1.5

However the color correction is handled during the initial telecine or datacine transfer,
once complete, the footage goes through the typical post-production processes of offline
and online editorial.
Color Correcting Video Versus Film
Color has been designed to fit into both video and film digital intermediate workflows.
Since all footage must first be transferred to a QuickTime or image sequence format to
be imported into Color, film and video images are corrected using the same tools and
methods.
Three main attributes affect the quality of media used in a program, all of which are
determined when the footage is originally captured or transferred prior to Color import:
• The type and level of compression applied to the media
• The bit depth at which it’s encoded
• The chroma subsampling ratio used
For color correction, spatial and temporal compression should be minimized, since
compression artifacts can compromise the quality of your adjustments. Also, media at
higher bit depths is generally preferable (see Bit Depth Explained).
Most importantly of all, high chroma subsampling ratios, such as 4:4:4 or 4:2:2, are
preferred to maximize the quality and flexibility of your corrections. There’s nothing
stopping you from working with 4:1:1 or 4:2:0 subsampled footage, but you may find
that extreme contrast adjustments and smooth secondary selections are a bit more
difficult to accomplish with highly compressed color spaces.
For more information, see Chroma Subsampling Explained.
Traditional Means of Final Color Correction
Once editing is complete and the picture is locked, it’s time for color correction (referred
to as color grading in the film world) to begin. Traditionally, this process has been
accomplished either via a color timing session for film or via a tape-to-tape color correction
session for video.
Color Timing for Film
Programs being finished and color corrected on film traditionally undergo a negative
conform process prior to color timing. When editorial is complete, the original camera
negative is conformed to match the workprint or video cut of the edited program using
a cut list or pull list. (If the program was edited using Final Cut Pro, this can be derived
using Cinema Tools.) These lists list each shot used in the edited program and show how
each shot fits together. This is a time-consuming and detail-oriented process, since
mistakes made while cutting the negative are extremely expensive to correct.
18 Chapter 1 Color Correction Basics