Magic Wand?

Question

Level 2

215 points

Magic Wand?

I've got a piece of video where the subject's white shirt is blown out, but everything else is OK. FCP doesn't have a "magic wand" like Photoshop where I can select just the white shirt and bring the brightness/contrast down, does it? I am trying to find an easier way than duplicating the vid onto V2 and cutting a mask out of the shirt and adjusting the brightness/contrast on the V1 clip. Does that sound like a waste of time, doing more than necessary? Time is money, as they say.

Thanks

Jonathan

Power Mac G5 2.0, Mac OS X (10.4.7), 1GB RAM, FCP5.1.1 (Studio), nVIDIA GeForce 6600, Canon XL2

Posted on Sep 28, 2006 11:05 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Maxx Power

Level 5

4,926 points

Sep 28, 2006 11:14 AM in response to 8Lincoln30

Yes- Its called the the limit effect in the 3 way CC. Add the filter to your clip and click on the the little triangle down at the bottom of the 3 way CC tab.
-umm wait a minute - I'll dig up an article on how it works.

Here ya go. Just take it up through step 12. But be warned. You will be affecting everything that is white in the shot. Use the luma and chroma sliders while your in the blacj and white mode to try to single out your blown out shirt.
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/basic_pleasantvillelook.html

Message was edited by: Maxx Power

Reply

Answer 2

8Lincoln30 Author

Level 2

215 points

Sep 28, 2006 11:12 AM in response to Maxx Power

I tried that, but it doesn't work for white...unless I was looking at a different article. Let me know if you find it. I watched Capt. Mench's as well as the one on Ken Stone.

Jonathan

Reply

Answer 3

Maxx Power

Level 5

4,926 points

Sep 28, 2006 11:16 AM in response to 8Lincoln30

Yup that's it. It will work for white. It just doesn't work all that great. it kind of makes it grey. But it will cut down a little bit of the blown-outness. Not much else I know of.

Reply

Answer 4

Sep 28, 2006 11:19 AM in response to 8Lincoln30

"it doesn't work for white"

Sure it does. Although the article was written about using the effect for color, you can apply the same principals to do what you want. Just use the LUMA slider so it will affect only the very brightest parts of the image.

That said, if the pixels in the white area are really blown out, all the correction attempts in the world won't do much good.

-DH

Reply

Answer 5

8Lincoln30 Author

Level 2

215 points

Sep 28, 2006 2:20 PM in response to David Harbsmeier

I'll have to go back and re-read the manual since Mench and the other one talk about selecting a color to alter (and I can't get it to pick up white in the dropper). I will try and re-read the stuff about the luminance slider cuz I don't know how to use it to affect a certain part of the clip.

Sorry if I'm being newbie about this...not trying to be. I've been able to reproduce the "pleasantville" effect...just having trouble with the whites.

You've got a point, David, about the not being able to do much, but anything's better than what I've got to work with!

I'll dole out points in a bit.

Jonathan

Reply

Answer 6

Sep 28, 2006 2:33 PM in response to 8Lincoln30

I've also had success with overexposed areas (faces, mostly) with the regular color corrector: use the visual corrector to drag down "whites" (top slider). That should leave the mids and blacks alone, and just get bright areas. It has worked for me.

But you won't get lost detail back no matter what, and the simple CC doesn't let you change the color cast of the bright whites: for me, that's exactly what I needed.

Ed

Reply

Answer 7

8Lincoln30 Author

Level 2

215 points

Sep 28, 2006 2:45 PM in response to Edward A. Oates

OK, Maxx and David, my bad, you can start lashing me now.

After going back and pouring over the manual, I found what I was doing wrong. I thought that nothing happened when I clicked the eyedropper on white in the canvas...because the color stripe above the Sat and Luma didn't change...I was expeecting white to show up between the sliders...but I didn't notice that the Luma changed...so it does work.

I've said it before, but I mean it this time...I will not doubt you all again. I'm sooooooo sorry.

Forgive me yet? 🙂 Points doled out by who chimed in first.

Jonathan

Reply

Answer 8

Sep 28, 2006 6:42 PM in response to 8Lincoln30

No lashing from me! It just takes a little time and experimentation to figure out the "Limit Effect" feature.

-DH

Reply

Answer 9

Maxx Power

Level 5

4,926 points

Sep 29, 2006 5:57 AM in response to 8Lincoln30

I will second what David said. No worries man.

Keep playing with it. The limit effect can be a very effective tool when mastered. I use it all the time when someone is wearing a bright colored shirt and I need to tone it down or so forth. It doesn't seem to work as well with blown out whites though.

Reply

Answer 10

8Lincoln30 Author

Level 2

215 points

Sep 29, 2006 10:17 AM in response to Maxx Power

So I've been playing with the limit effect...I think I've got a handle on it. I don't mind that it makes the shirt look more grey than white, no one will know the difference. That's what happens when the photog doesn't continually white balance and check the iris throughout the afternoon (interview lasted from 3-6pm)...

Thanks again, Maxx and David.

Jonathan

Reply