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Applying Color Corrections to an Entire Sequence
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Using the Waveform and Vectorscope Information
The following are examples of the ways you can use the waveform and vectorscope information:
• Aligning levels of sources using test patterns.
If you capture some color bars from your source footage, you can measure them and set the color
correction you need to restore the video levels to the way the program was created. Import the
Test Patterns from the SupportingFiles folder of Media Composer to become familiar with the
proper Waveform, Parade, and Vectorscope readings. Histograms are not as useful on test
patterns. For example, with 75% color bars, the Y+C envelope for the yellow and cyan bars
should match the 100% white level.
• Identify problems with source video.
Typical problems include:
- Color levels too high or too low (see “Safe Color Limits with Waveform and
Vectorscope Information” on page 734).
- Missing channels in YCbCr or RGB, indicating an equipment problem or a damaged cable.
- Clipping in YCbCr, RGB, or YC channels. The trace appears chopped at a certain level. If
this appears at a level below the maximum, it occurred before the footage was captured.
- Images imported at the wrong level settings. If you import images at RGB levels of 0–255
that you should have imported at 601 levels of 16–235, the images lack contrast. If the
images have too much contrast, with levels exceeding the 0% and 100% markings, the
opposite is likely.
With experience, you learn how to read not only test patterns but actual content on the instruments.
This lets you:
• Match scene brightness across a cut in Y Waveform.
• Put your flesh tones along a certain hue axis in the vectorscope.
• Watch the spread of the Y histogram to identify a good contrast range without clipping.
• Watch the top of the YC Waveform to ensure you do not have too much bright chroma.
• Fix white balance and black balance problems by identifying and centering those vectorscope
traces.
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Waveform and vectorscope monitors show you the values of only one frame or field at a time. Move
around in the clip to find the most extreme levels or those most representative of the scene.
You can also use the information in the Waveform monitors and Vectorscope monitor to monitor safe
color limits. For more information, see “Safe Color Limits with Waveform and
Vectorscope Information” on page 734.
Applying Color Corrections to an Entire Sequence
You can apply a single color correction to an entire sequence by adding a video track above all other
video tracks and selecting the Record Track button for that track. This is a simple and flexible way to
make a final color adjustment to an entire program. For example, you might want to brighten all of
your material slightly, or increase saturation a little to create a warmer look, or tint your whole
program.