1.5

• To adjust color in the highlights and midtones to correct for unwanted color casts due
to a video camera's incorrect white balance settings, or lighting that was inappropriate
for the type of film stock that was used.
• To make changes to the overall color and contrast of an image in order to change the
apparent time of day. For example, you might need to alter a shot that was
photographed in the late afternoon to look as if it were shot at high noon.
• To adjust the color and contrast of every shot in a scene so that there are no irregularities
in exposure or color from one shot to the next.
All these tasks and more can be performed using the tools that are available in the Primary
In room. In fact, when working on shows that require relatively simple corrections, you
may do all your corrections right here, including perhaps a slight additional adjustment
to warm up or cool down the image for purely aesthetic purposes. (On the other hand,
you can also perform different stages of these necessary corrections in other rooms for
organizational purposes. For more information about how to split up and organize
corrections in different ways, see Managing a Shot’s Corrections Using Multiple Rooms.)
The Primary In room also lets you make specific adjustments. Even though the Primary
In room applies corrections to the entire image, you can target these corrections to specific
aspects of the picture. Many of the controls in the Primary In room are designed to make
adjustments to specific regions of tonality. In other words, some controls adjust the color
in brighter parts of the picture, while other controls only affect the color in its darker
regions. Still other types of controls affect specific color channels, such that you can lower
or raise the green channel without affecting the red or blue channels.
Where to Start in the Primary In Room?
Many colorists use the tools in the Primary In room in a specific order. This order is used
to organize the sections of this document to provide you with a workflow with which to
get started. In general, you'll probably find that you work on most images using the
following steps.
• Stage 1: Adjusting the Contrast of the Image
• Stage 2: Adjusting the Color Balance of the Image
• Stage 3: Adjusting the Saturation of the Image
• Stage 4: Making More Specific Adjustments
208 Chapter 9 The Primary In Room