Do you ever soften faces at DVinfo.net

Jim Snow · December 15th, 2010, 10:48 AM

With HD, the question arises; do you soften closeup shots of people (especially the bride) when it looks like they skipped a few too many appointments with their dermatologist? Occasionally you encounter someone whose complexion is hard to look at with closeup shots. I understand this an ongoing issue with Hollywood actresses. If so, is this something you just do or do you mention it to the bride?

Jim Schuchmann · December 15th, 2010, 10:51 AM

Ive found that Neat Video does wonders for the complexion. ;-))

Jim Snow · December 15th, 2010, 10:57 AM

I use Neat Video especially for low light / high noise footage. It's a great product. My question is more; do you soften faces by whatever means? There are several ways to do it. I'm asking; how do you handle it with the bride?

Rickey Brillantes · December 15th, 2010, 02:12 PM

Just do it! Don't even mind telling her, just make her look beautiful on whatever filter gradings possible, and believe me she will say... oh wow!!! and next time she has an event, you will be on top of her list.

Jim Snow · December 15th, 2010, 03:22 PM

That is what I do. If she asks about it, I suppose a good thing to say is that you made a minor adjustment to compensate for the harsh lighting. I do believe whatever is said should be tactful. You definitely don't want to use words like fixing 'wrinkles' or 'pimples'.

Giroud Francois · December 15th, 2010, 04:10 PM

kodak has a plugin that is made for this
KODAK PROFESSIONAL Image Enhancement Plug-Ins: GEM Pro Plug-in

Giroud Francois · December 15th, 2010, 04:21 PM

or even better
Beauty Box : Skin Retouching Video Plugins for After Effects & Final Cut Pro :: Digital Anarchy
they got it as video plugin

Andrew Waite · December 15th, 2010, 07:15 PM

We do... We use Beauty Box, great plug-in. Of course we often go a lot further than just fixing blemishes or wrinkles, we often find ourselves doing extensive roto work to remove unwanted objects in the shot.... really, there are probably better uses of time then spending hours on an edit that the bride would probably never notice in a million years, but if it doesn't get fixed it will drive me insane.

Jim Snow · December 15th, 2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Waite

we often find ourselves doing extensive roto work

I had a real ROTFL moment with that one. I envisioned a bride with a recent 'outbreak' getting a major rotoscope job. Now all we need is a fat filter and an ugly filter. ;-)

Don Bloom · December 15th, 2010, 09:20 PM

I once told my wife I wanted to practice rotoscoping on her. She said "that's discusting" and I truely thought she was going to collect my life insurance. I strongly advise choosing word more carefully than I did when or if discussing this "procedure" with a bride.
O|O
\--/

Andrew Waite · December 15th, 2010, 10:05 PM

Hahaha! When I said roto work I didn't mean on a bride... I'm talking about unwanted objects in the background. For example our own gear that was left on the floor or some other object that is distracting.

Philip Howells · December 15th, 2010, 11:55 PM

I hope the amusement value of this message will allow it to be off topic.

In 1972, when my then wife and I returned to the UK after 3 years in Chicago, amongst our possessions air-freighted home was a then new gadget for removing creases from hanging curtains. It was declared on the manifest as a Wrinkle Remover. When I went to Customs to pay my import duties, the officer said he had no idea what a Wrinkle Remover was but had charged it as a Cosmetic Appliance. I replied that my wife, then 29, would be aghast and explained what it actually was. The Customs officer said I should soften the blow by telling her that, if he'd known what it really was, the rate of duty would have been double.

On a more serious note, Jim is right about the history of retouching techniques in film. I recall when the TV series "Moonlighting" was made they used a half filter which softened one side of the picture (Cybil Shepherd's) whilst leaving the other (Bruce Willis's) unchanged. However, the filter wasn't made for this series but discovered at the studio - a relic from earlier days when it was made (I think I recall correctly) for Bette Davis though it's hard to imagine even her needing it as a young woman.

Adam Gold · December 16th, 2010, 12:09 AM

Jim, have you used the SKINTONE DTL feature on your FX1? If so, what's your opinion of how well it works in situations like this?

Jim Snow · December 16th, 2010, 10:28 AM

Hey Adam, I need to update my profile info. My main camera now is an EX1R and I'm adding a Panasonic GH2 to my 'bag' as soon as it's released.

I didn't try the Skintone DTL on my FX1. I'm generally afraid to use in-camera FX for fear of damaging footage. I do use the Cine 3 setting in a Picture Profile because I like the way it reduces crushing blacks. This whole subject of in-camera correction is something I should become more familiar with.

Adam Gold · December 16th, 2010, 01:01 PM

Yeah, I never tried it when I had my FX1's either for the same reasons you describe. Always wondered if it worked.

December 15th, 2010, 10:48 AM	#1
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	Do you ever soften faces With HD, the question arises; do you soften closeup shots of people (especially the bride) when it looks like they skipped a few too many appointments with their dermatologist? Occasionally you encounter someone whose complexion is hard to look at with closeup shots. I understand this an ongoing issue with Hollywood actresses. If so, is this something you just do or do you mention it to the bride?

December 15th, 2010, 07:15 PM	#8
Andrew Waite Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 307	We do... We use Beauty Box, great plug-in. Of course we often go a lot further than just fixing blemishes or wrinkles, we often find ourselves doing extensive roto work to remove unwanted objects in the shot.... really, there are probably better uses of time then spending hours on an edit that the bride would probably never notice in a million years, but if it doesn't get fixed it will drive me insane. __________________ http://www.higherdefinitionmedia.com RED One #6135 "Spartacus"

December 15th, 2010, 09:20 PM	#10
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I once told my wife I wanted to practice rotoscoping on her. She said "that's discusting" and I truely thought she was going to collect my life insurance. I strongly advise choosing word more carefully than I did when or if discussing this "procedure" with a bride. O\|O \--/ __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

December 15th, 2010, 10:05 PM	#11
Andrew Waite Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 307	Hahaha! When I said roto work I didn't mean on a bride... I'm talking about unwanted objects in the background. For example our own gear that was left on the floor or some other object that is distracting. __________________ http://www.higherdefinitionmedia.com RED One #6135 "Spartacus"

December 16th, 2010, 12:09 AM	#13
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Jim, have you used the SKINTONE DTL feature on your FX1? If so, what's your opinion of how well it works in situations like this? __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."

December 15th, 2010, 10:51 AM	#2
Jim Schuchmann Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 123	Ive found that Neat Video does wonders for the complexion. ;-))

December 15th, 2010, 10:57 AM	#3
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	I use Neat Video especially for low light / high noise footage. It's a great product. My question is more; do you soften faces by whatever means? There are several ways to do it. I'm asking; how do you handle it with the bride?

December 15th, 2010, 02:12 PM	#4
Rickey Brillantes Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ontario, California Posts: 309	Just do it! Don't even mind telling her, just make her look beautiful on whatever filter gradings possible, and believe me she will say... oh wow!!! and next time she has an event, you will be on top of her list.

December 15th, 2010, 03:22 PM	#5
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	That is what I do. If she asks about it, I suppose a good thing to say is that you made a minor adjustment to compensate for the harsh lighting. I do believe whatever is said should be tactful. You definitely don't want to use words like fixing 'wrinkles' or 'pimples'.

December 15th, 2010, 04:10 PM	#6
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	kodak has a plugin that is made for this KODAK PROFESSIONAL Image Enhancement Plug-Ins: GEM Pro Plug-in

December 15th, 2010, 04:21 PM	#7
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	or even better Beauty Box : Skin Retouching Video Plugins for After Effects & Final Cut Pro :: Digital Anarchy they got it as video plugin

December 15th, 2010, 11:55 PM	#12
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	I hope the amusement value of this message will allow it to be off topic. In 1972, when my then wife and I returned to the UK after 3 years in Chicago, amongst our possessions air-freighted home was a then new gadget for removing creases from hanging curtains. It was declared on the manifest as a Wrinkle Remover. When I went to Customs to pay my import duties, the officer said he had no idea what a Wrinkle Remover was but had charged it as a Cosmetic Appliance. I replied that my wife, then 29, would be aghast and explained what it actually was. The Customs officer said I should soften the blow by telling her that, if he'd known what it really was, the rate of duty would have been double. On a more serious note, Jim is right about the history of retouching techniques in film. I recall when the TV series "Moonlighting" was made they used a half filter which softened one side of the picture (Cybil Shepherd's) whilst leaving the other (Bruce Willis's) unchanged. However, the filter wasn't made for this series but discovered at the studio - a relic from earlier days when it was made (I think I recall correctly) for Bette Davis though it's hard to imagine even her needing it as a young woman.

December 16th, 2010, 10:28 AM	#14
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	Hey Adam, I need to update my profile info. My main camera now is an EX1R and I'm adding a Panasonic GH2 to my 'bag' as soon as it's released. I didn't try the Skintone DTL on my FX1. I'm generally afraid to use in-camera FX for fear of damaging footage. I do use the Cine 3 setting in a Picture Profile because I like the way it reduces crushing blacks. This whole subject of in-camera correction is something I should become more familiar with.

December 16th, 2010, 01:01 PM	#15
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Yeah, I never tried it when I had my FX1's either for the same reasons you describe. Always wondered if it worked. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."