Apple Color 1.0 - Manual (Page 17)

Chapter 1 Color Correction Basics 17
At other times, the director or producer may change his or her mind regarding how the
finished piece should look. In these cases, color correction might be used to alter the
overall look of the piece (for example, making footage that was shot to look cool look
warmer, instead). While Color provides an exceptional degree of control over your
footage, it’s still important to start out with clean, properly exposed footage.
Furthermore, choices made during preproduction and the shoot, including the film or
video format and camera settings used, can have a profound effect on the amount of
flexibility that’s available during the eventual color correction process.
Initial Color Correction When Transferring Film
When a project has been shot on film, the camera negatives must first be transferred to
the videotape or digital video format of choice prior to editing and digital post using a
telecine or datacine machine. A telecine is a machine for transferring film to videotape,
while a datacine is set up for transferring film directly to a digital format, usually an
image sequence.
Usually, the colorist running the film transfer session performs some level of color
correction to ensure that the editor has the most appropriate picture to work with. The
goals of color correction at this stage usually depend on both the length of the project
and the post-production workflow that’s been decided upon.
 Short projects, commercials, spots, and very short videos may get a detailed color
correction pass right away. The colorist will first calibrate the telecine’s own color
corrector to balance the whites, blacks, and color perfectly. Then the colorist, in
consultation with the DoP, director, or producer, will work shot by shot to determine
the look of each shot according to the needs of the project. As a result, the editor will
be working with footage that has already been corrected.
 Long-form projects such as feature-length films and longer television programs
probably won’t get a detailed color correction pass right away. Instead, the footage
that is run through the telecine will be balanced to have reasonably ideal exposure
and color for purposes of having a good image for editing, and left at that. Detailed
color correction is then done at another stage.
Camera Negative Telecine Video Tapes