Color Correction in Final Cut

[klesko010]

Can you take a digital HD transfer of a film project and correct something thats around 1 1/2 - 2 stops over down to normal without losing image quality? Kodak came to our school to show the new 250 stock and it was amazing what they could bring down. That footage went through a DI though and the best we can work with is either FCP 3 way color or after effects color.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Yes and no. Anything in the scan off of the negative can be manipulated in color-correction, and anything detail that is 2-stops over is still visible on the negative. However, anything much beyond five or so stops over is burned-out and somewhat noisy on some scans, and if your subject is 2-stops overexposed, then there is only detail for objects that are 3 more stops over that -- so your brightest near-white areas can look a bit odd and flattened or clipped once you correct the overexposed highlights to normal brightness.

I saw "flattened" because if your subject was exposed near the shoulder of the characteristic curve rather than the straight-line portion, it exists in a flatter lower-contrast zone, so you get somewhat "dulled" looking whites and bright areas right next to your skintones.