Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 840)

840 Part IX Effects
 Auto White Level button: Click this button to analyze your clip and find the maximum
level of white in the frame. The Whites slider is then adjusted to move the maximum
white level to 100 percent as viewed on the Histogram.
 Auto Black Level button: Click this button to analyze your clip and find the maximum
level of black in the frame. The Blacks slider is then adjusted to move the maximum
black level of your clip to 0 percent as viewed on the Histogram.
 Auto Contrast button: Click this button to perform the functions of both the Auto
White Level and Auto Black Level buttons simultaneously.
Level and Saturation Controls in the Color Corrector Filter
The Level sliders allow you to adjust the Whites, Mids, and Blacks levels of your clip to
adjust the contrast of your image. The first step when color correcting one clip to
match another is to adjust its overall luminance levels to match those of the other.
Only after doing this are you able to adjust the colors appropriately and achieve the
desired results. The Saturation slider lets you increase or decrease the intensity of the
color in your image.
 Whites slider: Drag this slider to adjust the maximum level of white in the affected
clip. To move the slider in increments, click the small arrows to the right or left of the
slider. Moving the slider to the left lowers the maximum white level (letting you
bring the whites in overexposed clips down to a more acceptable level, for example).
 Mids slider: Drag this slider to adjust the average distribution of values in between
white and black in the affected clip. To move the slider in increments, click the small
arrows to the right or left of the slider. You can use this slider to adjust the midtones
of your image, increasing or decreasing the apparent contrast of your image without
washing out the whites or blacks. For example, you could manipulate the Mids slider
to bring out detail in shadowed areas of your clip.
 Blacks slider: Drag this slider to adjust the minimum level of black in the affected clip,
deepening or reducing the level of absolute black in your image. To move the slider
in increments, click the small arrows to the right or left of the slider.
 Sat slider: This slider (Sat is short for saturation) raises or lowers the overall saturation,
or intensity of color, in the affected clip. Drag the slider all the way to the left to
desaturate the color from the clip completely. This results in a grayscale image. Drag
the slider to the right to increase the saturation of color in the affected clip. To move
the slider in increments, click the small arrows to the right or left of the slider.
Note: Be very careful when raising the saturation of a clip using the Sat slider. It is very
easy to raise the saturation too high, resulting in saturation values that are illegal for
broadcast. Never adjust the saturation of clips based on how they appear on your
computer display. NTSC and PAL video never looks as vivid on a computer display as on a
properly calibrated broadcast video monitor, and it’s often tempting to overcompensate
when basing your adjustments on a computer display. For more information, see “
The
Importance of Using a Properly Calibrated Broadcast Monitor ” on page 833.