Matching color with RAW and H.264

Started by arrinkiiii, March 04, 2014, 04:31:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

arrinkiiii


Im using VisionLog in ACR in my MLV files... and i  need to  mix some h.264 footage (recorded with Neutral picture style)  in the same timeline. My question is if anyone knows the best way to match the H.264 color with the raw (in Log color space)? 


Andy600

I believe VisionLog is based on Neutral and they provide a LUT. If you only want the color and want to apply your own s-curve you could probably use their LUT with a 'color' composite mode.

TBH, there is little point in using a Log profile if you just want Neutral. Just select Camera Neutral in ACR and render an intermediate as-is. ;) It will not be identical to Canon Neutral as it's Adobe's 'own interpretation'. Canon profiles are in .icc format. You can dig them out of the CD that comes with your camera but applying them in a useable way is another matter. You will probably need Lightspace CMS.

Log profiles are best used for a) converting 14bit linear raw to 10bit log and b) for when you intend to color grade and might not know or haven't yet decided what look you're going for.
Colorist working with Davinci Resolve, Baselight, Nuke, After Effects & Premier Pro. Occasional Sunday afternoon DOP. Developer of Cinelog-C Colorspace Management and LUTs - www.cinelogdcp.com

arrinkiiii

Hi Andy, thanks for the  answer =)) Im getting some difficult to understand, but i think i get it, i hope...

Quote from: Andy600 on March 04, 2014, 04:16:33 PM
I believe VisionLog is based on Neutral and they provide a LUT. If you only want the color and want to apply your own s-curve you could probably use their LUT with a 'color' composite mode.

If im using VisionLog in ACR with my raw files, i can use the same VisionLog with my H.264  Footage, but with a color composite mode?   This "color composite mode" i can achieve this in after effects?

Quote from: Andy600 on March 04, 2014, 04:16:33 PM
TBH, there is little point in using a Log profile if you just want Neutral. Just select Camera Neutral in ACR and render an intermediate as-is. ;) It will not be identical to Canon Neutral as it's Adobe's 'own interpretation'. Canon profiles are in .icc format. You can dig them out of the CD that comes with your camera but applying them in a useable way is another matter. You will probably need Lightspace CMS.

Going try this =)) Instead of trying to macth the H.264 footage with raw footage, im going try to match the raw footage with the H.264 (with the Neutral).

Quote from: Andy600 on March 04, 2014, 04:16:33 PM
Log profiles are best used for:
a) converting 14bit linear raw to 10bit log and
b) for when you intend to color grade and might not know or haven't yet decided what look you're going for.

Good to know this. Im using Log in ACR for all my raw footage for after i apply in After Effects some Lut's for having some color in the footage.  Im doing this because i don't know how to color correct or color grade. 

But if i understand good i don't need to use Log in my raw footage, just use ACR for exposure and recover and then grade a little bit with curves and give or take some contrast to the footage? This is the best?  Im completely lost how the best way to achieve good and normal image/color to my raw footage.  But this is other story, know im going try to match some h.264 with some raw, mamamiaaaaaa.... Thanks for helping me on this =DD



Andy600

No, there's a little more to it than that. I suggested using the Camera Neutral Profile only if you want your raw video to look like H.264 video shot using the Neutral Picture Style.

VisionLog, I think, uses the Adobe Neutral color matrix and they provide a lut which will convert VisionLog (raw) footage to something close to Neutral but if you only want something that looks like Neutral then you can just use ACR's Camera Neutral profile (it should be in your profile presets in ACR). This will apply a color palette and tone curve to your DNGs that is similar to Canon Neutral Picture Style (but not identical) and this should intercut ok with H.264 Neutral footage (but only if default Neutral Picture Style settings were used i.e. no contrast or saturation adjustments). The draw back is that your highlights and shadows may clip (as they do in H.264) so this is one reason for using a Log profile.

Avoid using the recovery sliders in ACR (and a few other things). They are likely to cause flickering. This is another reason for using a log profile.

My comment about the 'color' composite mode was referring to using only the color from a LUT. You can do this by adding a LUT to an adjustment layer in After Effects/Premier Pro and setting it's layer mode to 'color'. This will map only the LUT's color information to the image below (you may need to adjust the opacity if it's over-saturated). Then you can apply your own levels, curves or other luminance corrections.

Colorist working with Davinci Resolve, Baselight, Nuke, After Effects & Premier Pro. Occasional Sunday afternoon DOP. Developer of Cinelog-C Colorspace Management and LUTs - www.cinelogdcp.com

arrinkiiii



It work, just change the camera profile to Neutral and it did the trick. Need to take contrast and saturation a litle bit but overall is good. Of course the raw footage is just simple amaZing!

Will try also the "color composite mode"  and some curves for change a little bit the colors. Need to be careful because the H.264 will break sooner then raw footage. 

Thanks you so much for the enlightenment, again =))