2009

Color Correcting a Program in Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro offers a considerable tool set for color correction. Although the Final Cut Pro
color correction tools are not as feature-rich as those in Color, the Color Corrector 3-way
filter, in conjunction with the many other filters and compositing tools found in
Final Cut Pro, allows you to do a complete color correction job. The Final Cut Pro color
correction features include primary and secondary color correction, as well as many other
operations such as masked corrections. In addition, there are many third-party filters
available to extend the Final Cut Pro color correction tool set.
Color, on the other hand, is a dedicated environment for this sort of work, featuring many
more tools and options for doing comprehensive grading. If you’re trying to decide
whether to color correct a sequence in Final Cut Pro or send it to Color, consider the
following questions.
Are you finished editing?
Because color correction in Final Cut Pro involves applying filters to clips in the Timeline,
your color corrections travel with the clips to which they’re applied. This means that clips
retain their color correction if the project is reedited, without any additional effort on
your part. If your project is still being edited, but you have a handful of scenes that need
some basic color correction so that you can better evaluate how the editorial flow of the
show is working (without the distractions that uncorrected shots may pose), doing these
corrections in Final Cut Pro is an excellent solution.
Is your program effects-intensive?
Sending sequences to Color frequently involves a fair amount of project preparation to
ensure a seamless roundtrip. If your program contains a lot of effects—for example, many
filters, superimpositions, composites, generators, embedded Motion clips, and so on—it
might make sense for you to do the color correction right in Final Cut Pro rather than
spend the time to prepare everything for Color.
Does it make sense to split the difference?
If you have a program that combines traditional editing with isolated sections of
effects-intensive work, it may make sense to separate the effects-intensive sections, which
would need extensive preparation before being sent to Color. For example, you can send
the majority of conventionally edited clips in tracks V1 and V2 to Color, while moving the
effects-intensive sections to another sequence for color correction within Final Cut Pro.
After you finish in Color, you can marry the two sets of clips back together in a single
sequence. This provides you with the best of both worlds and can be the fastest way to
work.
85Chapter 5 Finishing