FCPX Color module - color correcting is tough

[John Schweikert]

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[bcooter]

For my work, FCPX does fine and I can use it easily across 3 machines depending on where I am and by just moving around a mobile raid.

But the issue I have had from day one with FCPX is that color correcting is hard as hell with the new built in tools. Personally I think the color tools suck, and suck bad. But I also realize it is also my own inability to make the color tools work. But honestly the white balance tool makes my head explode, it has no RGB feedback or conventional white balance numbers and its layout lacks common sense.

As a photographer, color is so important for mood and effectiveness. The projects I've done so far in FCPX have been a color disaster. The current project I'm doing I just changed it to black and white which has been the best choice, but I can't do that for all my work.

So, I would like to hear What and How people are color correcting within FCPX, don't care about anything outside of FCPX. Either techniques of using the existing Color tools or better plugins. Thanks.

John,

Live life the way you want, but personally I wouldn't do any money production in FCPX.  We're learning it, we use it for quick cuts to show a client but for anything that is professional we're still working in FCP 7.

In FCP X the color correction tools work well, though they are basic and there is not a lot of apps/plus ins available to make it more advanced (at least as far as I know).

Also X won't take a PSD which is vital for most of our work, adding transitions off the base time line is crazy and  . . . at of stuff.

It does do very good and fast green screen.

I look at X like it's new, worth learning, but like most I don't worry about what "we" can do, I worry about a client request that asks for something we can't do in X, so between waiting for X we're workin in 7.

IMO

BC

P.S.  Tonight in re reading my post, I didn't want to make it seem like what you are doing is wrong, actually there is no right or wrong.  In fact as different as FCP X is to FCP studio, I somewhat wish I had zero learning curve in the older NLE's.   I think it would be easier to embrace X if I only knew what it could do vs. what I know FCP X can do.

In all truth, right now we're cutting 10 long videos and they are all multi cam, multi window, lots of filters, technique and masks.   I and our editor would kill if we had the speed and ease of FCP X, and we came within inches of going in that direction.

What stopped us was we are under a tight deadline, multiple changes and since no one in our studios is expert in X vs. our knowledge of 7, we went the safe way.

[billy]

For my work, FCPX does fine and I can use it easily across 3 machines depending on where I am and by just moving around a mobile raid.

But the issue I have had from day one with FCPX is that color correcting is hard as hell with the new built in tools. Personally I think the color tools suck, and suck bad. But I also realize it is also my own inability to make the color tools work. But honestly the white balance tool makes my head explode, it has no RGB feedback or conventional white balance numbers and its layout lacks common sense.

As a photographer, color is so important for mood and effectiveness. The projects I've done so far in FCPX have been a color disaster. The current project I'm doing I just changed it to black and white which has been the best choice, but I can't do that for all my work.


Yeah I agree, the color tools suck. If there is a plug in that feels like your in C1 Pro or Lightroom I would love to try it. I would like the sliders to adjust color temp and green / magenta channels. I am not sure if I am struggling with this because of my lack of knowledge of the software or because I am used to pushing around a raw file ( still ) and dont have that luxury with the Canon 5D 'jpg' video. Probably a combo of both.

So, I would like to hear What and How people are color correcting within FCPX, don't care about anything outside of FCPX. Either techniques of using the existing Color tools or better plugins. Thanks.

[bcooter]

So, I would like to hear What and How people are color correcting within FCPX, don't care about anything outside of FCPX. Either techniques of using the existing Color tools or better plugins. Thanks.

We're in the middle of a lot of heavy duty post production. 

Dailies, client distribution, multi cam projects, organization, editing, approvals, effects, color matching(effecting), sound sweetening,  all the way to finish on web play, corporate theatre/events, mobile distribution and even some broadcast.

We looked at X, learned about 65% of it and decided to work 7.  We set up a 12 core mac, loaded with everything possible, including a fiber optic drive, raid backups, broadcast monitors and are in the process of networking the complete facility together.

Right on on this projects we have 4 full time people working on this project and are outsourcing effects and sound.

Now not that this has anything to do with color correction, but in a way it really does, because one step off, one function that requires going to multiple machines can mean extra days of work, or worse getting close to deadline crunch.

Now as far a X.  I like it, it's fast, though buggy, expecially when you have multiple items keyed and masked and when it crashes it requires a complete reboot.

If you shoot a pre cooked file like from a Canon or any camera that doesn't allow for raw adjustments, I'll admit the color correction tools in fcp X are very limited.

You can tweek, sometimes get a good look but if you've shot a multicam project or running clips from different days/scenes/ to match the look FCP X's color correction tools are not up the the level of any dedicated color suite, whether that is Di Vinci or Apple Color.

We looked high and low for FCP X color effect plug ins/apps and couldn't find any.

Actually though we have a dedicated Di Vinci Seat, we are coloring in Apple Color, because a.  We know it well and Di Vinci is a heavy learning process and b. we do not have at the moment.

So my suggestion to anyone trying to professionally color in X and doesn't want to go back and cut in FCP 7, or Avid, is to do you first rough cut, minus transitions and filters, locate those files and work in apple color.

You'll get a much more professionally crafted video.

IMO

BC

[pschefz]

i have used fcpx for a couple of weeks now and have to say i am blown away by how amazingly easy it is to put together a simple project....which is why i am sticking with it....
i am struggling as well with color correction...i have found several plug ins that provide looks and or effects, but nothing that gives good, solid, repeatable! color correction...there are few that are promised soon and i know i will jump...
again, the workflow can be so amazingly easy it is almost a joke....compared to fcp and everything else....
i know know why people are still working with fcp for bigger projects....fcpx isn't ready...yet....but there are many things i have read about fcpx that just aren't true....plenty of options right at your fingertips, a lot of people might actually be looking too hard, sometimes the solution is right there....
so i would say amazing potential, v2 will be the thing to beat...i think a lot of plug in makers have been turned off by bad press (because a lot of people did not buy although it does do everything they need it to do....)

as for speed: i was working with a 6 layer (all with several effects) project and things got slow....with freezes...a call to apple support, a couple of settings changed (most important to work with proxys) and all was smooth again....
color correction still kinda sucks....