Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1373)

Unlike other controls in Final Cut Pro, a color balance control doesn’t “gear down” when
you hold down the Command key while manipulating the color balance indicator (allowing
you to make more subtle adjustments); rather, it “gears up” the control, causing the
indicator to respond more quickly and resulting in greater changes.
Blacks Reset button
Blacks Auto-Balance
eyedropper
Color balance controls
• Blacks control: Drag in the Blacks color wheel to move the color balance indicator and
change the mix of red, green, and blue in the blacks of your clip.
• Blacks Auto-Balance eyedropper: Clicking the Blacks Auto-Balance eyedropper turns the
pointer into an eyedropper when it’s moved into the Video tab of the Viewer or into
the Canvas. Position the tip of the eyedropper in what is supposed to be the blackest
area of your image, such as the innermost shadow in a dark area of the picture, then
click. The color value of the pixel you selected is analyzed, and the Blacks control is
automatically adjusted to turn that pixel into true black.
Note: When color correcting a clip, adjusting this control is usually the second step
you take, after first using the Auto Level controls and the Blacks, Mids, and Whites
sliders (described in the next sections) to maximize the contrast of your image.
• Blacks Reset button: Click this button to reset the Blacks control to its default settings
and restore your clip to the original color mix.
• Mids control: Drag in the Mids color wheel to move the color balance indicator and
change the mix of red, green, and blue in the midtones of your clip.
Note: The areas of your picture affected by the Mids control overlap the areas affected
by the Blacks and Whites controls, so adjustments to the mids affect adjustments you
may have already made to the blacks and whites. This overlapping ensures that you
have the maximum amount of control necessary to accurately manipulate the color of
your clips.
1373 Chapter 81 Color Correction Filters