After basic color corrections, what are some tricks to make a video shine/pop

[jaydw]

I am finished with some of the basic color corrections for each clip in my sequence but curious what are some additional tricks to make a video really pop or shine within premiere ?

For do you add an additional copied layer and reduce the opacity to give it extra pop? (something I am going to explore)

Does anyone add a copied layer and add a lighting effect on the layer to give it more shine?

Anything anyone has done to give extra results that makes a video shine for vibrant colors or to really stand out I am all ears!

Thanks,

Jay

[R Neil Haugen]

"Grading" is most often a mulitiple-pass process. I'll lay out a fairly common process used by a lot of colorists. And note ... after you get very experienced, you can start blending steps in some projects. Someone starting out needs to do very different, calculated steps.

First pass, is to get all clips "neutral" ... the color and tonality is fairly "natural" in feel, and local contrast helps guide visual attention to the important part of each clip. As you go down the line, no clip jumps out as mis-matched with the others, it's like one set of eyeballs is seeing everything. Sudden changes from bright daylight to a night scene will of course have a visual jump, but shots within a scene shouldn't.

Second pass is to fix the worst issues such as bright lights behind someone, over-saturated color in background or foreground, all those visual elements that detract from seeing first and foremost the important visual element of the scene.

A third pass goes after smaller problems ... and this is a pass that is always dependent on ... time. Often, you have to pick very carefully the clips where any additional problem-solving time will really, really matter ... and let other little things go.

The fourth pass is to give an overall "feel" to a project. Maybe just warming things a bit, while softening contrast in shadows and highlights a titch, or going a different route by selecting a color or two that will be emphasized throughout by a careful touch of either Curves Hue v Sat or the HSL Secondary tab, either one by selecting a range of color to be slightly modified up or down in saturation.

All sorts of things are done in this last step, and frequently it is applied across the project, so is easiest to do when applied to an Adjustment Layer. Always remembering ... a small amount probably is going a long, long way.

It takes practice and experience and just doing over and over and seeing how people respond before you can find ways to significantly alter the image to control the viewing experience in ways that are helpful to the image and not bothersome to viewers. You have to do both or there's no reason, right?

Neil

[rodneyb56060189]

Don't forget... learn from the past...

Sometimes how you shoot stuff makes a difference too.

Dr. Strangelove ( black and white)

combat scenes look like 16mm mopic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Mr4jlPJyU

ends around 02:30 then repeats

the above stuff looks like army MOPIC 16mm stuff...very different than rest of movie

low angles, dutched, can make people look large and threatening or powerful.

sample of mopic - This movie link below is very NOT REAL
Obviously. But the movement of camera and film stock is sorta accurate
hand held, usually without sound in combat zones

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096744/

A real mopic guy in vietnam with his camera

https://missoulian.com/news/local/vietnam-veterans-voices-haddon-hufford-served-as-combat-cameraman/...

So, by using different shooting methods, angles AND switching between color and black and white, etc. a LOT of influence on your project can be realized. It's not just editing that makes the difference to an audience. It is also planning how to shoot it to begin with.

[Meg The Dog]

Quick and easy? Red Giant's Magic Bullet Looks:

Buy Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks | Color Correction and Film Looks Plugin for Premiere Pro, After Ef...

MtD

[chrisw44157881]

did meg the dog just plug magic bullet? oh, noes!

here's the new hue tools for premiere

How To Use The New Hue Saturation Curves In Premiere Pro CC 2019 - YouTube

if you want certain film colors, just raise saturation but lower color luminance per this video. a good target is 50% YUV scopes and 80% HSL scopes.

[jaydw]

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried all of the suite and am in absolute love with Colorista IV, couldnt help myself and bought it lol. Its giving that edge I am looking for, especially with the highlights controls for my time lapses, very good stuff.

[jaydw]

I’m also looking for ideas for ideas for dynamic lighting to night video, to give it a bit of a dimensional look and not as flat, I am fairly certain using a mask would do the trick but do not want to overdo it, I suppose I am lookin for ‘subtle’ three point lighting over the video itself (if that even makes sense)

[Meg The Dog]

Are you looking for a day-for-night effect, or did you shoot at night - and are looking to enhance that?

Posting a screen shot of a sample frame that you are looking to work on might generate some help.

MtD

[jaydw]

Thanks, looking to add dynamic lighting over the video, give it more depth and dramatic tone, but not overdone

thanks! Sorry at work, don’t have a proper screenshot but copied from another post so image is a bit distorted

phtoo at link here https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2616276

[R Neil Haugen]

Ahhh ... night scenes. Professional productions typically have FAR more lighting set up for night scenes than anything else. You need subtle back and rim lighting of every element you wish to be "seen".

Not ... easy ...  

Neil

[jaydw]

For my particular night video applying Vignette makes a world of difference, select color at the top tab and adjust the vignette

posting for whoever may stumble on this thread to explore that as adding a great amount of depth to night video