Shooting LCD screens correctly

[Ian Stark]

This may follow on from Dave Pearce's question about white balancing.

Specifically, I'm seeking some advice on how to remove the blue cast from poorly shot footage of an LCD screen without desaturating the rest of the shot.

More to the point, any tips on white balancing for shooting lcd screens correctly in the first place? I am convinced that the screen looked paper white through the viewfinder and also on the monitor (I was clearly wrong), but back in Vegas it's gone horribly blue.

Any advice?

Thanks,

Ian . . .

[Edward Troxel]

Take a look at Vol 6 #2 of my newsletters.

Quickly, this is the method in general
1. Add a Color Corrector effect
2. Click on the "complimentary color" button next to the right wheel. Click on something that should be white.
3. Click on the "complimentary color" button next to the left wheel. Click on something that should be black.
4. Click on the "complimentary color" button next to the middle wheel. Click on something that should be gray.
5. Now adjust them to suit your needs.

[Ian Stark]

Thanks Edward. Hadn't looked at the July issue. Very informative, as ever.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Depending on the content, this may best be fixed during the shoot.

Just like in any mixed lighting situation, you need to choose a white temperature and match in any source that is different.

Many LCD monitors can be warmed up in their software controls (the user may not thank you!)

How about a piece of 1/4 CTO carefully cut to size and adhered to the screen? (1/8?)

Otherwise, going colder on the lighting, eg. 3/4 CTB on tungsten sources.

Then, of course, white balance to the new white.

[Jon Pavli]

Here is my trick, go to a website with alot of white on the screen, then just white balance using the white on the monitor. I get great color everytime.

Good luck.

[Edward Troxel]

Jon, wouldn't it be easier just to open "Notepad" or "Wordpad" or "Word"? Maximize any of these and you'd have a huge white area with which to white balance. Plus you wouldn't have to remember a website with lots of white space AND you wouldn't need an internet connection.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Originally Posted by Jon Pavli

Here is my trick, go to a website with alot of white on the screen, then just white balance using the white on the monitor. I get great color everytime.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Edward Troxel

Jon, wouldn't it be easier just to open "Notepad" or "Wordpad" or "Word"? Maximize any of these and you'd have a huge white area with which to white balance. Plus you wouldn't have to remember a website with lots of white space AND you wouldn't need an internet connection.

These solutions are great if only the LCD is going to be shot. The original poster was concerned about "desaturating the rest of the shot" which made me think that we're essentially in a mixed lighting situation, with the LCD at daylight or bluer, and subject lighting at tungsten or warm white.