Color correction for green video

I originally decided to dump this tip because I felt it was too program specific and required the purchase of Final Cut Studio. So I decided to cut it really short and just show the results with a bit of tutorial for general color correction. This clip is of a H. Denisi taken at 21m in greenish algae water at 1080/24P, 1/48 +3db. I had an idea of what color the Annella Sp of fan looked like since I had lights on a previous dive.

To get the color correction going, I boosted the red levels up across the entire image then used a curve to control the red gain as not to affect various parts of the image which aren't suppose to be fuschia tinged. I then adjusted the levels to crush the blacks a little to give the picture more contrast without messing with the overall luma levels. One important element to watch for is the color gain noise, which is inevitable when you have such drastic color corrections. There are filters which can reduce it but be careful with these as you would lose detail.

I have loaded a short clip with the uncorrected green video and the color corrected version side by side for comparison. Don't worry about the AF blurring, that comes with forgetting to turn it off when trying for non-artificial light shooting experiments.

comparepygmy.mov

[vimeo]16210095[/vimeo]

This is what the Annella Sp fan and Denise Sp seahorse looks like with MWB and Halogen lights. This is a frame capture so the aspect ratio didn't transfer from HD. Opps.

Great job Drew. That's a sh1tload of correction! More than I've ever attempted successfully. It would be great to see some screen shots of the levels/curves you used (or approximate).

Good work Mr Professor Drew

It really is pretty cool how easy you can fix things up now days.

Here is a little demo I made from the dive I did the other day on the pristine blue waters of Ningaloo

http://www.hdvundersea.com/view/106/colour-correction/

Maybe we should write some material up on how do do it on..MAC / PC users etc.

Great job Drew. That's a sh1tload of correction! More than I've ever attempted successfully. It would be great to see some screen shots of the levels/curves you used (or approximate).

Sorry Nick, I did that a month ago and threw out the files. And it wouldn't be much use except for the vector scopes and waveforms since the adjustments are very much program specific.

Good work Mr Professor Drew

It really is pretty cool how easy you can fix things up now days.

 

Here is a little demo I made from the dive I did the other day on the pristine blue waters of Ningaloo

 

http://www.hdvundersea.com/view/106/colour-correction/

 

Maybe we should write some material up on how do do it on..MAC / PC users etc.

Err this is as far as I go Wags... feel free to write the material.

Very Sweet Drew. CC is always a problem for me as I am a bit color blind so my blues will come out purple and

I can create a mess if I am not careful. I always have someone check my color corrections for me. Why not write up a tutorial on the steps you took? Would love to see it.

Steve B)

What camera were you using Drew?

Jon

I think this one was shot with the V1. I had 2 cameras with me at the time.

Come on Drew, give us the tutorial! Can't leave a thread half finished!

See, that would be the easy way out. By giving you the seed and letting you go out and discover your color correction software through experimentation and hard work, you'll be so much more proficient than having someone write it all out for you in a list. Yes Nick, you'll thank me for it later.... you still owe me dinner anyhow.

my comp is too slow to experiment Drew.. takes more than 30 mins to render a 15sec HDV..

please ?????????

Here is another quick one I did on 4 more m2t clips.

It really is pretty easy to do actually.

http://www.hdvundersea.com/view/108/colour-correction-2/

Mike you need to get a QUAD now that she ran away.

OKAY now I am bored with all this.....if you are in CHINA over the next 6 months you may see some of our stuff playing on some TV-LCD's around the place. Yep I just did another deal......

deal with the Chinese? i hope you have no plans of goin to Tibet soon..

I get to shoot white water action with the Phenom tomorrow.. haha.. that could prove interesting with the beast..

Yeh...I wonder how much longer that dictatorship can run the country. The only reason they have such a large army is so the silly old men can stay in power by bashing/killing anyone who they don't like. Hows the pollution in the air, pretty funny...

Anyhow

Loaded up a 2 GIG m2t file to their server, did not even have to put a tape in the mail.

Mike did you survive?.

Here are some split shot green water colour correction 1440/1080 m2t files to look at from the pristine cystal clear blue water of Ningaloo Actually I was trying to work out why the water here always has this greeny look to it. On the surface it looks wonderful and flat even clear looking into to it but look out once you are in and try to look horizontal. Never believe those glossy brochures...

http://www.hdvundersea.com/help/fix.m2t 97 meg

http://www.hdvundersea.com/help/fix1.m2t 35 meg

http://www.hdvundersea.com/help/fix2.m2t 70 meg

http://www.hdvundersea.com/help/fix3.m2t 63meg

Wags

The Exmouth area, especially the eastern side where the pier is, is fed by numerous rivers with sediment runoff. Add the algae and plankton and you have the type of viz you get at the pier. Once you hit past muiron or Rowley, it clears up again.

[edited for clarity]

Ar..yeh.... those clips were taken at the Muiron Islands

I think the prawn trawlers could play a part in the GULF as well for particles as the Pier is a very dirty dive.

Even the back of the reef on the west coast always has a green feel about it. You do get the real blue blue days like out on the coral sea but only once or twice a year.

The Abrolhos Islands and Rotto the water is more blue.

Anyhow I can handle the green water when it's clear via Colour Correction, but when it's full of particles as well...thats another thing. I have aborted dives as I could not even shot macro at times.

Apologies for the broken video link. Apple took down the streaming service. I've uploaded to Vimeo now so it should be back online. Well this is an old thread but worth revisiting for those interested in color correction possibilities.

Wagsy,

Those links are bringing up a Cirtex Hosting Error 404 page not found.

Is Edius as good as you say it is for the PC user? I recommend it to everyone PC inclined who asks based upon your own PC expertise with the application. I've personally never even seen the interface.

Steve