Firstlight questions at DVinfo.net

Bruce Gruber · January 8th, 2010, 05:20 AM

Ok I have a few questions about firstlight.. I have had PHD for almost a year now and most likley have not been using it to its full potential..

IN FL how do you color correct or increase the exposure in part of a clip?
What is the advantage of the metadata? I read a lot about this in this form but do not understand what it is used for?

Next what are Lute's?

Thanks Bruce

Brant Gajda · January 8th, 2010, 10:03 AM

I'm not sure you can color correct certain parts. If you can, I would really like to know. If not, would this be possible to add in a future release?

David Newman · January 8th, 2010, 04:12 PM

Key framing is coming for partial clip correction.

the advantage of Active Metadata is all you color changes are non destructive. If you do a color correction is Premiere then what to do some FX work in Combustion, you have to bake in the color. Yet baken in correct is typically bad for FX, but an effects artist not knowing the finally color look of the target is also bad. Active Metadata solves all of this, as color information in no longer tied to an individual project session of a particular NLE. Color work can be done at any time, not having to wait for picture lock. There are many more advantages. more info here Cineform Tech Blog Blog Archive CineForm Active Metadata? – Technology Overview and here Cineform Tech Blog active metadata

"Lutes", no idea. :) But LUTs -- Look Up Tables, allow for color corrections to emulate film styles or a stack of complex corrections into a simple fast 3-dimensional table. They are very important in high-end color finishing, and way cool to use in low-end projects.

Bruce Gruber · January 8th, 2010, 04:32 PM

Thanks Dave how do you uses LUTs can you point me in the right direction?

David Newman · January 8th, 2010, 04:47 PM

1) Download/install the LUTs pack linked in the upgrade emails you get when you request the latest update.

2) Run First Light.
3) Load a clip,
4) Select a random "Look (3D LUT)" -- below the Primaries correction.
5) Start playing, by changing your primaries through the look file, you can get some great results.

David

Ian Lewis · January 9th, 2010, 03:01 AM

Keyframing in Firstlight would open a whole world of possibilities. For instance, you could do final colour correction on a CFHD export ofyour completed movie (which I discover should now be called a Digital Source Master, assuming you use it to make delivery formats from). So it could be not just First but Last Light...

Brilliant.

Ian

Jay Bloomfield · January 10th, 2010, 06:53 PM

It would be nice to have key framing, but considering that CFHD is virtually lossless, why not split your video into individual scenes and rerender them as new clips that need their own specific color correction? That's what I've done and I have to fiddle with a lot of outdoor video, with changing lighting conditions. The only thing that you can't do with this approach is have a gradient of color correction between adjacent clips, In that case, just use a "normal", destructive CC plugin.

January 8th, 2010, 05:20 AM	#1
Bruce Gruber Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lebanon, PA Posts: 221	Firstlight questions Ok I have a few questions about firstlight.. I have had PHD for almost a year now and most likley have not been using it to its full potential.. IN FL how do you color correct or increase the exposure in part of a clip? What is the advantage of the metadata? I read a lot about this in this form but do not understand what it is used for? Next what are Lute's? Thanks Bruce

January 8th, 2010, 04:12 PM	#3
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	Key framing is coming for partial clip correction. the advantage of Active Metadata is all you color changes are non destructive. If you do a color correction is Premiere then what to do some FX work in Combustion, you have to bake in the color. Yet baken in correct is typically bad for FX, but an effects artist not knowing the finally color look of the target is also bad. Active Metadata solves all of this, as color information in no longer tied to an individual project session of a particular NLE. Color work can be done at any time, not having to wait for picture lock. There are many more advantages. more info here Cineform Tech Blog Blog Archive CineForm Active Metadata? – Technology Overview and here Cineform Tech Blog active metadata "Lutes", no idea. :) But LUTs -- Look Up Tables, allow for color corrections to emulate film styles or a stack of complex corrections into a simple fast 3-dimensional table. They are very important in high-end color finishing, and way cool to use in low-end projects. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

January 8th, 2010, 04:47 PM	#5
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	1) Download/install the LUTs pack linked in the upgrade emails you get when you request the latest update. 2) Run First Light. 3) Load a clip, 4) Select a random "Look (3D LUT)" -- below the Primaries correction. 5) Start playing, by changing your primaries through the look file, you can get some great results. David __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

January 8th, 2010, 10:03 AM	#2
Brant Gajda Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 113	I'm not sure you can color correct certain parts. If you can, I would really like to know. If not, would this be possible to add in a future release?

January 8th, 2010, 04:32 PM	#4
Bruce Gruber Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lebanon, PA Posts: 221	Thanks Dave how do you uses LUTs can you point me in the right direction?

January 9th, 2010, 03:01 AM	#6
Ian Lewis Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Farnham, UK Posts: 87	Keyframing in Firstlight would open a whole world of possibilities. For instance, you could do final colour correction on a CFHD export ofyour completed movie (which I discover should now be called a Digital Source Master, assuming you use it to make delivery formats from). So it could be not just First but Last Light... Brilliant. Ian

January 10th, 2010, 06:53 PM	#7
Jay Bloomfield Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Voorheesville, NY Posts: 433	It would be nice to have key framing, but considering that CFHD is virtually lossless, why not split your video into individual scenes and rerender them as new clips that need their own specific color correction? That's what I've done and I have to fiddle with a lot of outdoor video, with changing lighting conditions. The only thing that you can't do with this approach is have a gradient of color correction between adjacent clips, In that case, just use a "normal", destructive CC plugin.