Color Correcting and Grading in Final Cut Studio
Course Description
This three-day hands-on course will familiarize students with Apple’s masterful new color grading and finishing software. Start with the basics of color balancing and correction, and move on to the fine points of secondary grading, including scene matching, using vignettes to isolate and track regions, creating advanced color effects and “looks,” skin tone adjustments, adjusting the composition and framing of a shot, and much more.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for existing Final Cut Pro users who want to learn more about the color correction and grading capabilities of Color. The course is designed for those who prefer hands-on and interactive instruction to best explore the functionality of Color.
How to Register
This course is available for registration at many of our Apple Authorized Training Centers worldwide. Please visit the course schedule for current classes, or view the Apple Authorized Training Centers page to find a center near you.
Certification
This course covers the requirements necessary to successfully become an Apple Certified Pro, Level 1 in Color. Level 1 certification attests to basic operational knowledge of the application.
Color Level 1 certification also counts towards the new Final Cut Studio (FCS) Master Pro certification. FCS Master certification recognizes a Certified Pro’s skills with the entire Final Cut Studio product suite. Since workflow is such a significant component of Final Cut Studio, users need certification in at least three of the applications to earn Master Certification. For details, please visit http://train.apple.com/certification/proapps.html.
To register for the exam, please consult with your Apple Authorized Training Center. You are required to have an Apple Tech ID number before registering for any Apple exam. You can apply for a Tech ID by following the instructions at certifications.apple.com.
Prerequisites
Students should have the following prerequisite knowledge prior to attending the course:
- Basic knowledge of the Macintosh OS
- Level One Final Cut Pro End User certification is preferred. Ideally, students will have attended a Final Cut Pro 101, 200 or 250 course.
| Course Outline - Day 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Topic | Description | |
Lesson 1Setting Up a Project and Navigating the Color Rooms |
Setting up, Primary In, Secondary Rooms, Color FX, Primary Out, Geometry, Still Store, Final Print, Transferring Final Cut Pro Projects to Color, Standard-definition and High-definition Formats,l Frame Rates, Project Frame Sizes, Broadcast Safe Settings, and Preventing Illegal Video Signals. | |
Lesson 2Making Basic Adjustments |
Understanding Scopes, Adjusting Contrast, Primary Color Balancing, Defining, Lift, Gain and Gamma, Hue Controls and Correction, Saturation Controls and Correction. | |
Lesson 3Creating and Recalling Grades: Advanced Primary Correction |
Switching between Grade Banks, Dragging and Dropping Grades, Grouping Shots and Grading Groups, Checking Continuity and Still Store Bin. | |
| Course Outline - Day 2 | ||
| Topic | Description | |
Lesson 4Basic Secondary Correction |
Using Hue, Saturation and Luma Curves, Using the Eyedropper, Keying, Using HSL Selectors, and Fixing Skin Tones. | |
Lesson 5Using Vignettes: Secondary Correction |
Using Vignettes to Isolate Regions, Inside and Outside Vignettes, Tracking Vignettes to Points, Keyframing -Secondary Controls, Using Multiple VIgnettes to Achieve a Grade and Relighting. | |
Lesson 6Applying Effects and Creating Looks: Color FX Room |
Commonly Used Grade Effects, Presets, Using Nodes, Day for Night, Bleach Bypass, Dream Sequence, Edge Vignette, Creating a Film Look, Using Old or Damaged Film-Vintage Effect, Saving and Recalling your Favorite Effect. | |
| Course Outline - Day 3 | ||
| Topic | Description | |
Lesson 7Recompositing the Shot and Making Final Adjustments |
Panning and Scanning, Using Keyframes, Repositioning the Frame, creating Custom-Shaped Vignettes, Clipping Saturation and RGB and Final Adjustments and Corrections. | |
Lesson 8Tracking in the Geometry Room |
Using Trackers, Advanced Tracking Techniques, Applying Trackers to Vignettes and Shapes. | |
Lesson 9Rendering, Exporting and Archiving |
Shots to Render Queue, Print Options, Final Gather Options, Exporting JPEGs, and Exporting. | |