GoPro 3 black color correction

[JTE48]

I need to color correct footage shot in the protune mode during typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. A lot of it. Anyone have some settings they are willing to share or a link to a color correction tutorial?

[GrassValley_PS]

Hi Jim,
Try post #1 in this thread http://forum.grassvalley.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=23268
Must read grading by Matt Scott. Well worth the time to watch them all.
BTW great deal on Jay Leno! Anywhere that shows the video of the show?

[Jerry]

This might help. It is for the Hero 3, but the concept is still the same.
http://cineform.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/protune.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAiNvYKqzDQ

[JTE48]

Hi Jim,
Try post #1 in this thread http://forum.grassvalley.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=23268
Must read grading by Matt Scott. Well worth the time to watch them all.
BTW great deal on Jay Leno! Anywhere that shows the video of the show?

Yes, there are links to the Jay Leno segment on my website at http://www.extremestorms.com/

I'll check out that link by Matt Scott.

Update: I was able to color correct the GoPro 3 black protune footage using a combination of 3 filters: YUV Curve, Color Wheel, and Sharpness. The footage matches my NX5U quite well now. Thanks everyone.

[Long John Silver]

This might help. It is for the Hero 3, but the concept is still the same.
http://cineform.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/protune.html

Given that I still use Edius 6.07 should I go through cineform conversion before importing into Edius protune files?

BTW My converted files are way littler than the original MP4 files but this is not a Edius problem.

Any suggestion on project settings for these cineform files?

Thank you in advance.

[Long John Silver]

Given that I still use Edius 6.07

Any suggestion on project settings for these protune cineform files?

Thank you in advance.

Nobody care to reply?

[Andy]

If you want or need to transcode for speed, stability or other reasons then you can transcode to Edius' preferred "Canopus HQ" intermediate directly from the Edius Bin window. Just select your imported MP4 files, right click, and choose the appropriate "Convert" option i.e. "File" for transcoding a single selected clip, or "File(batch)" for transcoding multiple selected clips.

There's an easy to follow video tutorial over here: http://ediustips.com/index.php/2012-...ert-your-media

[Jerry]

It will come down to whether or not you need to remove the 'fish eye' from the video and if you have to encode to HQ in order to have your system run smoother.
I don't use Go Pro Studio V2, but it can remove the fish eye, color correct and do several other useful functions. If you can do all of that in 1 generation, it is worth testing for yourself.

[Long John Silver]

Thanks for your replies.

I was misleaded form the vast amount of post (out there) on best workflow for these gopro protune files. They all suggest to transcode in cineform for better handling and emphasize on active metadata and slog properties that would be lost without transcoding in cineform avi... Maybe just commercial biased stories.

It seems to me that the original GP3 Black protune mp4 files are just 8 bit 4:2:0 so if I transcode them in HQX or even throw them directly on my timeline I have the same results.
Am I right?

Thank you in advance.

[Andy]

Hi Davide

The GoPro's native recording format is H.264 in an MP4 wrapper.

The "active metatdata" thing is a bit of a gimmick that allows you to switch between / preview various stock "look"'s when using the GoPro/Cineform app. If you are intending to use one of these preset looks, using the GoPro/Cineform app, then you'll want to preserve that data ... but if you are going to be correcting and / or grading these images yourself in Edius, Resolve or some other app then you don't need that data and lose nothing by its absence.

Theres a detailed post over on the Cineform Insider blog that explains exactly what ProTune is and isn't offering: http://cineform.blogspot.com/2012/10/protune.html

Cheers
Andy

[Liverpool TV]

if you convert to anything but CF, then you will lose the ability of the RAWish element of protune. just convert to CF and do your edit as normal in Edius, it works great with CF. When you have finished the edit, just use CF/firstlight to grade the the clips. The grade can be done with the standard GP software, but limited. Or download one of the higher packages on demo, and use the better FL facilities http://cineform.com/downloads

[Andy]

He he!
Ok LT, I challenge you to define "RAWish". :)

[Liverpool TV]

He he!
Ok LT, I challenge you to define "RAWish". :)

:)

It's kind of not quite one thing or another. While it is a propriotory way of encoding picture information, it's not really as full a way of encoding the latitude that you would see in a 12 bit plus raw format. Although it is quite impressive, it still only uses h264 at 8bit as the carrier, and is subject to limitations.

It should be pointed out though, that in all fairness, protune has nothing to do with the CineForm codec. It may also be a misjudgement to think CF and its meta handling to be a gimmick. While I would agree that CF intermediates from protune files are a little underwhelming. This in no way shows off the the beauty of the CF format.

It is a bit similar to turning mpeg1 into an HQ intermediate and comparing it to an uncompressed 4k YUV that has been turned into a HQX intermediate. While the mpeg1/HQ may not be that impressive, as it does not show HQ in the best light. But the uncompressed/HQX file on the other hand, has many self evident practical features. In any event, it shows that CF just like HQ/HQX, gives a serious boost to workflow. Although, and quite obviously, CF holds meta data from the original RAW file that it was made from, something that HQX can't do, yet!

This is why I get very confused when people talk of workflows that have a first step of converting RAW or log type files to a HQX intermediate, then grading from that??? This process completely destroys the functionality and purpose of the initial RAW or log type file. To then grade that HQX and make up YUV curves as some kind of LUT, is simply not how it is done, or the correct thing to do. I think many people have a problem understanding certain fundamentals.

If you would like to see how good CF is, then try this out. Source some DNG files, like those from BM cameras, or some RAW or log type footage (most will work). Then convert them to CF intermediates. These intermediates are now fully realised files that will work in Edius, and still be able to be graded to the full potential of their original files, at any stage through post. The main points of interest for this, and the benefit to us Edius users, are:

1. You can now do real time online full native resolution editing in Edius, of files sourced from RAW and log type files that Edius would usually never see, without their colour benefits being totally destroyed by using HQX as the intermediate for Edius editing.

2. Although more compressed in file size compared to the sources. These CF intermediates are way easier to handle, for size related issues. Just like we get with HQ/HQX intermediates sourced from standard linear colour based traditional YUV uncompressed video (which is what HQ and HQX are designed for).

3. You now also have a file that is more conducive to being tossed about in an extended post workflow. Edius to Resove to After Effects to a whole load of other post applications, and finally back to Edius. All without some esoteric unnecessary and or destructive intermediate to get from one to another.

At any point you can now subject these files to whatever GoPro have repackaged FirstLight to. The basic GP software allows you to manipulate your protune sourced CF files with a certain amount of control. But don't make the mistake of assuming that the GP software is applying LUTs, as LUTs are primarily a way of decoding RAW type files into our usual real world way of viewing linear video. The basic GP software gives you "looks" that can be applied quickly, but is not really a grading process. The real magic comes from the other packages in the range. These are all based on the original CineForm software, most notably FirstLight or what ever it is now called. At this point you have a huge amount of creative control over the CF files that carry the RAW or log type data from the source files.

This whole FirstLight process, is really a lot closer to colour grading than Resolve, by definition of the traditional process, where FirstLight derives its name from. Resolve is really way more than a grading/colouring/looks tool, and more a very unique processing tool as well as a colouring tool. A fully graded/colour production is very achievable between just using Edius as your editor, which is what Edius is and in my opinion the best one, and using CF/GP/FL? as the colouring/looks/grading element.

Seriously I have been banging on about this for ages. Get some otherwise unusable DNG footage. And when I say footage, I obviously mean shed loads of stills. Let CF stitch it all together into single CF clips, that maintain the RAW type colour edibility of the original DNG. Edit it up like a possessed mad man in Edius. Then go back to the CF/FL colouring tool, at any point during your Edius mayhem. Hell, open them up side by side for instant self gratification. Then once you are happy with the results of the coloured CF clips, amazingly still in the Edius timeline. Just simply run out your master from Edius.

The main thing that I am trying to impress upon here, is that Edius stays in total control of the production, as it rightfully should. And you, the editor, can make instant creative colour decisions without getting all bent out of shape trying to go into other apps like Resolve, that stupidly on the PC platform, can't see many AVIs let alone our best mates HQ and HQX.

Talking of my best mates, Mr. HQ and his brother Mr. HQX. I am going to hang out with these two guys till the grave, as I wouldn't be surprised to meet another brother of there's at some point. The one with more bits and the ability to assimilate any colour coding technique. Maybe we can call him Mr. HQB, B for Borg. Resistance is futile.

Anyway I hope I have explained my self in an ish way :)

[Andy]

Thats an impressively long answer. Thank you. Outstanding.

Now, I'm going to have to admit I haven't properly read it yet because I think it probably deserves a proper read (and re-read) not a quick skim over (and I'm a bit rushed at the moment).

But thanks again, in advance. :)

Merry Christmas
Andy

[Liverpool TV]

No problem mate. It's a bit long winded because without all the boring detail it can be really easy to miss the point on the workflow.

If you check out some of the download examples provided by the excellent John Brawley, you can have a go at that DNG/CF/Edius/FL workflow I mention.

http://johnbrawley.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/afterglow-dngs-are-out-in-the-wild/

Although John's grading is done with Resolve, you can easily get similar and just as good results from FL, with his files. And way easier with Edius.

With CF/FL, you can even use normal linear YUV type files as the source for the intermediate, like off most cameras. Although they aren't raw etc. the CF/FL process allows you to colour these typical camera files in a way that Edius can't. Even bog standard MPEG files off something like a Sony EX3 can really benefit. Other low end formats like h264 and mp4s from DLSRs and consumer cameras, can look very impressive. It may just be me, but it feels like you can push them harder using this process.

I have just posted a request for help in the lounge. In it I have supplied a test clip as an example for the thread question. The clip happens to have gone though the CF/Edius/FL route. It is a shot off an EX3 that has had the gamma pushed a bit for a bit more strength in contrast, it's not an over cooked looked by any stretch, just something to give a little bite. Although it's probably a fair example of the final output from the workflow I mention. The final output is 1080 at a ridiculous 4Mbit bitrate, which is also a good example of X264 via the HandBrake GUI.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4u9qzdjgyel894/1080%20HIGH%204.1%202PASS%204000KBS%20VERY%20SLOW.mp4

If I don't bore you silly before then, have a great Christmas.