Apple Final Cut Pro 7 User Manual
Page 1961
channels When used to describe video, can refer to color channels or alpha channels.
Color and transparency information for video and graphics clips is divided into individual
channels. Each individual color channel represents one of the three individual primary
colors that are combined to represent the final image. Each channel has a bit depth; most
graphics and video files have 8 bits per channel, meaning that there are 256 levels of
color or transparency for each channel.
chip chart A grayscale or color chart that is placed next to the slate at the beginning of
every shot. During post-production, the chip chart can be used to correct each shot so
that the whites, blacks, and colors can be perfectly reproduced during editing.
chroma The color information contained in a video signal, consisting of hue (phase angle),
which represents the color itself, and saturation (amplitude of the color subcarrier), which
represents the intensity of the color.
chroma keying See
clip An item in a Final Cut Pro project representing video, audio, or graphics media files
on disk.
clipping Distortion occurring during the playback or recording of digital audio because
of a signal that exceeds the maximum sample value of 0 dBFS.
CMYK Abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. The color space commonly used
for images that are printed with four-color ink on offset presses.
codec Short for compressor/decompressor, or encode/decode. A software component used
to translate video or audio from its analog uncompressed form to the digital compressed
form in which it is stored on a computer’s hard disk. DV, Photo, JPEG, and Sorenson Video
are common QuickTime video codecs. Also referred to as a compressor.
color balance Refers to the mix of red, green, and blue in a clip. In Final Cut Pro, you can
adjust the color balance of the highlights (bright areas), midtones, or shadows (dark areas)
of your clip using the Color Corrector 3-way filter.
color bars A standard color test signal displayed as columns, often accompanied by a
reference audio tone. Color bars are used to adjust the video signal of the incoming
source tape to maintain proper color from tape to computer and through to output. Color
bars are also output to a master tape so that accurate duplicates (dubs) of the tape can
be made.
color correction A process in which the color of clips used in an edited program is evened
out so that all shots in a given scene match. Color correction is generally one of the last
steps in finishing an edited program. The color correction tools in Final Cut Pro give you
precise control over the look of every clip in your project by allowing you to adjust the
color balance, black levels, midtones, and white levels of individual clips.
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Glossary