Is Magic Bullet worth getting?

[Ian Stark]

I guess I should say I was being flippant! But in fact your qualification makes perfect sense and I think you're spot on. I guess there's the MB Colorista argument which is more of a competitor to Color - not sure that Looks is expecting to compete in that space.

BTW, I remember watching your Makers doco - great fun!

[Hugh Mobley]

Originally Posted by Plamen Petrov

Here you can watch a video shot with consumer-class camcorder Sanyo Xacti Hd-1000. The fx chain consists of just 6 filters only (!!!) and I think they do their job much better, much faster and much easier than MB Looks. Also, I doubt too much that MB Looks can reach such a look:
Hollywood Film Look 14 - Sanyo Xacti HD 1000 - 24P on Vimeo
P.S.: I am not the one who shot that video, I just edited and remastered it in few minutes.

which FX filters did you use and what nle

[Brian Boyko]

I suppose the answer to the main question: Is Magic Bullet Looks worth getting? That question would have to be answered in a flowchart.

If:
- you want to do some basic color correction for mood
- or you don't trust yourself to get contrast/saturation right if you did it by hand in Vegas or FCP/FCE
- like to have several pre-sets to choose from
- don't have the need for more professional color grading
- and don't mind spending $200,

Then:
- it's worth it.

[Plamen Petrov]

Originally Posted by Brian Boyko

I put up some MBLooks examples up on YouTube.

YouTube - Magic Bullet Looks Experiment

If you want, just upload your original video, give me the link and I will process it with my own custom fx chain. The MB Looks you used is EXACTLY what I've used before. Whatever you choose from Looks or whichever parameter to tweak and adjust, the final result is as if as your video is projected on a textile screen. There is something wrong and not enough in Looks.
Ok, after few hours I will upload and show a link to my newest video processing. STAY TUNED!!!

[Ian Stark]

Hmmm . . . I think we might be in danger of doing this one to death!

But, at the risk of being accused of immediately ignoring what I just said, I think I would say the examples Brian put up on YouTube are so heavily compressed (by YouTube, not Brian) that it is impossible to judge how good ANY filter is going to be.

Feel free to shout me down but I guess we've reached the conclusion that a) there are a number of tools we can use and b) we aren't going to agree that one tool is better than another because it is a matter of personal taste and individual requirements.

Right, time to get on with some paying work!

[Plamen Petrov]

Ok, that's for now:
Hollywood Film Look 17 - Canon HV30 - 24P on Vimeo

[Brian Boyko]

Originally Posted by Ian Stark

Hmmm . . . I think we might be in danger of doing this one to death!

But, at the risk of being accused of immediately ignoring what I just said, I think thawould say the examples Brian put up on YouTube are so heavily compressed (by YouTube, not Brian) that it is impossible to judge how good ANY filter is going to be.

Feel free to shout me down but I guess we've reached the conclusion that a) there are a number of tools we can use and b) we aren't going to agree that one tool is better than another because it is a matter of personal taste and individual requirements.

Right, time to get on with some paying work!

I also have it on Vimeo, but even there that's doubly compressed (first to h.264/.mov, second to whatever Vimeo uses in Flash.)

Magic Bullet Looks Test/Experiment on Vimeo

[Ian Stark]

Trouble is all that compression introduces nasty artefacts and banding. Nice shots though! And I like that music - what is that from?

[Graham Bernard]

Brian! Excellent visual reply to the question: "magic-bullet-worth-getting"!

Although the samples you provide are straightforward, and not exposing many of the expandable features of MBL, what you have done is to provide people with a sense of just how vast the range of colourisation and filter manipulation is available, that can be invoked to enhance the underlying narrative. Well done!

Where MBL scores for me is the opportunity and immediate way I can experiment with the "instruments", tools, to explore what I want from my footage and dig out that all important narrative.

I used MBL in my last project - vignette, spot-expo and an ND Grad - to "pop" a CEO from his office's background. Knowing I had MBL back in the studio, I set my capture levels to take this into account. Meaning, to get the most from MBL, I design my camera work to allow MBL to give me what it could from the captured footage. As long as you have levels that are realistic, a tweak with MBL will make your work jump of off the screen.

Be warned - MBL is rather addictive!!

Grazie

[Brian Boyko]

Originally Posted by Ian Stark

Trouble is all that compression introduces nasty artefacts and banding. Nice shots though! And I like that music - what is that from?

Calexico's latest album.

[Plamen Petrov]

Originally Posted by Graham Bernard

Be warned - MBL is rather addictive!!

Grazie

The more I see what MBL does, the more I strengthen my position...

[Graham Bernard]

Originally Posted by Plamen Petrov

The more I see what MBL does, the more I strengthen my position...

Which is?

Plamen, your "Hollywood Film Look 17 - Canon HV30 - 24P" on Vimeo is absolutely gorgeous!!

My "addictive" comment is NOT about getting away away from the organic and strong feel of the dynamic, but in the way one can spend time in juggling the "tools". And no, MBL is not a panacea for understanding what a film/video look is - if that is what you are implying? I'd be interested to hear . . .

Now, seeing a difference - your example Plamen - is truly mind-blowing! On a HV30?? You are a true artist, with a very fine understanding of the dynamic of film/video.

Great thread!

Grazie

[Plamen Petrov]

Originally Posted by Graham Bernard

Great thread!

Grazie

Great thanks! Soon I will try to process some video taken with some of the hi-class professional cameras. I plan to use RED ONE video. The results will be .... mmmmmm.

[Plamen Petrov]

Originally Posted by Graham Bernard

Now, seeing a difference - your example Plamen - is truly mind-blowing! On a HV30?? You are a true artist, with a very fine understanding of the dynamic of film/video.
Grazie

Thanks again! But the next shocking revelation about me is that I am a professional musician, video is just my hobby. Actually, achieving this look costs 3 years of my life of expierence about that matter. Because whatever I did, with any plugin, I couldn't get a real simulation of the Hollywood movie studios. And after using one of the most serious plugins - MBL, I felt desperate. I still have miniDV cam JVC GR-DVL520A (model 2002) and it is much below my abbilites. Still thinking about which HD model to buy.

[Brian Boyko]

Just wanted to say that the video that I put up on Vimeo was really an "extreme" case of showing what MBL can do; that is, when you actually use it in a project, you'll probably mix it with the original footage so that it's not so "artificial."

Second, if you're shooting in HDV, it has advantages that Hollywood doesn't. I don't want a "film look." I want the look that will best convey the material that I want to convey in the way I want to convey it. I think we need to get out of the idea that what Hollywood does is best just because Hollywood did it.

There's a sociology paper in there somewhere about how indie filmmakers are using plugins to do things like add grain, add chromatic abberation, etc, in order to purposefully degrade the footage... so that it looks like the pros.