shoot with 0-255 luminance levels, conform to 16-235 broadcast level

[gebseng]

Hi everyone at the forum,
 
I am just starting to shoot (Panasonic DMC-G70) and edit (Premiere Pro CC 2015) 4K MP4 video. As you may know, a lot of cameras let you choose different luminance levels whil shooting (0-255, 16-235, the G70 even has 16-255).
 
Since I produce for vimeo/youtube foremost, I'm thinking 0-255 at the moment (so that blacks and whites don't appear grey).
 
My question: Is there a way to conform videos shot and edited this way to "broadcast level" 16-235 later during output? Oram I stuck with the luminance level I chose while shooting forever?
 
Another question: Is there a way to combine 0-255 and 16-235 footage in one Premiere project, and have them both look right?
 
best,
 
geb

[Christopher Sanderson]

Stick with 0-255 unless you need to go to Broadcast. Most NLEs have a Broadcast Safe corrector that is easily applied if you are outputting a Master file for broadcast. It may correct both Luminance levels and Saturation.

On principle, I would avoid mixing footage with different DR points unless you are forced to. Should you absolutely have to mix footage, then my workflow would suggest that you do an overall correction on the imported footage so that when added to the timeline the DR range is the same across all media - again preferably working 0-255 unless the output is strictly for broadcast.

[gebseng]

Thanks Christopher, this helps a lot!

best,

geb

[John Brawley]

Hi Geb,

You can "legalise" the levels later.  Im not that familiar with Premiere but they usually call it something like "broadcast legal".

The downside to doing this is that you might not know how it truncates your image....it MIGHT roll the values down or it might just chop them.

JB

[D Fuller]

It surprises me that Premiere CC doesn't have a 1-button switch for this in the "Interpret footage" window, but it doesn't. The best way to make this correction in Premiere if you have a mix of things is to make a preset for the "Levels" effect that is set numerically to the 16-235 input. That way, you start subsequent color correction from a similar place across all clips.

Stick with 0-255 unless you need to go to Broadcast. Most NLEs have a Broadcast Safe corrector that is easily applied if you are outputting a Master file for broadcast. It may correct both Luminance levels and Saturation.

On principle, I would avoid mixing footage with different DR points unless you are forced to. Should you absolutely have to mix footage, then my workflow would suggest that you do an overall correction on the imported footage so that when added to the timeline the DR range is the same across all media - again preferably working 0-255 unless the output is strictly for broadcast.

[fredjeang2]

What surprises me even more is the fact that
Broadcast asks for correct levels when in practise
The tech would restrict the levels anyway in one clic
Before putting something on air.

In fact, theaters propose for very little money to take care
Of the DCP. Wich seems logical to me.
Broadcast is like bureaucracy.