Apple Color 1.0 User Manual
Page 15
Chapter 1
Color Correction Basics
15
 Creating contrast: Color correction can also be used to create contrast between two
scenes for a more jarring effect. Imagine cutting from a lush, green jungle scene to a
harsh desert landscape with many more reds and yellows. Using color correction, you
can subtly accentuate these differences.
 Achieving a “look”: The process of color correction is not simply one of making all the
video in your piece match some objective model of exposure. Color, like sound, is a
property that, when subtly mixed, can result in an additional level of dramatic control
over your program.
With color correction, you can control whether your video has rich, saturated colors
or a more muted look. You can make your shots look warmer by pushing their tones
into the reds, or make them look cooler by bringing them into the blues. You can pull
details out of the shadows, or crush them, increasing the picture’s contrast for a
starker look. Such subtle modifications alter the audience’s perception of the scene
being played, changing a program’s mood. Once you pick a look for your piece, or
even for an individual scene, you can use color correction to make sure that all the
shots in the appropriate scenes match the same look, so that they cut together
smoothly.
 Adhering to guidelines for broadcast legality: If a program is destined for television
broadcast, you are usually provided with a set of quality control (QC) guidelines that
specific the “legal” limits for minimum black levels, maximum white levels, and
minimum and maximum chroma saturation and composite RGB limits. Adherence to
these guidelines is important to ensure that the program is accepted for broadcast,
as “illegal” values may cause problems when the program is encoded for
transmission. QC standards vary, so it’s important to check what these guidelines are
in advance. Color has built-in broadcast safe settings (sometimes referred to as a
legalizer) that automatically prevent video levels from exceeding the specified limits.
For more information, see “
Detail Work
If you have the time, the Color toolset allows you to go even further to adjust the look
of your program:
 Adjusting specific elements separately: It’s sometimes necessary to selectively target a
narrow range of colors to alter or replace only those color values. A common
example of this might be to turn a red car blue or to mute the excessive colors of an
article of clothing.These sorts of tasks are accomplished with what’s referred to as
secondary color correction, and Color provides you with numerous tools with which to
achieve such effects. For more information, see Chapter 10, “