Color grading in vegas pro?

i c e wrote on 7/20/2014, 12:21 AM

Hi everybody,
I just got my new gh2 and hacked it with the moon T7 hack ( all amazing) and am beginnging to shoot. In my research to buy the camera i kept reading about "Color Grading" as an essential step in getting top knotch looking videos. It was always related to Adobe programs or other software, but I wanted to ask if it can be done in Vegas (I hav V10)? If so where and what really is it? I have seen the gradient effects but they look kind of shaby imho. If I'm serious should I look for another sotware program to do this?

Thanks so much for any help,

J

Comments

Jedman wrote on 7/20/2014, 2:07 AM

Color grading can be done in Vegas. Pretty well actually.
All the tools you need come with Vegas.
Jump on Youtube and search color grading, or color correction.
What you find will help you understand what you are trying to achieve, and the learning curve begins from there.
Good luck.

Grazie wrote on 7/20/2014, 4:34 AM

Colour Correction? Or Colour Grading? I've learnt they are two different function and process sets. And yes, they can and may overlap. But for the purposes of sanity, they leverage in their own particular remedies AND artistic outcomes.

OK, I've experienced both for over 10 years, and yes, Vegas was what I cut my teeth on and yes I will reach for VP Levels, Colour Curves, Colour Correction for a quick and sane way. But..... I do have and use:

Red Giant's Magic Bullet Looks - Fab for sensitive and subtle Colour Grading

Fred Baumann's White Balance and Colour Match - this can do in 20 seconds what might take me 2 minutes

GenArt's ColorFast - A stunning and intuitive three layer approach to appyling Masks to what initially appears a dull and lustre-lacking shot.

GenArts Sapphire Edge - A collection ready to go, VFX Artists creations, presets, that are then available to be tailored to your own ends.

So yes, VEGAS has tools. But you'd have to prieze from my fist these extra tools.

HTHs

Grazie

markymarkNY wrote on 7/20/2014, 7:58 AM

I've been using Vegas since it was Sonic Foundry, but ever since I got my GH3 (now GH4) I became hooked on Davinci Resolve Lite. In my hands, it is more intuitive and powerful than Vegas for coloring. I still use SV heavily for all the timeline work and some color stuff. I figured out a simple and effective round trip that works: import into Davinci straight out of the camera, color as needed, then export at the highest mbps setting as Sony MXF for import into Vegas. Then compose and finish. I have not noticed any degradation in final output. MXF is robust, I believe it is intraframe so it previews well in SV.

Resolve Lite is free, but there is a learning curve. Very well worthwhile, IMO.

GH4 roundtripping in 4k is not so straightforward...yet. Resolve can make mp4 files in 4K for Vegas use but I'd prefer something better. I'm toying with using Cineform but I'm so far behind in projects that I will wait...