Color correction in after effects?

[Neaps]

I've been searching so hard lately, i've installed magic bullet, but nothing helps to get a really "pro" look. Do you guys have some really good AE/FCE tutorials for me? I'm trying to achieve something like [ame="http://vimeo.com/6425785"]this[/ame]. i just can't do that!!

oh and i'm not trying to get a bleach bypass. bleach bypass is only good for action movies and is very dark.

[Distortedrumble]

in final cut: copy the video clip and put it on top of itself. on the top clip, add color correction 3-way. move the saturation all the way to the left making the clip look black and white. right click on the top clip and change the composite to overlay. (that method is the general concept of "crushing blacks") On the bottom clip, add the color correction 3-way. move the saturation up just a tad and play with the color settings to warm it up or cool off colors.... thats the simple way to do it. there is a more complex version that someone can tell you but that will help a bunch.

[Distortedrumble]

an extra thought in clips that are hot is to bring down the whites a bit and bring up the mids and blacks to help even it out. be warned that a beautiful color correction for online videos will need to be tested for TVs because more vibrant colors like reds, yellows and blues and greens will bleed like crazy. I sacrificed about 9 dvds trying to get my feature to work right for both video and online. in a few weeks, I get to test it at an independent theater here... I have no idea how that one will go.

[Shigeta]

Google

Youtube

Tons of results. Hope that helps!

[drapeama]

This really worth it if you're working with After Effects. Bleach bypass tutorial here also from VideCopilot.net. Otherwise, with curves and the three-way color corrector, you can achieve pretty good results. Using this technique in this tutorial to isolate Bright from Dark for color correction can help too.
Read this also, can help!
Hope it will giveyou a good start!

[Seo]

Most of those are very subtle corrections, and it looks like he's working in the standard corrective, primary, and secondary color correction process. All of this isn't presets or anything like that, but adjustments that change depending on the footage. Magic Bullet Looks is fine and all, but if you were hoping that it would solve your problems when you couldn't do so with the basics... you most likely were mistaken.

Like I always say, learn your tools. Curves, histograms, color wheels... try some books. Read up on photography forums or photoshop tutorials, the ideas of color correction in photography and videography are mostly the same.

[Distortedrumble]

But seo, I thought Magic Bullet had a magic button that would also give me the film look too! (sarcasm inserted not mocking the OP)

[drapeama]

I thought Magic Bullet had a magic button that would also give me the film look too!

Yeah! i'm not the only one that never found it!

[ReLogic Studios]

A good grading too for intermediate users is Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse, I've been using it for a while now, and the things you can do with it are amazing, plus I've learned a whole lot from just using the plugin and trying out things.

Try it, I think they have a trial(if you can't buy it, maybe you can 'borrow' it).

[Seo]

Color Finesse is nice and comes bundled with After Effects. Certainly do learn it and try it out.

But please don't "borrow" it if you don't have it. You should though, as it's bundled with After Effects.