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COLOR ARTICLES

New ! WHITE BALANCING DURING A COLOR CHANGE
Dealing with shifting color temperatures during shooting presents a raft of problems during editing. This article describes what you can do during shooting to compensate for color temperature changes, as well as how to "fix it in post."  (Published: Jul. 2008 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.0x, 5.1x, 6)

Updated ! Improving the Look of your Graphics and Text.
This is a comprehensive look at how computer and video graphics are different and what you need to know to create great looking video text and graphics. This article can make your life a LOT easier!  (Published: May 2006 - Updated: Jul. 2008 ; Color)

Updated ! Creating a multi-color credit scroll.
Final Cut's text tools are pretty limited in the design department. But here is a simple way to make your closing credits look much more interesting without a lot of work.  (Published: Feb. 2006 - Updated: Feb. 2008 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x)

Scopes in Final Cut
Until version 5.1.2, the scopes in Final Cut were notorious for being almost, but not quite, accurate. That all changed with 5.1.2. and they've been enhanced in FCP 6. This article provides a more technical discussion on the quality of Final Cut Pro's scopes, especially in regard to Color. (Published: Jan. 2008 ; Final Cut Pro v. 6)

Technique: Setting Color's Scratch Disks
Color uses an interface unlike any other Final Cut Studio application. When you use Color you must set your scratch disks to point to your second drive. However, the user manual doesn't describe how to do this. This article shows you what you need to know. (Published: Sep. 2007 ; Color)

Why Video Bit Depth Matters
What's the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit video and why should editors care? Well, if you are doing a lot of effects, you should care a lot and this article explains why. (Published: Jul. 2007 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6)

Technique: Setting Proper Video Black Levels
Folks that have worked with video for a long time are often confused about where to set the black level for digital video. This article explains what you need to know -- and, relax, it isn't that hard. (Published: Oct. 2006 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x)

Video Scopes Warning
The video scopes in Final Cut, while accurate, don't show the entire picture. If you use the scopes in your work, you need to read this warning.  (Published: Sep. 2005 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x)

How to Read Scopes
Understanding how to read the Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope are essential to getting the best possible pictures out of Final Cut Pro. This article gives you an overview of how to read them and what they mean.  (Published: Jun. 2005 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x)

Article: What is Color Sampling?
Technical Guru Graeme Nattress presents a lucid, and illustrated, explanation of why colors in DV, Betacam, and DVD are handled differently. If you do any kind of color work, you need to read this article.  (Published: Apr. 2005)