Color management workflow in Adobe After Effects CS4
7
Digital cinema workflow
This chapter provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for using Adobe After Effects CS4
and Photoshop CS4 to achieve accurate and consistent color in a digital cinema workflow. This
workflow is commonly used during production of content for motion picture distribution and
presentation. Though the term “digital cinema” often refers to the display of digital content using
digital projection systems, this workflow describes control of digital content in After Effects CS4
for output to formats appropriate for film-based distribution and projection as well as output to
formats appropriate for digital distribution and projection.
Figure 1 - Digital cinema color workflow
This workflow uses the Universal Camera Film Printing Density color space, converted to a linear
gamma (1.0) using 32 bits per channel. On a calibrated and profiled monitor, you can view the
linear-encoded color space accurately and preview the appearance of images after they have been
filmed-out and printed to commonly used print stocks for theatrical distribution.
Workflow overview
This workflow takes you through the following steps:
1 Setting up the After Effects CS4 project.
2 Importing footage and graphics.
3 Simulating output for theater projection.
4 (Optional) Editing images in Photoshop CS4.
5 Outputting files.
6 Using the Color Profile Converter effect.
Interpret Footage -
film scans (Cineon/DPX)
(Universal Camera Film Printing Density)
Interpret Footage -
vector graphics (PDF)
(ICC profile embedded in image)
Interpret Footage -
raster images (TIFF, DNG)
(ICC profile embedded in image)
computer monitor
(your monitor profile)
project working space
(
Universal Camera Film
Printing Density - (linear
))
output -
film recorder
(Universal Camera Film Printing Density)
Output -
DVD or digital video tape
(HDTV Rec. 709)
Interpret Footage -
HD footage (MOV, AVI)
(HDTV (Rec. 709))
output -
digital cinema file
(DCDM X'Y'Z' (gamma 2.6) 5900K (by Adobe))
production color path (Imported files are converted to project working space for compositing. Project colors are rendered to output color spaces during output.)
color adjustment for computer monitor (Project colors are adjusted for display. Color adjustments for display do not affect color values in project compositions.)
digital
master
