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Color Timing and Color Grading<br />
image as possible. The image may be stylized later, but if the necessary image information was not<br />
recorded in production it is not recoverable.<br />
Because compressed digital images record much less contrast information than fi lm does, digital<br />
cameras must offer more controls in camera than fi lm cameras. White balance is used for a baseline<br />
correction of the light color, and other settings can be used to alter the gamma and contrast of the<br />
original image. On digital formats with large amounts of information recorded, the color can be<br />
controlled much better in postproduction. And, often these cameras and formats are shot as neutrally<br />
as possible so that the look can be better controlled in color grading at a later time.<br />
While some larger projects will color grade at a professional facility, many smaller projects (and<br />
even some large projects) perform fi nal color correction right in Final Cut Pro with the Color Corrector<br />
three way. While this is not the most advanced system, it has proven adequate for many projects.<br />
And because the fi ltration is part of the project, even if the video is relinked to higher resolution<br />
video in online, the fi lter settings stay intact and need only to be rerendered.<br />
Working with Color<br />
This color-correction workfl ow has been radically altered with the release of Final Cut Pro 6 and<br />
Final Cut Studio 2. Final Cut Studio now comes with Color, an advanced software-based color<br />
grading system that works brilliantly with Apple’s new Pro Rez 422. Figure 9.1 shows the Color<br />
interface in use. Color was previously known as Final Touch from Silicon Color, with a suggested<br />
retail price of $25,000 for the 2 K version and $1,000 for the DV version. Color lets you see the<br />
color correction at any resolution in real time. When you have the look dialed in the way you want<br />
it, you can render it at full quality in record time. Color taps the power of the new generation of Macs<br />
to produce RGB output in resolutions up to 2 K at 4 : 4 : 4 color, using 32-bit fl oat processing.<br />
Figure 9.1 Apple’s Color interface<br />
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