Magic Bullet and color correction

I have a feature length project (2 hours) which has been shot in HDV (Sony) 1080i60i. I like the look, as is, but I'm considering some film-look post.

First question: Do people have opinions on this program and it's results?

Second question: Do you do color correction after you do the processing of the footage through Magic Bullit? I assume that you do. Also, is that part of the Magic Bullit software or solely in Final Cut?

Thanks for your knowledge,

Adam

Hi Adam,

I have had unbeliebably GREAT results from my Magic Bullet - but in After Effects 7 Pro - not FCP. In AE, you can convert the HDV ftg to 24p and it looks ABSOLUTELY like film. I blew a client away recently with Magic Bullet for After Effects 7 Pro. It's not the same as the FCP version so be careful.

Good Luck

- Joey



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Joey
What's the difference between FCP version and AE version? Any idea how it compares to Graeme Nattress' film effects?
Thomas

FCP version doesn't make your video into 24p, the AE version does. In both the render times are long for the 24p effect.

Nattress Film Effects is FCP native, somewhat cheaper, faster on some things, a little slower on others unless you don't have a good graphic card, then it's just faster. Film Effects does do 24p conversion, and the tech support is very good.

You can get free demos of both, so the fairest comparison is just to try both and see. Email me if you need any help with Film Effects.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

When i use magic bullet for FCP, i color correct first, then apply Magic Bullet. That way the whites you diffuse are really white, or if you're tinting the video, you're properly tinting. I think its just good to have the right base to work from.

There is quite a lot of processing time required tho, especially if you're in HDV.

Rendertimes are not long in AE for Magic Bullet if you have a Dual or Quad Core. My quad flys through Magic Bullet's 24p conversion. MB also has an artifaction removal parameter (gets rid of that nasty stair-stepping that happens around red edges in DV ftg - VERY COOL!).

There's a lot more that the Suite does that the Editor's version doesn't. The big one is 16-Bit Color support (very important for us Grafix Guys). Here's your comparison between Magic Bullet Suite (AE) & Magic Bullet Editors (FCP). Scroll down the page for the list:

[redgiantsoftware.com]

Worth every penny - paid for itself 5 times over on the first job. Also, if you buy the Suite, you get the Editor's version at like 1/2 price or something like that (if you still want it for FCP). I don't like it for FCP because EVERYTHING in FCP takes forever to render.

Any questions about it, come on back or start a new thread.

- Joey



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Does the Nattress Film Effects convert 23.98 to 29.97 ?

Film Effects does 60i to 23.98fps back to 29.9fps with 3:2 pulldown all in one step, so you get the 24p look, but it plays back as compatible with normal video.

If you need to convert 60i to 24p or add 3:2 pulldown to 24p to get it to 60i, my Standards Conversion package will do that. Alternatively for adding 3:2 pulldown to go from 23.98fps to 29.97fps you can use FCP's in built pulldown addition on playout of DV, or Kona and Decklink will add it on play out of uncompressed over SDI.

Hope that helps,

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X