Matching REDColor+Gamma with REDColor2+Gamma2 in FCP?

[Brendan H. Banks]

Hey Everyone,

Been a while since I posted, but I am having a little trouble here.

I am an assistant editor on a feature that shot using multiple RED Ones. We are prepping to output for a test audience and I was asked to do a quick Color Correct to make some shots/scenes match. Most of it is easy, except for a few particular scenes. I was unable to get the exact information in regard to all camera settings (not the best camera notes), but after going to the RAW I discovered what seems to be the problem: A-CAM was shooting MX and using the latest build, shot in REDColor2 and REDGamma2 (and transcoded to QT Proxies in this color space/gamma) --- the B-CAM was shooting with either the old sensor or an old build and was shooting in REDColor and REDGamma (and transcoded to QT Proxies in this color space/gamma). The usual answer would be to simply re-transcoding using either all RC2/RG2 or RG/RC...however we don't have the luxury of time to do this.

EDIT: I have uploaded two photos as an example (with our actor's faces blurred). Take a look at the brightness/contrast and skin tones.

Does anyone have any suggestions for simple FCP filters that I can just toss onto all of the B-CAM or all of the A-CAM to have it preliminarily match? We simply want a CC that will help the cameras match (not perfectly) so that our test audience isn't distracted by the cuts in regard to color. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

-Brendan

 

[Marc Wielage]

There is no magic filter that will fix unmatching cameras, because the problems are nonlinear and unpredictable day by day. The best idea would be to output the whole thing as a high-res QuickTime file (like 4:2:2 HQ) and have a post house do a fast color-correction pass on it before your test screenings. I have done many, many test screening color corrections in as little as a day, sometimes two days, just to fix the major "boulders" that would cause issues for the audience.

This is far wiser than trying to do it in the edit bay. Even if your monitors are precisely aligned to D-Cinema projection standards, I think you'll find an experienced colorist can do a far better job. If they can knock go through 10 minutes of material an hour, this can be done in a day. (A long day, but still one day.)

 

[Deanan]

Start with adjusting saturation and contrast. That's the major difference.