Apple Color 1.5 - Manual (Page 13)

To better learn how Color works, it’s important to understand the overall color correction
process and how images work their way through post-production in standard definition
(SD), high definition (HD), and film workflows.
If you’re new to color correction, the first part of this chapter provides a background in
color correction workflows to help you better understand why Color works the way it
does. The second part goes on to explain color and imaging concepts that are important
to the operation of the Color interface.
This chapter covers the following:
• The Fundamental Color Correction Tasks (p. 13)
• When Does Color Correction Happen? (p. 16)
• Image Encoding Standards (p. 23)
• Basic Color and Imaging Concepts (p. 28)
The Fundamental Color Correction Tasks
In any post-production workflow, color correction is generally one of the last steps taken
to finish an edited program. Color has been created to give you precise control over the
look of every shot in your project by providing flexible tools and an efficient workspace
in which to manipulate the contrast, color, and geometry of each shot in your program.
When color correcting a given program, you’ll be called upon to perform many, if not all,
of the tasks described in this section. Color gives you an extensive feature set with which
to accomplish all this and more. While the deciding factor in determining how far you
go in any color correction session is usually the amount of time you have in which to
work, the dedicated color correction interface in Color allows you to work quickly and
efficiently.
Every program requires you to take some combination of the following steps.
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Color Correction Basics 1