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Scuba diving underwater - red filter color correction
Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Hi All,
I shot hours of underwater videos whilst scuba diving this summer with my GoPro, unfortunately without a red filter.
I would like to add a filter in post-production and I was surprised to find no agile settings in PD12. I also downloaded some filters on the internet, but the colors become so patchy that it's worthless.

Used several video editors before, but relatively new to PowerDirector12.
I found a good tutorial on the internet with Adobe After Effects, but the Adobe software is too slow and certainly noone here would like to shift to a competitor!
Below the AfterEffects settings which most seem to give me the best output color correction. Videos are shot between 10 to 25 meters, hence appreciate a one-to-fit-all setting might be difficult; yet will tweak every single clip on the timeline.
AFTER EFFECTS settings:
1. Photo Filter: Magenta 25%-60% depending on depth
2. Curves: Increase contrast and darken exposure
3. (Optional) Channel Mixer: Red-Green between 80 and 100, Red-Blue between -80 and -100
4. (Optional) Exposure: Gamma Correction between 0.6 and 0.9
5. Vibrance: Vibrance between 20 and 40, Saturation between 5 to 20
6. (Optional) Level: Fine tune colors
7. Sharpen: less than 20 or Unsharp Mask 100%

Any help from you Experts will be kindly appreciated,

Many Thanks in advance,
Gio
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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I can only suggest ColorDirector, the color plug-in for PD.
Maybe you could try the trial.
http://www.cyberlink.com/downloads/trials/colordirector/download_en_US.html HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Hi BarryTheCrab,
Thanks for the prompt reply, I tried Color Director already, but once again I can't tune the right settings to have an effective result. Any chance I could post a small clip of the video for the Community to advice on the best settings?
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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You can post a clip, for sure, but it should be both small enough for people to want to download it, yet long enough to show a color/hue change so people can effectively test it.
In the end, not every mistake can be fixed, particularly with software in this price range, even though PD is quite good. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Below the link to download the video (it's an 18Mb file), several bits shots at different depths.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-rCfCqUvV4gdTA4WXlqSEgxZjA/edit?usp=sharing

Every help will be very much appreciated

Ps: Side question: which software would you recommend for video editing?
1Nina
Senior Contributor Location: Norway, 50km southwest of Oslo Joined: Oct 08, 2008 04:12 Messages: 1070 Offline
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Hi Gio,

You are looking for fine tuning color corrections/ color grading.
Not shipped with less expensive editors- you might find suitable plugins.

I do not know GoPro cameras and to what extent you can choose settings when recording.
I do know of a free program which does fine tune color corrections. A little learning curve there, perhaps.
You may try this free version of DaVinci Resolve Lite 11.
At the left of this site under “latest downloads” you find the download link for the free version.
Click the "read more" if you are uncertain you get the free version.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/davinci-resolve

Nina
Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com
Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Hi Nina,

Thanks for your suggestion. GoPros are basic cameras (as the price to say it all). Whilst, to a certain degree, all software allow some color correction (eg. avidemux which is another free one) , my problem is that I don't know what the right combination of settings are to reduce the blue tone caused by the water filtering the sun's rays.
The link to the video I'd like to correct is pasted above, a suggestions on the post-production color settings would be great

Tks, Gio
1Nina
Senior Contributor Location: Norway, 50km southwest of Oslo Joined: Oct 08, 2008 04:12 Messages: 1070 Offline
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Gio,

".....the right combination of settings......."

I can't tell you this, not professional enough!
I, like many others I believe, will have to try out different settings.
I would probably try RGB variables, hue and saturation, maybe brightness - all in combinations.
This you actually can have a go at in ColorDirector.
You mentioned "unsharp mask". That one you will find in the more expensive editors.

I will download your sample and try a bit.


Nina
Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Hi Gio -

I'm not sure that there is a "right" combination of settings. It very much depends on (a) the properties of each clip - light conditions etc & (b) how you want it to look.

The samples you uploaded, shot at different depths, would need to be treated slightly differently.

In ColorDirector, I started off trying to replicate the AE settings you posted... but drifted off into "how I'd like it to look". It's really something you need to do yourself to get it as you want, but doing the colour & light shift is quite easy.

I attempted to upload the adjustments to DirectorZone so you could use it as a color preset in PDR, but DZ/CDR didn't want to play It's arguably still too "blue" in any case. The attached screenshot shows the original beside the "corrected" version in CDR.

Cheers - Tony
[Thumb - CDR Correction 2.png]
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CDR Correction 2.png
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1081 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
441 time(s)

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1Nina
Senior Contributor Location: Norway, 50km southwest of Oslo Joined: Oct 08, 2008 04:12 Messages: 1070 Offline
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Gio,

I have never been scuba diving, so I don't know what will be correct.
Also, the eye of the beholer- and difference in different clips.
I tried out a few settings, this is what I came up with:

[Thumb - preset_1.PNG]
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preset_1.PNG
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24 Kbytes
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371 time(s)
[Thumb - preset_2.PNG]
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15 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
330 time(s)
[Thumb - preset_3.PNG]
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preset_3.PNG
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16 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
337 time(s)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 06. 2014 17:54


Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Nice Nina!

Gio - that preset did finally worm its way into DirectorZone - http://directorzone.cyberlink.com/detail/131985982 - if you install it, it will show up as a Color Preset/Effect.



I only treated a 5 second sample from the start of your clip, but here it is...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85vH3Tq1aKs[/youtube]

Cheers - Tony
[Thumb - PDR_Color Effect.png]
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PDR_Color Effect.png
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 06. 2014 18:34


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Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Tony / Nina,
Thank you both for your time. Appreciate the image will always look a bit "bluish" but that's unavoidable.

Tony, downloaded the "underwater 2" color preset, which works in ColorDirector, however it doen't show up in PowerDirector (in fact no preset downloaded I am able to see in PDR, but I do in CDR). Am I missing something?

On a side note: is there a way to automatically cut the end of a clip and the start of the adjoining one by the same amount of time? - as several clips on my movie have video/audio out of sync slightly for a fraction of second. It wouldn't bother me, but it doesn't allow to put a fade effect. I went around the problem on a handful of other clips by doing the "tweak" cutting manually (slicing audio and video at the same time

Thanks,
Gio
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Gio -

That should show up in Color Effects > Downloaded because it was made in CDR. Some of the color presets on DZ were made in PhD & don't show up in PDR... but that one should.

Anyway - with it installed in CDR, you can apply it then go to Manual & adjust it as you wish. The clips shot in deeper water would require a bit of tweaking.

Re: your other question. I think your manual way of splitting off the ends of clips might be the best way to do it.

Cheers - Tony
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Daniel.Saxer [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Argentina Joined: Apr 06, 2014 23:08 Messages: 30 Offline
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Hi!!
Check this, I just ajust the white balance, the color temperature between 60-70 and Tint between 90-100
Cheers
Daniel

PD: letme know when you see it, to remove later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHNJfISzivw
Daniel Saxer
Asus GT750
i74700 2.4 + GTX770M + 16Gb ram
Gio [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Sep 06, 2014 06:45 Messages: 6 Offline
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Hi All,
Having tested Tony's "underwater 2" preset, I have got to say it is the one which works best (at least with my videos and to my personal taste) - Thanks Tony.
Given the limitations of the software (which I now start to realize), I tried to tweak it slightly increasing the red curve, but the red flare which results makes the shootage look a bit unreal.

So the main benefit of the "Underwater 2" preset, whilst increasing the sharpness/contrast, is also to remove that aqua/cyan color.

Daniel, Nina, thanks for your input as well.

Lessons learned:
1. buy a red filter for the camera (already ordered),
2. bring a torch/flash with me next time!
obviously the latter supersedes the former
Daniel.Saxer [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Argentina Joined: Apr 06, 2014 23:08 Messages: 30 Offline
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you can also create an image and use it as filter, all red, with varible opacity, let say, a red image 1080x720 with 10% opacity, another one with 20%, and another one with 30% opacity, and you put it as separate track, an make the same duration of the video, it works, but take out some brightness Daniel Saxer
Asus GT750
i74700 2.4 + GTX770M + 16Gb ram
Daniel.Saxer [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Argentina Joined: Apr 06, 2014 23:08 Messages: 30 Offline
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same with blue or another color, and add color to your video Daniel Saxer
Asus GT750
i74700 2.4 + GTX770M + 16Gb ram
[Post New]
For your next dive trip:

buy a gray-card

glue it to your fins or attache it to your budy

in each depth film a second of that gray-card

(each 3 to 5 meters or so)

working in ColorDirector on a video in 15m depth, assemble the video of the gray-card at 15m to your video.

use the gray-card part of the movie for whitebalance

remove the gray-card video from your "real" video



maybe you filmed the tank of your budy in one of your videos

maybe it was an alluminium tank and it was gray

try the whitebalance with the tank...

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Apr 28. 2017 00:07

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