INFO: Software Cheat Sheets
Final Cut Pro 6: Color Corrector Basics
Cheat Sheet 20081101
Select a video clip in the Timeline and Double-Click to open it in the Viewer.
Choose the Color Corrector from the Video Filters menu (see below):
Effects - Video Filters - Color Correction - Color Corrector
Arrange your Final Cut Pro windows so you can see what you're doing (see below):
Window - Arrange - Color Correction
If the Color Corrector window is set to Numeric and you don't like using it that way, set it to Visual by clicking the Visual Button (see below):
In your Waveform Monitor, look and see if your black levels are being crushed. There is a line that says Black and if any of the white haze above it is resting on, or, is below that line, then your blacks are being crushed (see below):
Uncrush them by moving the Blacks slider in the Color Corrector and then play with your colors. Adjust your Blacks, Whites, Midtones and Saturation using the slide controls in the Viewer's Color Corrector tab(see below):
Use the eyedropper to click on something in your image that should be white (don't choose a blown-out white) and the rest of your colors will balance to your decision (see below):
To move the center dot on the Balance wheel more easily so you can pull your colors in one direction or the other – hold the Command (⌘) key down while moving it (see below):
If you don't like what you've done, remember that the white button opposite the eyedropper resets all your colors back to what they were before you started playing with them even if you've already saved (see below):
If you want to continue viewing the Video Scopes while working, Click and Hold the Frame Viewer tab and pull it out so it forms its own Tool Bench window. This way you can more easily compare different clip edits, i.e. the frame you are working with now and the next edit (see below):
In the Frame Viewer, the little green and blue squares can be dragged about so you can better compare two different frames to focus on whatever areas you wish to match, i.e. skin tones or clothing color (see below):
Once you've made your color decisions you can select the clip and Copy ( ⌘C, Command-C) and then Paste your new color attributes onto other clips using Option-V and choosing Filters (see below):
