Macie Video Service - Looking Your Best

Broadcast and Professional
Cameras and VTRs

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Looking Your Best
By Roger Macie

The goal of every videographer is not only to satisfy, but to please their client. What ends up on tape, as well as what they see in the field, is very important. While camera set up is crucial, it can be just as important to have a properly set up field monitor. Monitors are often used as a tool to make lighting and color judgements. Unfortunately, monitors are the weakest link in determining actual camera look.

Professional and broadcast monitors are often set up to the SMPTE 6,500K color standard. There are two problems with this, however. First is that not every one perceives colors the same way and second the average person views this set up as being slightly green. Before judging any color video, you must first start with a monochrome picture that has no hint of color in both your and your client's eyes. Only when the monochrome looks right and the color level and hue are calibrated can you make accurate camera color determinations.

On most quality field monitors the controls for setting the monochrome picture are front mounted and they're not that difficult to adjust. They are labeled RGB BIAS for adjusting the dark areas, and RGB GAIN for setting the bright areas. Using a monochrome signal with good black to white transitions such as a gray scale chip chart and by turning chroma level to minimum, you can then for example turn down green gain if the picture has a greenish tint. It's just a matter of painting the picture with the different controls until you are satisfied that the picture is truly black and white. If you feel insecure about making adjustments, make note of control positions before starting. That way you can get back to where you started and begin again.

Once satisfied with the black and white picture, you can then calibrate the color level and hue. Feed the monitor your camera's internal bar signal and intensity with color level and inside ones with the hue control. Brightness and picture (contrast) adjustments vary with ambient room light, and shoiuld be set to get a good picture that is just bright enough for room conditions.

If you depend upon camera preset gains heavily, it's a good idea to check camera preset gain calibration frequently because they tend to drift with time. Using an open faced light with an new 3,200K bulb, auto white on a gray scale chart or monochrome picture then compare this white balance with preset using a waveform monitor, vectorscope, or recently set up color monitor. There should be little or no color difference. While color temperature can differ with lamps and line voltage, you can often detect picture color drift in the wrong directions, such as green or blue. If you do not have access to a vectorscope, you can detect drift direction by increasing color level control on your monitor. If there is any color in the picture, it will get amplified and will easily show that your preset has drifted. With a correct camera white balance, there should be little or no color in the gray scale picture while turning chroma level from minimum to normal.

By having both a camera that is set to a known standard and a monitor that is set up properly, you can then be able to make accurate color and lighting decisions that producers will like. With those videographers depending upon preset and seldom ever using auto white, the 3,200K open face lamp standard works out well because when using diffusion, soft lights, and fresnel lamps, you picture tends to warm up which everyone seems to love.

Getting to know and trust your monitor and camera will make your shoots go more smoothly and give you the secure feeling that what's on tape is the best quality you and your gear can produce.