Color Temperature in the Digital Age
A look at color
temperature concepts and some strategies for capturing the best possible color
in all your videos in the analog world, which we seem to be moving away from at warp speed, serious videographers pay close attention to the color temperature of their light and their camcorder's white balance settings. This helps them avoid the tints of pallid blue or auburn tan that can ruin their beautiful footage. Digital units, however, have improved color compensation circuitry, and software editing packages now let video artists adjust and paint their footage like virtual Rembrandts. So on this great new digital planet, who needs to worry about color temperature and white balance?
You do. No matter how sophisticated the circuits and software become, two axioms remain:
It is usually better to record the best quality footage possible (including color balance) and then play with it safely in post production.
No digital algorithm can match human judgement when it comes to difficult lighting situations.
So let's take a fresh look at color recording, with today's cameras and today's editors in mind. We'll visit the concept of color temperature, review the way camcorders react to it and spend some time looking at strategies for capturing the best possible color in every single shot you make.
How Hot is White…