original RAW image data. For more information, see RED Metadata Versus Color Processing in Transcoded Media. Advantages: Simple workflow for video mastering. Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) can be easily edited on most current computers. Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) is suitable for high definition video mastering, and media can be sent directly to Color for finishing without the need to reconform. Disadvantages: Transcoding may take a long time. You lose the quality advantage of being able to grade and finish using the RAW RGB 4:4:4 data that native RED QuickTime files provide.
Ingest Native RED QuickTime Media for Editing and Finishing Its also possible to edit and finish using native RED QuickTime media. This is an efficient workflow that skips the need for reconforming, and gives you access to the high-quality native image data when you grade in Color. Since working with native RED QuickTime media is processor-intensive, this workflow may be most appropriate for short-form projects and spots. This workflow is illustrated in Editing and Finishing with RED QuickTime Media. Advantages: Ingesting RED QuickTime media is fast when compared to transcoding. Skips the need for an offline reconform. Provides maximum data fidelity through direct access to each shots native R3D image data. Disadvantages: RED QuickTime media is processor-intensive when editing. Ingest Transcoded Apple ProRes Media for Editing; Conform to Native RED QuickTime for Finishing The most practical workflow for long-form work when you want to be able to grade using native RED QuickTime media involves transcoding the original RED media to Apple ProRes media for efficient offline editing, and then reconforming your edited sequence back to native RED QuickTime media for final mastering and color correction in Color. This workflow is illustrated in Offline Using Apple ProRes; Finishing with RED Media. Advantages: Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) can be easily edited on most current computers. After you reconform, this workflow provides maximum data fidelity through direct access to each shots native R3D image data. Disadvantages: Reconforming is an extra step that requires good organization.

To track the correspondence between the original still frames and the offline QuickTime files that you'll create for editing, you should ask for the following: A non-drop frame timecode conversion of each frame's number (used in that frame's filename) saved within the header of each scanned image. It can also help to organize all of the scanned frames into separate directories, saving all the frames from each roll of negative to separate directories (named by roll). The resulting DPX files should be named using the following format: fileName_0123456.dpx (For more information on naming DPX and Cineon files, see Required Image Sequence Filenaming.) Stage 3: Converting the DPX Image Sequences to Offline-Resolution QuickTime Files Create offline-resolution duplicates of the source media in whatever format is most suitable for your editing system. Then, archive the original source media as safely as possible. When you convert the DPX files to offline QuickTime files: The roll number of each image sequence (taken from the name of the directory that encloses the frames being converted) is used as the reel number for each.mov file. The timecode values stored in the header of each frame file are used as the timecode for each.mov file. If theres not timecode in the header, the frame number in the filename is converted to timecode and used, instead. You can use Color to perform this downconversion by creating a new project with the Render File Type set to QuickTime and the Export Codec set to the codec you want to use. Then, simply edit all the shots you want to convert into the Timeline, add them to the Render Queue, and click Start Render. For more information, see Converting Cineon and DPX Image Sequences to QuickTime. You can also use Compressor to perform this downconversion. For more information, see the Compressor documentation. Tip: If you downconvert to a compressed high definition format, such as Apple ProRes 422 or Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), you can offline your project on an inexpensively equipped computer system and still be able to output and project it at a resolution suitable for high-quality client and audience screenings during the editorial process. Stage 4: Doing the Offline Edit in Final Cut Pro Edit your project in Final Cut Pro, being careful not to alter the timecode or duration of the offline media in any way.

Stage 4: Preparing Your Final Cut Pro Sequence To prepare your edited sequence for an efficient workflow in Color, follow the steps outlined in Before You Export Your Final Cut Pro Project. Because youll be exporting an EDL to Color in order to relink to the original DPX image sequences, its prudent to be extremely conservative and eliminate any and all effects that are unsupported by the CMX EDL formats, or by Color itself. Cross dissolves are the one exception. These are the only type of transition that Color supports. Any other type of transition will be rendered as a cross dissolve of identical length. Stage 5: Exporting an EDL for Color and a Pull List for the Datacine Transfer Once the offline edit is complete, you need to export a pull list out of Final Cut Pro to give to the facility doing the final datacine transfer at 2K or 4K resolution. You also need to export the entire project as an EDL for importing and conforming in Color. The pull list specifies which shots were used in the final version of the edit. (This is usually a subset of the total amount of footage that was originally shot.) Ideally, you should export a pull list that also contains the timecode In and Out points corresponding to each clip in the edited project. This way, the timecode data can be written to each frame that's scanned during the datacine transfer to facilitate conforming in Color. The EDL moves the project's edit data to Color and contains the timecode data necessary to conform the scanned image sequence frames into the correct order. Stage 6: Doing a Datacine Transfer of the Selected Shots from Negative to DPX Using the pull list generated by Cinema Tools, have a datacine transfer made of every shot used in the project. During the datacine transfer, specify that the timecode of each frame of negative be converted to frames and used to generate the filenames for each scanned DPX file, and that the timecode also be written into the DPX header of each shot. The names of the resulting image sequence should take the following form: fileName_0123456.dpx. For more information about filenaming conventions, see Required Image Sequence Filenaming. Each image sequence from the film scanner must be saved into a directory that is named with the number of the roll of camera negative from which it was scanned. There should be separate directories for each roll of camera negative that's scanned. Stage 7: Importing the EDL into Color and Relinking to the Original DPX Media Use the File > Import > EDL command to import the EDL. In the Import EDL dialog, you also specify the directory where the original high-resolution source media is located, so that the EDL is imported and the source media is relinked in one step.

Exporting EDLs

You can export EDLs out of Color, which can be a good way of moving projects back to other editorial applications. When exporting an EDL, its up to the application with which youll be importing the EDL to successfully relink to the media thats rendered out of Color. Note: To help facilitate media relinking, the media path is written to the comment column in the exported EDL, although not all editing applications support this convention. To export an EDL 1 Choose File > Export > EDL. 2 When the Export EDL dialog appears, click Browse. 3 Enter a name for the EDL youre exporting in the File field of the Export EDL File dialog, choose a location for the file, then click Save. 4 If you didnt change any of the shot names when you exported the final rendered media for this project, turn on Use original media name. 5 Click OK. A new EDL file is created, and the clips within are linked to the media directory you specified.

Reconforming Projects

Whether your project was sent from Final Cut Pro, or imported via an EDL from any other editing environment, you have the option of automatically reconforming your Color project to match any editorial changes made to the original Final Cut Pro sequence, which can save you hours of tedious labor. Color matches each project to the sequence that was originally sent to Color using an internal ID number. Because of this, you can only reconform by reediting the actual sequence that you originally sent to Color. Any attempt to reconform a duplicate of the original sequence will not work. To reconform an XML-based Color project 1 Export an updated XML file of the reedited Final Cut Pro sequence from Final Cut Pro. 2 Open the Color project you need to update, then choose File > Reconform. 3 Select the XML file that was exported in step 1 using the Reconform XML dialog, then click Load. The shots in the Timeline should update to reflect the imported changes, and the Reconform column in the Shots browser is updated with the status of every shot that was affected by the Reconform operation. You can also reconform projects that were originally imported using EDLs. To reconform an EDL-based Color project 1 Export an updated EDL of the reedited sequence from the originating application. 2 Open the Color project you need to update, then choose File > Reconform. 3 Select the EDL file that was exported in step 1 using the Reconform dialog, then click Load. As is the case when you reconform an XML-based project, the Reconform column in the Shots browser in the Setup room is updated with the status of each shot thats been modified by the Reconform operation. This lets you identify shots that might need readjustment as a result of such changes, sorting them by type for fast navigation. For more information, see Column Headers in the Shots Browser.
Converting Cineon and DPX Image Sequences to QuickTime
You can use Color to convert Cineon and DPX image sequences to QuickTime files to facilitate a variety of workflows. If youre starting out with 2K or 4K DPX or Cineon film scans or digital camera output, you can downconvert matching QuickTime media files at offline resolution by choosing a smaller resolution preset, and choosing ProRes 422 as the QuickTime export codec. You can then use this media to do an offline edit.

Generating and Deleting Proxies In order to use proxies while working on projects using DPX and Cineon media, you need to first generate a set of half- and quarter-resolution proxy media for your project.
To generate a set of proxy media for your project Choose File > Proxies > Generate Proxies. To delete all the proxies that have been generated for a project Choose File > Proxies > Delete Proxies. Important: The proxy mechanism is not available for projects using QuickTime files, unless theyre native RED QuickTime media. Native RED QuickTime media uses the proxy mechanism, but proxies are generated on the fly, so you dont have to use the Generate Proxies command.
Playback, Processing, and Output Settings
The following settings affect playback quality, render quality, and performance.
Video Output pop-up menu: The options in this pop-up menu correspond to the video output options available to the broadcast video interface that's installed on your computer. Choose Disabled to turn off video output altogether. Note: Currently, Digital Cinema Desktop previews and Apple FireWire output are not available for monitoring the output from Color.
Force RGB: This option is disabled for standard definition projects. This setting is meant to be used when you're working with high definition YCBCR source media that you're monitoring on an external broadcast monitor via a supported broadcast video interface. It determines how the RGB image data that's calculated internally by Color is converted to YCBCR image data for display: If Force RGB is turned off: This conversion is done by Color in software. This consumes processor resources and may noticeably reduce your real-time performance as a result. If Force RGB is turned on: Color sends RGB image data straight to the broadcast video interface that's installed on your computer and relies on the interface to do the conversion using dedicated hardware. This lightens the processing load on your computer and is recommended to optimize your real-time performance. When monitoring legalized video between 0 and 100 IRE, there should be a minimal difference between the image that's displayed with Force RGB turned on or off. When Force RGB is turned on, super-white and out-of-gamut chroma values will not be displayed by your broadcast display, nor will they appear on external video scopes analyzing your broadcast video interface's output. This limitation only affects monitoring; the internal image processing performed by Color retains this data. As a result, you will always see super-white image data on the Color software scopes when it's present, and uncorrected super-white and out-of-gamut chroma levels are always preserved when you export your final media. If Broadcast Safe is turned on in the Project Settings, you may not notice any difference in the display of these "illegal" levels, since they're being limited by Color. Disable Vid-Out During Playback: Turning this option on disables video output via your broadcast interface during playback. While paused, the frame at the position of the playhead is still output to video. This is useful if your project is so effects-intensive that video playback is too slow to be useful. With this option turned on, you can make adjustments and monitor the image while paused and then get a look at the program in motion via the preview display, which usually plays faster. Update UI During Playback: Turning this option on allows selected windows of the Color interface to update dynamically as the project plays back. This updates the controls and scopes during playback from grade to grade, but potentially slows playback performance, so it's off by default. There are two options: Update Primary Display: Updates the main interface controls in the Primary In, Secondaries, Color FX, Primary Out, and Geometry rooms. Turning this option on lets you see how the controls change from grade to grade and how they animate if you have keyframed grades. Update Secondary Display: Updates the Scopes window. This is the way to get updated video scopes during playback. With this option turned off, the video preview still plays, but the video scopes disappear.

The 3D Scope

This scope displays an analysis of the color in the image projected within a 3D area. You can select one of four different color spaces with which to represent the color data. The RGB Color Space The RGB color space distributes color in space within a cube that represents the total range of color that can be displayed: Absolute black and white lie at two opposing diagonal corners of the cube, with the center of the diagonal being the desaturated grayscale range from black to white. The three primary colorsred, green, and bluelie at the three corners connected to black. The three secondary colorsyellow, cyan, and magentalie at the three corners connected to white. In this way, every color that can be represented in Color can be assigned a point in three dimensions using hue, saturation, and lightness to define each axis of space.
The sides of the cube represent color of 100-percent saturation, while the center diagonal from the black to white corners represents 0-percent saturation. Darker colors fall closer to the black corner of the cube, while lighter colors fall closer to the diagonally opposing white corner of the cube.
The HSL Color Space The HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance) color space distributes a graph of points within a two-pointed cone that represents the range of color that can be displayed: Absolute black and white lie at two opposing points at the top and bottom of the shape. The primary and secondary colors are distributed around the familiar color wheel, with 100-percent saturation represented by the outer edge of the shape, and 0-percent saturation represented at the center. In this way, darker colors lie at the bottom of the interior, while lighter colors lie at the top. More saturated colors lie closer to the outer sides of the shape, while less saturated colors fall closer to the center of the interior.
The YCBCR Color Space The YCBCR color space is similar to the HSL color space, except that the outer boundary of saturation is represented with a specifically shaped six-sided construct that shows the general boundaries of color in broadcast video.
The outer boundary does not identify the broadcast-legal limits of video, but it does illustrate the general range of color thats available. For example, the following image has illegal saturation and brightness.
If you turn on the Broadcast Safe settings, the distribution of color throughout the YCBCR color space becomes constricted.
The IPT Color Space The IPT color space is a perceptually weighted color space, the purpose of which is to more accurately represent the hues in an image distributed on a scale that appears uniformly linear to your eye. While the RGB, HSL, and YCBCR color spaces present three-dimensional analyses of the image that are mathematically accurate, and allow you to see how the colors of an image are transformed from one gamut to another, they dont necessarily show the distribution of colors as your eyes perceive them. A good example of this is a conventionally calculated hue wheel. Notice how the green portion of the hue wheel presented below seems so much larger than the yellow or red portion.

To make adjustments to a Luma curve 1 Before making any actual adjustments, pin down the midtones and shadows of the image by adding a control point to the curve without moving it either up or down.
Adding control points to a portion of a curve that you don't want to adjust, and leaving them centered, is a great way to minimize the effect of other adjustments you're making to specific areas of an image. When you add additional control points to adjust the curve, the unedited control points you placed will help to limit the correction. Tip: When adding multiple control points to a curve, you can use the grid to identify where to position parts of a curve you want to be at the original, neutral state of the image. At its uncorrected state, each curve passes through the diagonal intersections of the background grid.
2 To make the actual adjustment, drag the white point at the upper-right corner down to darken the sky. You want to make sure that you don't drag the new control point down too far, since it's easy to create adjustments that look unnatural or solarized using curves, especially when part of a curve is inverted.
That was a very targeted adjustment, but you can go further. Now that the sky is more subdued, you may want to brighten the highlights of the man's face by increasing the contrast in that part of the image. 3 Add a control point below the first control point you created, and drag it up until the man's face lightens.
The man's face is now brighter, but the shadows are now a bit washed out. 4 Add one last control point underneath the last control point you created, and drag it down just a little bit to deepen the shadows, without affecting the brighter portions of the image.
As you can see, the Luma curve is a powerful tool for making extremely specific changes.
Using Curves to Adjust Color
Unlike the color balance controls, which adjust all three color channels simultaneously, each of the color curves controls affects a single color channel. Additionally, the red, green, and blue color curves let you make adjustments within specific areas of tonality defined by the control points you add to the curve. This means that you can make very exact color adjustments that affect regions of the image that are as narrow or broad as you define.

What Is Color Contrast?

Contrast in this documentation usually describes the differences between light and dark tones in the image. There is another way to describe contrast, however, and that is the contrast between different colors in an image. Color contrast is a complex topic, touching upon hue, color temperature, lightness, and saturation. To greatly simplify this diverse topic, color contrast can pragmatically refer to the difference in color that exists in different regions of the image. In the following example, the image starts out with an indiscriminate color cast; in other words, there is red in the shadows, red in the midtones, and red in the highlights, so there arent many clearly contrasting colors in different areas of the image. By removing this color cast from some parts of the image, and leaving it in others, you can enhance the color contrast between the main subject and the background. In images for which this is appropriate, color contrast can add depth and visual sophistication to an otherwise flat image. Correcting a Color Cast Using Curves In the following example, you'll see how to make a targeted correction to eliminate a color cast from the lower midtones, shadows, and extreme highlights of an image, while actually strengthening the same color cast in the lower highlights. The following image has a distinct red color cast from the shadows through the highlights, as you can see by the elevated red waveform in the Parade scope.

The RED Tab

When native RED QuickTime media is sent to or imported into Color, a RED tab appears in the Primary In room, next to the Basic and Advanced tabs. There is no corresponding RED tab in the Primary Out room.
Important: This tab only appears if youve installed the appropriate RED supporting software for Final Cut Studio. The RED camera writes raw, linear light image data to the R3D files that are recorded. The controls found in the RED cameras Audio/Video menus in no way alter the way the image data is written within each R3D file. Instead, whatever settings were chosen at the time are stored within each recorded clip as metadata (similar to a LUT) that determines how these media files are displayed by compatible software. This metadata can be overridden during the Log and Transfer process in Final Cut Pro.
For clips that were imported with native color metadata, the RED tab provides access to the clip Color, Color Temp, and View metadata originally written by the RED camera. However, this metadata can also be overwritten during ingest using a custom color processing option in the Log and Transfer window. These parameters are provided so that you can begin grading each clip in the state at which it was originally monitored during the shoot, or at which it was ingested using the Final Cut Pro Log and Transfer window.
Note: Although there is functional overlap between the controls found in this tab and those found elsewhere in Color, the Kelvin and Tint controls are specially calibrated to provide the most photometrically accurate white balance adjustments for RED QuickTime media. Enabled: Turns all of the parameters found within the RED tab on or off. Turning Enabled off suspends the effect of these parameters on the final rendered image in Color. Saturation: This parameter is available in the RED cameras Color submenu, and adjusts the color intensity of the image. The overall range is 0 (monochome) through 5.0 (extremely high), where 1 is unity.
Kelvin: This value is set by options in the RED cameras Color Temp menu, along with Tint. This setting is designed to compensate for the warmth of the available lighting to keep white elements of the scene looking neutral. Low Kelvin values will compensate for warmer lighting (such as tungsten), while higher Kelvin values compensate for cool lighting (such as noon-day sun or overcast days). Two user-selectable options set Kelvin to predetermined values: Tungsten (3,200K), and Daylight (5,600K). The Auto WB option automatically chooses a custom value for this parameter based on analysis of a white card, while Manual WB lets the operator choose any value. The correction made by this parameter is designed to work specifically with RED linear light image data to provide the most photometrically correct result. Tint: This value is adjustable within the RED cameras Color Temp menu, along with Kelvin. Tint is designed as an additional white balance compensation for light sources with a green or magenta component, such as fluorescent or sodium vapor bulbs. The correction made by this parameter is designed to work specifically with RED linear light image data to provide the most photometrically correct result. Exposure: Available in the RED cameras Color menu. Increases and lowers image lightness in increments calibrated to -stops. When raising the signal up to 100 or lowering it down to 0, the image is clipped at the boundaries of broadcast legality. The overall range is 7 to +7, where 0 is unity. Red, Green, and Blue Gain: Available in the RED cameras Gain submenu. Allows individual adjustment of each color channel. Adjusting any of these gain parameters boosts or lowers the maximum value of the corresponding color channel and scales the midtones while pinning the bottom of the channel to 0 percent. Lowering does the opposite. The overall range is 0 to 10, where 1 is unity. Contrast: Available in the RED cameras Color menu. Raising the contrast boosts the highlights and lowers the shadows, while leaving the midtones centered around 50 percent unaffected. As the video signal reaches the boundaries of 100 and 0 percent, its compressed rather than clipped. The overall range is 1 to +1, where 0 is unity. Brightness: Available in the RED cameras Color menu. Raises and lowers image lightness. When raising the signal close to 100 or lowering it down to 0, the image is compressed rather than clipped. The overall range is 10 to +10, where 0 is unity. Gamma pop-up menu: In-camera, the Gamma setting is determined by the Color Space option thats selected in the RED Cameras View menu. (Its not available as an individually adjustable parameter.) There are six options for gamma available in Color. Linear: No gamma adjustment is applied, linear-to-light as captured by the Mysterium sensor. Rec. 709: The standard Gamma curve as specified by the Rec. 709 standard for video gamma. REDspace: Similar to Rec. 709, but tweaked to be perceptually more appealing, with higher contrast and lighter midtones.

When you process a tracker, Color analyzes an area of pixels specified by the outer orange Search Region box of the onscreen control, over the range of frames specified by the Mark In and Mark Out buttons. The tracker attempts to follow the feature youve identified (using the inner red Reference Pattern box of the onscreen control) as it moves across the frame. Angular, high-contrast features are ideal reference patterns that will give you the best results. Manual Tracking: Manual tracking uses you as the computer, providing a streamlined interface for you to follow a moving subject by clicking it with your mouse, frame by frame from the In point to the Out point, until youve constructed a motion path by hand. This method can be tedious, but it can also yield the best results for shots that are difficult to track automatically. You can use either one or both of these methods together to track a subjects motion. Note: Color can only use one-point motion tracking. Two- and four-point tracking are not supported.
Will Motion Tracking Solve All Your Problems?
With shots where there is a clearly defined target (something high-contrast and angular, preferably), automatic motion tracking can be the fastest way to quickly and accurately animate a vignette to follow the motion of the subject or camera in a shot, but not always. If youre working on a shot where automatic tracking is almost usable, but has a few errors, you might be able to use manual tracking on top of the automatic track to correct the most egregious mistakes, and then increase Tracking Curve Smoothness to get an acceptable result. For more information about manual tracking, see Using the Tracking Tab. However, if actors or other subjects in the shot pass in front of the feature youre tracking, or if the motion of a shot is so fast that it introduces motion blur, or if theres excessive noise, or if theres simply not a feature on the subject you need to track thats well-enough defined, you may need to resort to manual tracking for the entire shot, which can be tedious if its a long shot. In many cases, manual keyframing may well be the most efficient solution. For more information on keyframing, see Keyframing.
Using Motion Tracking to Animate Vignettes and Shapes
After youve processed a tracker, you can use that trackers analysis to animate the following: A vignette in the Secondaries room A user shape in the Geometry room X and Y positions in the Pan & Scan tab of the Geometry room The Vignette node in the Color FX room When applied to a vignette or a user shape, the animation of the Motion Tracker is added to the X and Y positioning of the shape. For this reason, its most efficient to track a subject and assign that tracker to the vignette, shape, or setting first, and adjust the positioning later. For example, suppose youve used a tracker to follow the movement of someones eye, and you want to apply that motion to a vignette that highlights that persons face. You should choose the tracker from the Use Tracker pop-up menu first. As soon as you choose a tracker, the vignette or shape youre animating moves so that its centered on the tracked feature. At that point, you can position the center, angle, and softness of the shape to better fit the persons face. This way, the vignette starts out in the correct position and goes on to follow the path created by the tracker. Because the tracker uses an additional transformation, you can still reposition the vignette using the X and Y center parameters or the onscreen control in the Previews tab.

Rendering Projects That Use Multiclips
If youre working on a project that was edited using the multicamera editing features in Final Cut Pro, the multiclips in your sequence need no special preparation for use in Color. (They can be sent to Color either collapsed or uncollapsed.) However, no matter how many angles a multiclip may have had in Final Cut Pro, once a sequence is sent to Color, only the active angle for each multiclip is visible for grading and rendering. The resulting sequence of rendered media that is sent back to Final Cut Pro consists of ordinary clips.
The Render Queue Interface
You specify which shots in the program you want to render using the Render Queue list. Whenever you add shots to this list, theyre organized by shot number. The order in which shots appear in this column dictates the order in which theyre renderedthe topmost unrendered shot in the list is rendered first, and then rendering continues for the next unrendered shot on the list, and so on until the end of the list is reached. Render Queue list: Six columns of information appear in the Render Queue: Number column: Identifies that shots numeric position in the Timeline. All shots in the Render Queue are listed in descending order based on their ID number. Shot Name column: Shows a thumbnail and the name of the shot. In column: The first frame of media that will be rendered for that shot. This timecode is equal to the Project In point plus the current Handles value specified in the Project Settings tab of the Setup room. Out column: The last frame of media that will be rendered for that shot. This timecode is equal to the Project Out point plus the current Handles value specified in the Project Settings tab of the Setup room. If there is no extra media available on disk for handles at the beginning or end of shots, then handles will not be added. Grade ID column: Shows the currently selected grade for that shot. You can queue up the same shot up to four times with different grades enabled, in order to render media for each grade associated with that shot. Progress column: This is the column where a render bar appears to let you know how long that shot is taking to render. If the shot is not currently rendering, this column shows the render status of that shot (queued, rendering, or rendered).

Render Queue Controls

The following buttons beneath the Render Queue list let you add shots to the queue, remove them, and initiate rendering.
Add Unrendered: Adds all currently unrendered shots to the Render Queue. Add Selected: Adds all currently selected shots to the Render Queue. Add All: Adds every shot in the Timeline to the Render Queue. Shots that have already been rendered are also placed in the queue and will be rerendered unless theyre first removed. Shots that are rerendered overwrite the previously rendered media. Remove Selected: Removes only shots that youve selected from the Render Queue. Clear Queue: Removes all shots from the Render Queue.

Grade Shortcuts

control control control control control shift shift shift shift shift shift shift shift shift shift shift
Function Create new grade/switch to grade 1 Create new grade/switch to grade 2 Create new grade/switch to grade 3 Create new grade/switch to grade 4 Turns grade on/off
control control control control control
control option option option option option option option option option option
Set current grade as the beauty grade
Copy current grade to memory bank 1 Copy current grade to memory bank 2 Copy current grade to memory bank 3 Copy current grade to memory bank 4 Copy current grade to memory bank 5 Paste grade from memory bank 1 Paste grade from memory bank 2 Paste grade from memory bank 3 Paste grade from memory bank 4 Paste grade from memory bank 5
Timeline-Specific Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcut Function Zoom out

Zoom in

Zoom to fit every shot into the available width of the Timeline Set Timeline ruler to frames Set Timeline ruler to seconds Set Timeline ruler to minutes Set Timeline ruler to hours Switch Timeline ruler between frames/seconds/minutes/hours

F S M H

Select all shots in timeline
Deselect all shots in timeline Select a contiguous region of clips in the timeline Select a noncontiguous region of clips in the timeline
Shift-click Command-click

Editing Shortcuts

control control control control control control control control
Function Choose Select tool Choose Roll tool Choose Ripple tool Choose Slip tool Choose Split tool Choose Splice tool Create an edit at the position of the playhead Merge an edit at the position of the playhead

S R T Y X Z V B

Keyframing Shortcuts

control

Function Change keyframe interpolation type at position of playhead Change keyframe interpolation type at position of playhead
Add keyframe at position of playhead Add keyframe at position of playhead
Delete keyframe at position of playhead Delete keyframe at position of playhead Move playhead to previous keyframe of current shot in current room Move playhead to next keyframe of current shot in current room
Shortcuts in the Shots Browser
Function Assign selected shots into a group Center the Shots browser