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Without a doubt, the most important kinds of filters are the color correctors and of
these the most significant is the Color Corrector 3-way.
Here we'll go ahead and double-click a clip. Choose Effects > Video Filters >
Color Correction > Color Corrector 3-way. While you'll find controls available inside
the Filters tab just like other filters, the Color Corrector 3- way includes
its own undedicated tab. In fact, Final Cut Pro includes a preset screen
layout for color correction. Choose Window > Arrange > Color Correction
and you will see the interface rearrange to include built- in real-time video
scopes. A Waveform Monitor, a Vectorscope, a Histogram,
and an RGB Parade. These are vital for maintaining color integrity
and keeping values within broadcast legal ranges.
As you look at the scopes, you will see two small buttons in the top-left.
These give you control over the brightness of the data displayed
and the brightness of the scope markings as well.
Now later when you are done performing color correction, you can choose Window >
Arrange > Standard to return to the standard view.
The Color Corrector 3-way allows you to make hue, saturation and value
changes to the dark, mid range and bright pixels in your image using 3
intuitive banks of controls. At the center of these controls are three
Auto Level buttons. These attempt to even out the contrast in
your image with a single click. Now, if your image has a color cast to it,
you can perform a white balance to remove that color cast.
Click the eyedropper under the Whites color wheel and then select a diffused
white area in the Viewer. The Whites color wheel will shift slightly
to compensate for the color bias of the white in your clip.
Moving the small round puck at the center of the color wheels will adjust the
color cast of pixels in that portion of your clip.
Press Command+Z to undo any unwanted changes. An important part of the color correction
process is to spread out the contrast between black and white markings in the Waveform
Monitor. To that aim, the sliders directly below the
color wheels brighten or darken the pixels that fall in that control's region.
So to lower the blacks in this clip, we can drag the slider to the left.
You will notice in the Waveform Monitor that the contrast levels adjust and
we'll set it just when the blacks in this shot reach the marking labeled black.
Likewise, we can increase the white level until it reaches the white marking in
the Waveform Monitor.
We can then adjust the mid range until we get a pleasing overall contrast.
To compare against the original uncorrected image, just deselect the Color
Corrector 3-way at the top of the tab.
At the base of the controls there is a Saturation slider for adjusting the
overall chrominance level and this is handy for pulling computer generated
content back to broadcast legal values. Additional fine controls are available by
opening the disclosure triangle at the base of the tab.
Be sure to watch the Final Cut Pro Essential Training course for more information on these.