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Jim Krause | Classes | P351 Video Field & Post Production

Color Correction and Grading Lab

Lab Overview: This self-guided lab is dedicated to exploring color correction and grading.

Definitions for Color Correction & Color Grading

  • Color Correction is the process of fixing lighting, exposure, and color temperature inconsistencies. This is done before grading. It's also done to make sure that video and audio levels are "broadcast safe".
  • Color grading is the process of enhancing the visual appearance in regard to hue, saturation, and contrast. This is where one might give a "look" to a scene or entire movie.
  • Lut - Stands for Look Up Table. Here's a short clip explaining how they work.
  • Broadcast Safe - Used to refer to video with audio and video levels that are compliant with broadcast requirements. Video levels generally should fall between 0 and 100 IRE.

Be sure you know how to perform basic color correction in whatever software you use.

Premiere Resources

Color Correction and Grading Exercise (10 points) ---------------------------

Overview: This exercise will give students practice performing basic color correction and grading. You will download clips, which you will import into your editing program. You will perform basic color correction and also some color grading. When you are finished, you'll upload the clips to our OneDrive folder and a summary document, describing what you did to the Canvas assignment.

Instructions:Download the 4 exercise files and copy them to your Media folder. One is a reference video for the interview, that you can use to check levels:

Create a new project in Premiere and link/import the video clips.

Part 1 - Color Correction - In Color mode (with Lumetri scopes), examine the video from the two different interview cameras. Note that there are luminance and chrominance issues. The levels aren't optimum and don't match.

  • Import the two clips into one sequence (MCU Cam 1 followed by CU Cam 2)
  • Using the software's built in tools, adjust the two clips so the levels are within acceptable range and the two cameras match.
  • Export a single clip (using Match Sequence settings) called "Corrected"
  • Upload the Corrected video to the P351 Google Drive folder.
  • Write a few sentences describing what you did and include this in your "Summary" document.

Part 2 - Color Grading - You will try and apply two different looks to the B-roll. You might try one that's warm and another that's cool. Use artistic license, as the point is for you to experiment with getting different looks.

  • Import the B-roll into a sequence
  • Create an Adjustment Layer and place it over the video track
  • Experiment with applying different LUTs or looks.
  • Apply at least two different looks to the footage.
  • Output and upload Look A to our Google Drive folder
  • Output and upload Look B to our Google Drive folder
  • Write a few sentences describing the two different looks and your reasoning and include this in your "Summary" document.

Deliverables:

You shoud upload three files to our P351 OneDrive folder and a summary document to the Canvas assignment:

  • Corrected (Interview clips in one video file)
  • Look A (1st color graded version)
  • Look B (2nd color graded version)
  • Summary document - This should briefly describe what you did. Upload this to the Canvas assignment.

Grading rubric:

  • Technical (Cameras match and levels are within acceptable parameters. Video file remains HD.) 4 points
  • Aesthetic (There are two unique "looks" or color grading examples.) 4 points
  • Summary - 2 points

 

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