Exported still image and movie file are slightly different colors

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
November 18, 2021
2 replies
940 views

Hi All. I am trying to export a video file (h.264, mp4) and a still image (.jpg). The idea is that the video plays and ends on the still frame. Everytime I export the video and end frame, their colors are slightly mismatched. I have tried every combination of color management/not and still can't get them to match. They will both be hosted on a server, which I have uploaded the tests to in order to check how it displays on the web as I know that quicktime player has some gamma shift issues with h.264. Any advice would be appreciated.

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Correct answer jonathan8_817123306

Update: I used the gamma correction LUT from this post when exporting the video, now it matches perfectly to the still (no LUT).

Mylenium

Legend

Likely your workflow is simply backwards and you are not actually adjusting anything. It seems to me that you are not aware of the limitations in color encoding in H.264 and your footage may simply need "hard" adjustments using actual effects to not exceed the color ranges. From there you would generate a still image based on teh actual rendered output, which may take further tweaking to appear seamless. That and of course you may still need to use color management on top of it, but since you haven't provided any info on your actual settings, nobody can advise specifically. Generally, though, I feel that you are not at all using any effective CM. Not in AE, not in PS, not elsewhere. Just arbitrarily switching around color profiles and options does not constitute CM, so if you really plan on using it you'd have a lot of reading to do.

Mylenium

J

jonathan8_817123306Author

Inspiring

Ah my first time getting roasted by the legendary Mylenium! Totally my fault for not putting in all the info. 😛

I have done a fair amount of reading on CM (although you're right, I probably am doing it wrong/backwards). From what I've read, it should be possible for an h.264 export and a still image to have the same color. I will add that viewing the h.264 in VLC (not quicktime) looks MUCH closer to the desired result.

By looking at the source footage properties, it appears to be rec.709 gamma 2.4—because it is going on the web, I assume it needs to be converted to sRGB 2.1 (again, could be wrong here). I have tried manually converting it via both the "interpret footage" method, and the "color profile converter" adjustment layer method (attached). I am less concerned about the exported footage matching the source, as I am about the exported footage and the still image being the same color.

I have also tried using sRGB working CM in AE, exporting various formats. In photoshop, I have it set to sRGB working and to preserve embedded profiles (attached). Because none of the above seemed to be working, I also tried setting the AE CM to rec.709 just to check. I am on a macbook pro using the "Color LCD" profile.

Maybe you're right and it is just color limitations of h.264. Someone else suggested that I encode the footage to h.264 before hard adjusting and re-exporting the video and still. I've also heard that exporting from Resolve may be an option as well.

J

jonathan8_817123306AuthorCorrect answer

Inspiring

Update: I used the gamma correction LUT from this post when exporting the video, now it matches perfectly to the still (no LUT).

J

jonathan8_817123306Author

Inspiring

I have also tried with premiere, and even exporting the still image from the video export with photoshop. Still no luck.

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