On The Color Altered Prequels (* unfinished project *)

A few days ago I started toying with the colors of RotS and AotC, only to realize how wrong they were. It may seem like a minor thing, but it really detracts from the dramatic value of many of the scenes.

I’m beginning with AotC in my effort to try to fix this and ultimately release this as a resource for edits, since it’s the one that’s most messed up. This is what’s wrong in general:

(Straight from the PAL DVD)

• It looks blurry
• The blacks aren’t black, they’re reddish
• The reds are way oversaturated
• Some other colors could use a lower saturation too
• Specific: Yoda looks too green, there’s radioactive Twi’lek

So, first step is to sharpen the image:

Now, I must say this sharpening looks better when the picture is scaled down. The ideal thing would be to take the 1080p copy running around and release it in 720p. I’m buying a new computer soon, but I don’t know whether it’ll be able to handle color correction in 1080p. In any case, 720p to PAL & NTSC DVD would be a good resource too.

Second step: correct those blacks and magenta-ish reds:

Looking better, huh?

Last step: making the blue-ish furniture grey more in line with the OT, Yoda less green and cure that poor radioactive Twi’lek, she’s suffering and no one notices…

Now go back to the original picture and compare.

This particular example is relatively easy not very radical. Other scenes, however, require a more drastic alternation IMO. I’ve been working on the Geonosis scenes and this is what I’ve got so far:

I’m hoping to regularly produce some tests and ideally get some good feedback that will help me. The definitive color correction will start once I have my new computer so I will be able to work at a greater resolution and with much better rendering times for preview.

The Superbattledroids look particularly impressive here (you can almost smell the machine oil).

Holy shit. Awesome job! I have always complained about how oversaturated the color pallete of the PT is, AOTC in particular, which often looks like a video game. The shots you posted are sort of the same type of correction I had in mind for doing myself.

Can I say that you have made me interested in watching AOTC again? You don't know what an accomplishment that is. ;)

Here are some more screens I had posted in the prequel redux ideas thread:

I'd like my sky blue

The Geonosis scenes are a huge improvement, but I also think the sky in the other scenes suffers from this treatment. In fact, the colour in those non-corrected screenshots don't bother me at all, as they don't have that orange tint which is so prevalent in most of Attack of the Clones.

theslime said:

The Geonosis scenes are a huge improvement, but I also think the sky in the other scenes suffers from this treatment. In fact, the colour in those non-corrected screenshots don't bother me at all, as they don't have that orange tint which is so prevalent in most of Attack of the Clones.

The sky desaturation is deliberate. The first scene in the movie is full of fog and has a somber tone, which foreshadows the mystery that surrounds the whole plot of the movie. Then, suddenly, we are some miles away and the sky is clear and bright. The tone is too cartoony considering the dark times this movie is supposed to be set in. But that's just my $0.02.

Cade I need to learn how you're doing this.... Settings and all. Amazing.

Very nice. Should look especially nice on 1080 downscaled. A bit too many artifacts and too much noise as it stands right now.

Cade Skywalker said:

theslime said:

The Geonosis scenes are a huge improvement, but I also think the sky in the other scenes suffers from this treatment. In fact, the colour in those non-corrected screenshots don't bother me at all, as they don't have that orange tint which is so prevalent in most of Attack of the Clones.

The sky desaturation is deliberate. The first scene in the movie is full of fog and has a somber tone, which foreshadows the mystery that surrounds the whole plot of the movie. Then, suddenly, we are some miles away and the sky is clear and bright. The tone is too cartoony considering the dark times this movie is supposed to be set in. But that's just my $0.02.

 

Ah, alright. That's a good explanation. I haven't seen it in a year or so, so I didn't remember the tonal change.

Keep up the good work!

Does someone know where to find the trailers for AotC? For some reason I can't rip the DVD files and they would be very valuable, since they provide a great reference of the original colors (that is, pre-orange tint).

EDIT: some new screens

mrbenja0618 said:

Cade I need to learn how you're doing this.... Settings and all. Amazing.

I second what he said,how are you doing this,and are you only doing single images or the video?

dark_jedi said:

mrbenja0618 said:

Cade I need to learn how you're doing this.... Settings and all. Amazing.

 

I second what he said,how are you doing this,and are you only doing single images or the video?

You have a PM.

BarBar Jinkx said:

Cade is there any chance you could do your magic on the 

 

"begun the Clone war has" scene at the end of the movie 

 

& the other yoda scene (forward command center)

I was avoiding that particular scene because of how messed up it is. Just to show how difficult this scene is:

In the the lower correction I was just trying to get the greys and lightning somewhat right, it looks very pale and will need a second, additional color pass.

That trailer still looks simply right... I wonder how the hell this color job even got approved and copies were sent to theaters...

BTW, I'm still looking for those AotC trailers. I can't rip them from the extras dvd for some reason. Would someone be kind enough to do so?

Cade Skywalker said:

BarBar Jinkx said:

Cade is there any chance you could do your magic on the 

 

"begun the Clone war has" scene at the end of the movie 

 

& the other yoda scene (forward command center)

I was avoiding that particular scene because of how messed up it is. Just to show how difficult this scene is:

In the the lower correction I was just trying to get the greys and lightning somewhat right, it looks very pale and will need a second, additional color pass.

That trailer still looks simply right... I wonder how the hell this color job even got approved and copies were sent to theaters...

BTW, I'm still looking for those AotC trailers. I can't rip them from the extras dvd for some reason. Would someone be kind enough to do so?

I gotta admit... Gray Yoda is kinda cool.

So, based on that trailer still, this is (roughly) how the scene must have looked before that orange tint:

It could use some further work, but I think overall it's an improvement. Opinions?

PS: video will follow whenever my computer completes the rendering...

vbangle said:

What's not to like.

Have you given any thought to doing this to the HD brodcast...if you don't have it I'm sure someone here could get it to you...

You're right up there with the other super talented people on this board...it would be regrettable if your talents only went towards the DVD when your work could be much more evident on the HD version....just saying.

I will be testing to use these as source (as soon as I have my new computer, the current one can't even play 720p!!), but later distribution would be a problem. If I were to do this on the HD versions, an AVCHD file would be the only decent way to share, but it would take years for me to upload... 

PS: Just watched that clone boarding scenes in the trailer Davnes007 sent me (thanks!!), and that one needs different correction, I simply let the Jedi Temple adjustments for that scene.

Cade Skywalker said:

So, based on that trailer still, this is (roughly) how the scene must have looked before that orange tint:

 

 

It could use some further work, but I think overall it's an improvement. Opinions?

PS: video will follow whenever my computer completes the rendering...

While I think the orange tint was intentional, I do like the gray Yoda like I've said before. However the wide shot as a good bit of noise in it. Have you ever heard of Neat Video... It's the best grain reducer I've seen. You should try it on these.