Color matching and prediction: color correction tool v1.3 released! — Page 3

Although the bluray is not known for it's consistent color timing, the following examples show that the color adjustment model based on the adjusted Legacy frame works pretty well for many other scenes:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138907

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138908

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138909

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138910

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138911

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138912

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138913

Am I the only one who things your latest pics are too pink?

Some of the bluray colors are really odd, in the early part of the Tantive IV scenes there is a green tone, then later there is a blue tone. The colors are really all over the place.  

With regards to adjusting Mike Verta's preliminary color grading (it says so on his website), I let myself be guided by the stormtrooper's hands and weapon, which are really green in Mike's screenshot, and should be gray, but I may have overdone it a bit with the reds.

Let's not forget all the color adjusments are based on that single low-res frame, that doesn't have much color in the first place. 

Odd is putting it mildly. There are frames within shots where the color correction doesn't even match up. Sometimes, it looks like they simply mis-selected their frame range when adjusting the color. The first frame of Leia in her cell before Luke rescues her is one example I recall. Accidentally didn't give it the blue coloring. Perhaps it was an ugly glue frame that just turned out totally different?

The last shot of the film, maybe about 5 frames before the wipe starts, also has a change in grading. As well as during the wipe shortly before, as Luke is exiting his X-wing. Probably a hundred more examples throughout the film.

DrDre said:

I did some further tests using a screenshot posted by Mike Verta as a basis. That screenshot was somewhat green shifted, so I first corrected that:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138895

I think it went from green to red.  If you can find the middle of these two, then it would probably be perfect.

The LOTR shots are awesome.

Yeah, there definitely is a reddish, pink tone in some of the screenshots. I will redo them tomorrow with only a slight adjustment.

All of them are reddish including the original that you adjusted.  The easy way to see it is to look at the storm troopers.  They should be white or gray and not have any color to them unless there was colored lighting in the shot.  They are pinkish purple in your adjusted version.  A simple way to see it is open mspaint and make an all white background.  Put the storm trooper in the middle of the white background and see if it is white or another color.

http://oi59.tinypic.com/2h2nywj.jpg

pittrek said:

Am I the only one who things your latest pics are too pink?

 The adjustment to Mike's shot? Yes, went a bit too pink.

Another interesting nonsensical color shift on the blu-ray is the door on the Tantive before it's blown open. The walls become much more blue on the shot of the door where the explosion starts, compared to previous nearly identical shots. Presumably the shift was to get the explosion looking how they wanted.

You can imagine reasons for a lot of the color nonsense on the BD. Whenever there are laser blasts, they've got the saturation cranked up (probably to make the lasers look more impressive), and the skin tones look even worse as a result. It's also possible that they really wanted R2's blue color to 'pop', as shots with him present during the droid sale also are tweaked compared to surrounding shots.

Here's what I believe to be the more correct adjustment to Mike's frame:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138976

Here's the bluray calibrated to this frame:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138977

Here's the other three bluray frames from the Tantive IV scene, adjusted with this color adjustment model:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138978

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138979

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138980

Using the same adjusted Legacy frame, I calibrated the color adjustment model for the -1 video sample:

Legacy adjusted versus -1

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138981

-1 before versus -1 after

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138982

As it turns out you can automatically color correct almost the entire first reel with just this frame as a reference:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138983

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138984

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138985

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138986

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138987

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138988

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138989

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138990

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138991

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138992

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138993

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138994

Here's a first video sample for the color correction. This is all based on the single Tantive IV reference frame.

The original sample:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_LYKyZDiajcUpGOE1Ha3Z6dkU/view?usp=sharing

The color corrected sample (video has been updated): 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_LYKyZDiajaUxBZTZ1VEhUcW8/view?usp=sharing

I will put up a video sample for the Tatooine scenes later.

Here's a video sample for the Tatooine scenes. The reference is still the single Tantive IV frame. The color correction works surprisingly well, and was done in 90 minutes for this scene, which includes the frame by frame correction using the model, and the rendering and conversion of the video:

The original sample:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_LYKyZDiajcUxOV01lc2hZTjg/view?usp=sharing

The color corrected sample (video has been updated):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_LYKyZDiajNFBzYktRU201M1U/view?usp=sharing

That looks really good. Great work!

DrDre said:

Here's what I believe to be the more correct adjustment to Mike's frame:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138976

Just my opinion, but I think Mike's looks better. Your correction of his is too purple IMHO. Not even sure that his needed to be corrected.

Those corrected -1 frames are a huge improvement! What a great algorithm you have there!

-G

Thanks, I think your right, the reference is still slightly pink shifted. I've now used an algorithm to white balance the reference, because Mike's frame is pretty green shifted. I will use this reference to update the samples.

Always enjoy the updates, but I'm wondering if you shouldn't just keep them in this thread. I see updates in Harmy's and TN1's and think that it will be something related to their projects. And then usually see the same cross-posts here. Or the posts here might have slightly different links and I'll just assume I've seen them already.

Makes sense that you wanted to show Harmy and Team Negative themselves, but obviously they've yet to participate in the conversations. Generally, I've noticed that people with projects are not super enthusiastic about color correction discussion, especially for projects where there is no current color correction ongoing. As Catbus and others have recently pointed out, it's a tricky game and you can't please everyone. The critique can essentially be endless.

I guess you're right. I will update the links for the -1 videos when I've redone the corrections, and leave it at that. 

It looks like -1 is on vacation.

Here's the white balanced Legacy frame, that will be used as a reference from this point on:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/139173

Better.

A lot less blown out, I think this is a pretty good starting point.

BTW, has there been any mention anywhere of the white tape on the arm of the foreground trooper on the left?  I've never noticed that detail before...  I wonder if it is something to keep the costume together or if it was to cover up something problematic...  Do other Stormtrooper costumes have this?

g-force said:

Better.

 Agreed.  White balancing is the correct approach in my opinion.  Looking forward to the new screenshots!

Here's the bluray calibrated to the white balanced Legacy frame:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/139203

Here's the other three bluray frames from the Tantive IV scene, adjusted with this color adjustment model:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/139204

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/139205

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/139206

Most of our team members have been on vacation, or recovering from being sick. That's Mr. Brown, Mr. Red,  Mr. Black, Mr. Pink, etc.

Keep up the good work. There aren't any comments, because we are busy doing our own color correction.

Team Negative1