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Chapter 56 Color Correcting Clips 829
IX
 Achieve a “look”: The process of color correction is not simply one of making all the
video in your piece match some objective model of black, white, and color tones.
Color, like sound, is a property that, when subtly mixed, can result in an additional
level of dramatic control over your program.
With color correction, you have control over whether your video has rich, saturated
colors, or a more muted look. You can make your shots look warmer by pushing their
tones into the reds, or make them look cooler by bringing them into the blues. You
can decrease the contrast of your clips, pulling details out of the shadows, or increase
your contrast for a harsher look. Such subtle modifications can alter the audience’s
perception of the scene being played, changing the mood of your program. Once
you pick a look for your piece, or even for an individual scene, you can use color
correction to make sure that all of the shots in the appropriate scenes match, so that
they cut together smoothly.
 Create contrast or special effects: Color correction can also be used to create contrast
between two scenes for a more jarring effect. Imagine cutting from a lush, green
jungle scene to a harsh desert landscape that’s much more in the reds and yellows.
Using color correction, you can subtly accentuate these differences. You can also
create more extreme effects, such as manipulating colors and exposure to achieve a
day-for-night look. You can even selectively target a narrow range of colors to alter or
replace only those color values, turning a red car blue, for example.
Color Correction Starts During Your Shoot
It’s important to remember that the process of determining the overall look of your
video begins when your scenes are lit and shot during production. To have the
maximum amount of control over your clips in post-production, you need to start out
with footage that has been exposed with your end goals in mind right from the
beginning. Color correction in post-production is no substitute for good lighting.
Optimistically, the process of color correction can be seen as extending and enhancing
the vision of the producer, director, and cinematographer or videographer as it was
originally conceived. Often, the cinematographer or videographer gets personally
involved during the color correction process to ensure that the look he or she was
trying to achieve is perfected.
At other times, the director or producer may change his or her mind regarding how the
finished piece should look. In these cases, color correction might be used to alter the
overall look of the piece (for example, making footage that was shot to look cool look
warmer, instead). While this degree of control is possible, it’s still important to start out
with clean, properly exposed footage.