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color correction is terrible

Why does iMovie do a terrible job at color correction?


I'm trying to fix old VHS movies I've imported into my mac, and whenever I try applying auto correction, it will fix the current frame of my footage only. Then, when you go to look at another part of the clip, the same setting gets applied? If the same color setting is applied throughout an entire clip (let's say 30 minutes), then it ruins any portion of the movie that isn't that exact frame!


I just don't get it at all. It's as if iMovie is using the same tool that is used in photos. That wouldn't truly work with a video file.


iMovie needs to be able to apply color correction correctly throughout the entire clip, not just one single frame.


Unless there's a way for that to happen, iMovie is virtually useless for what I need it to do.


Any suggestions for a workaround would be great

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 19, 2021 1:31 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 19, 2021 4:10 AM

You seem to misunderstand what colour correction is in iMovie and any other editing app.


Most movies are composed of numerous clips which are only a few seconds long. 30 minutes is very unusual for one clip.


Let us say you have one clip about 10 seconds long. It may be too blue or too yellow. Colour correction will sort it out.


However, if you have been shooting continuously for half an hour there will be numerous colour variations.


Colour correction only works on one specific colour aberration and applies its setting to the entire clip.


Your only choice is to split a dodgy section of video into a separate clip and apply the colour correction to that section.


To separate the bad bit from the rest of the video place the playhead where the colour starts to be bad and press Command-B


Then do the same where the bad colour ends.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 19, 2021 4:10 AM in response to Patddfan

You seem to misunderstand what colour correction is in iMovie and any other editing app.


Most movies are composed of numerous clips which are only a few seconds long. 30 minutes is very unusual for one clip.


Let us say you have one clip about 10 seconds long. It may be too blue or too yellow. Colour correction will sort it out.


However, if you have been shooting continuously for half an hour there will be numerous colour variations.


Colour correction only works on one specific colour aberration and applies its setting to the entire clip.


Your only choice is to split a dodgy section of video into a separate clip and apply the colour correction to that section.


To separate the bad bit from the rest of the video place the playhead where the colour starts to be bad and press Command-B


Then do the same where the bad colour ends.

Jul 19, 2021 8:06 AM in response to Patddfan

When you add color correction it applies to the entire clip, not just one frame. If you want to have different color settings apply to different portions of the clip, you must do a Modify/Split Clip before applying the color correction. Then you can apply different color correction settings to each split segment.


-- Rich

color correction is terrible

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