Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 839)

Chapter 56 Color Correcting Clips 839
IX
The Color Corrector filter has one Color Balance control that lets you manipulate the
whites in a clip, and a Hue control. You rarely use the Balance and Hue controls
simultaneously in a single color correction operation.
 Balance control: The Balance control affects the color balance in the whites of your
clip. Drag within the color wheel to move the balance control indicator and change
the mix of red, green, and blue in the whites of your clip.
 Whites Select Auto-balance Color button (the eyedropper): This button turns the
pointer into an eyedropper when it’s moved into the Video tab of the Viewer or into
the Canvas. Click the tip of the eyedropper into what is supposed to be the whitest
area of your image, such as a highlight on a white shirt. The color value of the pixel
you selected is analyzed, and the Balance control is automatically adjusted to turn
that pixel into white. For example, clicking a pixel that’s slightly yellow nudges the
trackball toward blue, to turn that yellow into a neutral white.
When using the Whites Select Auto-balance Color button, don’t select an area that’s
overexposed, such as a light source or a shiny highlight. This won’t give you the
desired result. Instead, select a properly exposed area of your picture that’s white,
such as a well-lit shirt sleeve or white wall.
Note: When color correcting a clip, using this control is usually the second step you
take, after first using the Auto Contrast controls and the Whites, Mids, and Blacks
sliders (described in the next section) to maximize the contrast of your image.
 Balance Reset button: Click this button to reset the Balance control to its default
settings and restore your clip to its original color mix. Holding down the Shift key
while clicking this button resets the Whites, Mids, Blacks, and Saturation controls to
their default settings.
 Hue control: Rotate the Hue control to change the overall hue of the affected clip.
 Hue Reset button: Click this button to reset the Hue control to its default settings and
restore your clip to its original hue. Holding down the Shift key while clicking this
button resets the Level and Saturation controls (described in one of the next
sections) to their default settings.
Auto Level and Contrast Controls in the Color Corrector Filter
Using the Auto Contrast controls and the Whites, Mids, and Blacks sliders to maximize
the contrast of your image is usually the first step you take when color correcting a clip.
Level sliders
Auto Black Level button
Saturation control
Auto White Level button
Auto Contrast button