Anybody using a quick method to keep, say, a model's lips red and the rest of the frame desat/b&w without overlays?

Or is the overlay still the fastest way to go?

Thanks!

in FCP (not sure what you're using), you would select a "limit effect" on a color correction pushing the saturation all the way down.

Thanks Cole
I have both FCP and Avid. The Avid MC I'm using now at work doesn't have that setting, but maybe XPress HD does too?
So you just dial up the chroma value you wish to protect and then desat the rest of the image, right?
Cheers
Chris

You would make sure to exxaggerate the lips slightly using makeup to make it "pop" from the flesh tones. Then desaturate the entire image, select the limit effect section at the bottom of the Color Corrector, pick your reds and invert the limit:

http://www.izzyvideo.com/2006/11/04/izzy-video-46-pleasantville-effect-the-much-smaller-version/

Success!
Thanks, Cole!
Cheers
Chris

post before and after clips :)

Cole, I've never tried that before. What's the best size/compression rate etc for posting to this board? (FCP 5.1.4 with everything on it, also QT Pro on dual G5 system, so I could make almost anything, I'd guess. HDV origination)
I guess the clip would be around 15 secs, give or take.
Thanks!
Cheers
Chris

I would say anything single digit in Mb would be fine (10Mb or less). for pix, I like to just use 640x480ish jpgs. Vid, you'll have to host yourself seomwhere. Megaupload seems to be popular (I don't like it personally, but I've got my own serverspace-extra clicks bad)...there's a few others too.

FWIW, you can do this sort of effect in-camera with the Sony Z1 (and maybe the V1 and A1 as well?) using the "color correction" menu.

Overcast day, around an hour after sunset..
35mm DOF Box but with the GG spin turned off (not turned on yet).
Also, sorry about the compression on the jpeg. Have a real nice looking (5MB) file if anybody would like to see it...

Cheers
Chris

very cool looking. Nicely done.

Thanks to Cole and the gang!

The shot itself is a 15 second long diagonal wipe. Pretty darned effective and, as they say in Latin, QED.

(Quite Easily Done)!

Thanks again!
Cheers
Chris

Anyone know how to do this in Sony Vega Platinum? Or Adobe Premiere Elements?

Anyone know how to do this in Sony Vega Platinum? Or Adobe Premiere Elements?

Joshua,

Check the Vegas forum. I know I've read it over there.

I've tried it, and it works. Cole's right about emphasizing the color to be isolated first.

As I recall, it was using the the secondary color corrector and desaturating all except for????

Here's a recent thread with a sample of the effect.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=88665&highlight=Pleasantville

Joshua,

Go to http://www.jetdv.com and search 'color pass' or 'pleasantville effect'. There is a quick process outlined in the Vol. 1 #11 Newsletter.

Man, I called it Vega, I'm sorry, it really is Vegas...

Ken,

I have looked in Vegas 6.0, am I just missing it or is there no secondary color corrector? I have seen the step-by-step manual but I can't find the plugin in Vegas 6.0.

Joshua,

Edward Troxel (Vegas guru and jetdv guy) wrote that article in October 2003, so that must have been Vegas 4 or so. It should be in:
FX-Filter Packages-Sony Color Corrector (secondary)

If you can't find it just ask at the Vegas forum. There's always someone pretty smart close by. That's one of the main reasons I chose Vegas, (because of the great support on this board).

Don't double post it both here and there though or you'll get nuked.

Ken,

I posted it in the Vegas thread after I saw this one. I'll keep it there then. Thanks for the help.

The Avid MC I'm using now at work doesn't have that setting, but maybe XPress HD does too?

Chris, you can do this in any Avid, quick & dirty (well actually it CAN look quite good).

try this:

V2 - dupe of the clip you wish to apply effect to, with Chroma Key effect
V1 - original clip, B&W effect

Chroma Key's Effect Editor on the V2 clip, use the Key to color sample the color you want to isolate. Tweak to get the best results with the Key parameters (gain, soft, hue, etc.)

If you have Boris BCC plugin, or something similar, you can get a cleaner key, but with more time tweaking. I always try native Avid filters 1st if the clip doesn't have too many similar colors. Like I said... quick & dirty/clean.
Bill