Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction

by Steve Hullfish - He has been a producer and on-line editor for over 20 years. Through his company, Verascope Pictures, he produces and consults for clients such as Universal Studios, NBC Television, Turner Networks, HIT Entertainment and VeggieTales.

If you are making movies and video, you have got to read this book. Even if you never touch any of the gear or technology discussed within, you need to know how it works and what capabilities it provides to producers, directors, editors and cinematographers. You don't need to be a technician to love this book - I found it fascinating to see what these guys go through to fix the errors and mistakes that get made everyday by production teams.

This new book, by Steve Hullfish, "Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction", provides direct access to the skills, insights and techniques of some of the postproduction industry's most prominent digital video colorists, delivering practical skills to the postproduction pro seeking to improve their color grading craft.

The author interviews and observes 8 professional colorists as they grade a series of real world video images, describing the methods and techniques each artist uses to reach their finalized image. These video images are included on a DVD that allows you to work lockstep with each artist as they grade their images.

Though some tools provided may differ from one product to the next, the basic process of video color correction (grading) remains the same. Application agnostic and sure to inspire, The Art of Digital Video Color Correction will further your artistic skills, whether you're an editor, compositor, or colorist, and allow you to apply those skills to the grading process, making your finished image sharper, crisper and more aesthetically pleasing in general.

* Digital video color correction tips and techniques from the pros grading the films, shows and commercials we all see everyday, thus advancing the artistic coloring skills of the reader
* Is non-software specific, with lessons that are applicable to any postproduction workflow
* DVD includes samples of the same video images that the colorists featured in the book were working on, providing direct access to the techniques and process of professional grading

Containing decades of industry experience and know-how, The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction shows postproduction professionals how to take their art to the next level. Featuring correction techniques performed in a variety of color correction software applications (Apples Color, Synthetic Apertures Color Finesse, Avid Xpress Pro, among others), this book turns what has long been a misunderstood black art into a set of skills that any dedicated editor or motion graphics artist can begin to master. Packed with explanations, tips, and concepts that
build on each other, The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction will teach you how to:

Fix poorly exposed shots and shots with color casts
Create looks
Match shots
Master secondary color correction techniques
Use color correction to advance a story

The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction features unprecedented insight into the skills needed to master this essential art. The book allows you to improve your grading art and craft with techniques and inspiration
from the masters, as more than a dozen industry professionals guide you through their grading process, explaining the hows and whys of each grade. Colorists looking to hone their skills can work side-by-side with these pros by
examining each color-grading step they make on the tutorial video files included on the companion DVD.

About the Author
Steve Hullfish produces and edits trailers, TV spots, promos and DVDs through his company, Verascope Pictures, which serves high-end clients: Universal Studios, NBC Television, HIT Entertainment, Jim Henson Entertainment, VeggieTales and others. His 22 years of producing and editing TV shows and spots have garnered many national awards, including a national Emmy as part of the editing team of the Oprah Winfrey Show. He has co-written three other books including "Color Correction for Digital Video," "Avid XpressPro On the Spot," and "The Avid XpressPro Editing Workshop." He has also written for DV magazine.

"Color correction has always been a true tradecraft. The only way you learned was by sitting at the feet of a master. Steve has demystified much of that and given both beginners and professionals a fantastic resource. Reading this is like sitting at the feet of the masters."
Lucas Wilson, ASSIMILATE, INC.

"demystifies the technical art of color correction by patiently distilling the wisdom of over a dozen professional colorists down to a skillset any dedicated editor or motion graphics artist can learn."
Chris Meyer, Founding Partner, CyberMotion; author Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects, currently in its 4th Edition; After Effects Apprentice

"great for editors who are tackling their first color-grading job as well as those who do it every day, but want a deeper understanding of how to turn color correction into color enhancement.... Hullfish goes past the how-to so you also understand the 'why'. This book is a must-have for anyone involved in color correction for video."
Oliver Peters, President and Founder, Oliver Peters Post Production Services