Ok, so I'm using a super flat picture profile in my Sony EA50 ...

I've shot a lot of clips.

I want to colour correct them all first before compiling a film.

What's the quickest way to do this?

As I normally make my film and then go through each clip in the timeline and colour correct (a headache to say the least!).

I want to colour correct my clips FIRST and just drag and drop accordingly to compile my film instead.

So the question is - Is there anyway to colour correct and then save the clips (without re-rendering) to then just simply drag and drop in to the timeline to make my film?

Once you know what you need to do you can save your corrections as a preset and then drop them on the clips in the project media pool. Saves lots of time and effort.

You may add any FX directly to each clip in project media.

Once you know what you need to do you can save your corrections as a preset and then drop them on the clips in the project media pool. Saves lots of time and effort.

You may add any FX directly to each clip in project media.

Thank you!

One caveat to colour correcting clips at the media or track level rather than events on the timeline is that if you cut the clips into events on the timeline then want to adjust the colour correction on just one event (for example if the light changed mid-clip, so one part of the clip is bright sunshine, and another part is overcast) you will not be able to do that. You would only be able to adjust the cc for the entire piece of media. Of course if the media requires the same cc throughout then this isn't an issue and you will certainly save time by working at media level.

One alternative workflow is to create a preset for the entire clip then use copy/paste event attributes to copy the cc effect to all selected timeline events (do that before adding other effects or pan/crop adjustments, so those attributes aren't copied as well). That way, if you discover a need to tweak just one event you can easily do so without affecting the others. More clicks than working at media level, but more flexibility should you need it.

Personally, on critical projects, I always prefer to do cc at timeline event level, to ensure that one clip is nicely matched to its neighbours. Of course that very much depends on the project.

Applying media FX to source materials are very useful to compensate the image differences from multiple cameras through multicamera editing

Prob outside the scope of what the OP is asking but FWIW.
The best thing I have done is invest in Cineform Studio for CC.
For multi cam matching its amazing. Once I get my project synced, I just maximise my preview window in multicam mode so I can see all my cams at the same point in time, and hit play.
Then have Cineform studio open on the other monitor, and make all my primary adjustments there while watching the changes in realtime in the Vegas preview window. You can turn on scopes in the tools menu in Studio so every one of your multi cam windows has its own scopes.
It just makes it so easy.
As Ian mentioned, and I also find important, should you still need to make some additional corrections at event level, you do so in Vegas, since your Primaries are already done in the metadata which require no rendering by Vegas.

Prob outside the scope of what the OP is asking but FWIW.
The best thing I have done is invest in Cineform Studio for CC.
For multi cam matching its amazing. Once I get my project synced, I just maximise my preview window in multicam mode so I can see all my cams at the same point in time, and hit play.
Then have Cineform studio open on the other monitor, and make all my primary adjustments there while watching the changes in realtime in the Vegas preview window. You can turn on scopes in the tools menu in Studio so every one of your multi cam windows has its own scopes.
It just makes it so easy.
As Ian mentioned, and I also find important, should you still need to make some additional corrections at event level, you do so in Vegas, since your Primaries are already done in the metadata which require no rendering by Vegas.

Sounds like a great tool! But not for me at this moment in time

Applying media FX to source materials are very useful to compensate the image differences from multiple cameras through multicamera editing

Sure is!

One caveat to colour correcting clips at the media or track level rather than events on the timeline is that if you cut the clips into events on the timeline then want to adjust the colour correction on just one event (for example if the light changed mid-clip, so one part of the clip is bright sunshine, and another part is overcast) you will not be able to do that. You would only be able to adjust the cc for the entire piece of media. Of course if the media requires the same cc throughout then this isn't an issue and you will certainly save time by working at media level.

One alternative workflow is to create a preset for the entire clip then use copy/paste event attributes to copy the cc effect to all selected timeline events (do that before adding other effects or pan/crop adjustments, so those attributes aren't copied as well). That way, if you discover a need to tweak just one event you can easily do so without affecting the others. More clicks than working at media level, but more flexibility should you need it.

Personally, on critical projects, I always prefer to do cc at timeline event level, to ensure that one clip is nicely matched to its neighbours. Of course that very much depends on the project.

Fantastic idea, thank you!

Must take a look at the Cineform features. I have Cineform free for use with my GoPros, but I assume this is a fuller featured paid version?

Ooh, how exciting. That was my 2000th post. I now seemed to have joined an inner circle of some kind!

Well worth it Ian, It is Studio Premium, $299.
Seem to be enjoying your role in the inner circle ;)

Ha!! Where did THAT picture come from?!

Nothing like a bit of Photoshop over coffee
Google is my friend :)

Ah, of course, the NewBlue pics! Forgot about those :-)

Good old Photoshop - I just created a picture of me supposedly wearing skin tight wet look shorts. Don't ask why. And certainly don't ask me to post it here!

I just created a picture of me supposedly wearing skin tight wet look shorts. Don't ask why. And certainly don't ask me to post it here!
LMAO, Google alert is already set up Ian. We'll find it... sooner or later.. (insert maniacal laugh here)
:)

Here's exactly what I like about NBCF. I shot this material yesterday, on purpose to demonstrate to myself just how far I could push CF and improve my knowledge and use of it.

In the Attachments below, the Original is TOP Left. TOP Right is a majorally "popped" Sky, but just look at the way CF has brought out the subtitles of the red in that Red Robin plant. And then the bottom row each of those layers is independently adjusted and adjustable with the Sky now "tamed-down" again. Bottom row RIGHT is potentially my final "take" on it, where I've adjusted "up" the Sky and upped the level of the Midtones to show more of the under-leaf.

The GUI is intuitive and with plenty of fine, incremental adjustments. I have not found the tools, although good for "other" remedial work, in Vegas, to be able to come close or match NewBlue ColorFast.

Cheers

Grazie

Grazie, absolutely with you 100% re ColorFast. It is, for me at any rate, the most intuitive colour correction plugin I have ever used. More to the point, I actually do colour correction now! In the past I have loosely corrected poor white balance or mismatched footage by doing a bit of touching up with Color Fixer Pro, then slapping a tweaked MB Look or NB Film Look on to give a rough cohesion to the whole thing. It never looked great, just passable.

NewBlue asked me to demo ColorFast at NAB (giving a customer perspective rather than a sales pitch) and I was surprised to discover that I was very much not alone in this. In fact, the great majority of people I spoke to said they did pretty much the same thing, and very few gave 'real' cc and grading the attention it should have. When I showed them ColorFast it was (as it had been for me) like a lightbulb popping on. It is so easily understandable (much more so than colour wheels, for simpletons like me) and while it might not be as powerful or fine-tuneable as, say, DaVinci or Color Finesse, it makes colour correction immediately accessible. As you've demonstrated, Grazie, it also gives great results. Like I said, I actually do 'proper' colour correction now - and I enjoy it.

As always, the disclaimer - NewBlue pays me to write tutorials for them, and flew me out to Vegas for NAB this year, so I am ridiculously biased :-)