Harry Potter Style Magic Effect Easy - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial @NathanCarterVids

Nathan Carter Easy Magic Effect in Free Version of DaVinci Resolve 16. Download free assets here: footagecrate.com/search/#!/Smoke+Wizard&type=magic-power
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So I'm starting more vfx heavy videos and I figured what better place to start than magic and keep it simple. No complex tracking, just some basic animation and a bit of roto work. Also while it gives some strong harry potter vibes the asset is actually a remake of Mysterio's powers from Spider man Far from Home.

Getting into the nitty gritty wheat really makes this effect work is the practical light inside the book. Without that everything would fall apart. You can however add masks and apply green in post, but it won't look as good and if you can do it onset it'll almost always look better. I will also add that this effect could be brought up an extra notch by adding a reflection in the eyes. It was just becoming a little bloated and adding tracking could have made it a little too info dense I think. Not to mention this was the most troublesome tutorial I've made in months. Everything went wrong, corrupted files, OBS crashing, audio issues. So many darn reshoots, but hopefully you folks like it and it will make it all worth the trouble.

References:
Footage Crate is Awesome with free high quality assets: footagecrate.com

Check out the Resolve Reference manual which can be found in the help tab of resolve
Glow Effect: Page 2809
Lens Reflection: Pages 2813-2814

________________________________________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but if I start you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Montior: Eizo0

updated 6 years ago

Harry Potter Style Magic Effect Easy - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-08-13 | Easy Magic Effect in Free Version of DaVinci Resolve 16. Download free assets here: footagecrate.com/search/#!/Smoke+Wizard&type=magic-power
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So I'm starting more vfx heavy videos and I figured what better place to start than magic and keep it simple. No complex tracking, just some basic animation and a bit of roto work. Also while it gives some strong harry potter vibes the asset is actually a remake of Mysterio's powers from Spider man Far from Home.

Getting into the nitty gritty wheat really makes this effect work is the practical light inside the book. Without that everything would fall apart. You can however add masks and apply green in post, but it won't look as good and if you can do it onset it'll almost always look better. I will also add that this effect could be brought up an extra notch by adding a reflection in the eyes. It was just becoming a little bloated and adding tracking could have made it a little too info dense I think. Not to mention this was the most troublesome tutorial I've made in months. Everything went wrong, corrupted files, OBS crashing, audio issues. So many darn reshoots, but hopefully you folks like it and it will make it all worth the trouble.

References:
Footage Crate is Awesome with free high quality assets: footagecrate.com

Check out the Resolve Reference manual which can be found in the help tab of resolve
Glow Effect: Page 2809
Lens Reflection: Pages 2813-2814

________________________________________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but if I start you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Montior: Eizo0

How to Automatically Add Chapters to Youtube Videos - DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-11-01 | Upload timestamps with your videos directly from Resolve.

Chapters:
00:00 - Start
00:12 - Marker Introduction
00:33 - Chapter Names in Markers
01:04 - Exporting Videos with Chapter Markers
01:32 - Testing Chapter Playback
01:56 - Uploading Chapters to Youtube
02:04 - Linking Youtube to Resolve
02:26 - Uploading to Youtube with Chapters
02:55 - Verifying Upload and Chapters

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
We've got a real simple one for you today. Lots to dig into in the new resolve update. Honestly I actually haven't updated since 17.1 as I've been knee deep in big projects, but I finally have some downtime and a chance to explore some of the new features.

More videos coming in the future breaking it down, and hopefully helping folks understand how to better use these features for their needs.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

How to Fix Shine Easy in Post - DaVinci Resolve 17 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-10-26 | Easily Remove shine in Post with these simple techniques.

Time Stamps:
Intro - 0:00
Understanding the Problem - 0:28
Contrast/Sharpness Adjustments - 1:38
Selective Adjustments - 2:20
Color Adjustments - 3:26
Dynamic Adjustments - 4:55

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Right off the bat I want to say that while these techniques are effective they require one key element that I mention early in the video. The area cannot be clipped. If the area is clipped then things become more complicated and you're let with two options; create data at the desired luminance to cover the area, or clone another portion of the image and place that over top of the offending area. Both of these options reach another level when significant movement is introduced. I can confidently say there is currently no easy and fast solution for this issue available in resolve.

Next I also mentioned in the video, but if the problem can be addressed in camera, then do that. You can absolutely improve it in post, but for this issue an in camera solution will almost always look better when possible.

Shout out to M K Martin for the video recommendation

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Must Know Techniques When Color Grading for Clients - DaVinci Resolve 17 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-10-19 | Starting client work is a big step, and knowing these Techniques will start you off on the right foot.

Timestamps
Intro - 0:00
Importing Timelines - 0:27
Validating The Timeline - 1:45
Syncing an Offline Reference - 2:18
Matching Timeline to Synced Reference - 3:00
Delivering Individual Clips with an XML - 3:57
Communicating with The Editor - 5:25
Bonus Tips - 6:00

Color Management Video: youtu.be/gbrJGA5c8GQ
DCP Creation: mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/revisiting-dcp-creation-with-resolve-15
(There are some videos on Youtube for Free that also cover this topic, but I personally best like the explanation from Mixing Light)

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Everything I show in this video should be considered like colorist 101 for client work, and ultimately will improve with experience. It's one thing to follow some tutorials online (even from your truly) and it's another thing entirely to start offering your services to potential clients. These more technical aspects are key to making sure the machine runs, then the actual color work (correction, matching, grading, etc) are the artist portion that's much more subjective.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

I Paid a Stranger $6 to Color Grade My Movie - DaVinci Resolve 17

Nathan Carter 2021-10-05 | Check out the official trailer: youtu.be/CE9gSSj84X4

Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Hiring the Colorists - 0:54
Extra Details - 2:09
6 Dollar Review - 2:35
13 Dollar Review - 4:18
26 Dollar Review - 6:00
40 Dollar Review - 7:50
Final Thoughts - 10:01
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
I'm back! Been up to a ton of stuff, and this short film being released into the wild being one part of that. Thank y'all for the incredible support that keeps me coming back to make videos.

The big takeaway I want from this video is to encourage people to value their time and charge a fair wage for their services. The race to the bottom doesn't really help anyone. The other takeaway is to maybe get folks to consider the skills they should have before starting to work with and charge clients for post production services. My advice is to pick up the program, take Black magic's courses, really study the manual and learn how things actually work in the program. Start working with free clips and then see if you have some friends who've shot something that you can grade. Reach out to filmmaking forums and explain your situation and how you're looking for experience right now, music videos, short films, documentaries, if you're able to get compensated a bit that's great but right now you're learning and bolstering your resume. Then after you've practiced a couple years, gotten some experience and have a reel put together of work you've been hired to do (not free/tutorial clips) then I'd say really put yourself out there and consult with any professionals in your filed and location their rates so you can make informed decisions.

Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Use This Trick to Capture MORE Dynamic Range - DaVinci Resolve 17 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-06-22 | While every camera has limited Dynamic range, there are ways to increase your captured dynamic range.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro
0.25 - Dynamic Range Explanation
1:15 - Established Methods
1:42 - Setting up the Shot
2:06 - Bringing it into Resolve
2:22 - Compositing the Two Shots
2:58 - Shot Matching
4:45 - Grading Composite Shot
5:03 - Summary

Notes:
Excellent for landscape videography. However I will always advocate for solving the problem on set whenever possible. Altering lighting, using a GND (when applicable) would always be preferable to the method shown in this video, however if it's not possible, then here's a solution for saving the shot in post.

I actually had a whole section in this video about GND's that ultimately got cut cause it kind of got away from the main purpose of the video. With the goal being to recreate RED's HDRX effect which is super cool, but ultimately having to remain stationary is a huge downside.

So did I trick you with the new feature I edited into resolve? If you've read this far try going back an taking another look at that section. I put a ton of little Easter eggs in there and impossible features.

References:
- RED HDRX Information: red.com/red-101/hdrx-high-dynamic-range-video
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

I'm out of the studio this video
mic - H4N
computer -Dell G7

How to FIX Lighting in Post - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-06-09 | Today we'll be taking a deep dive into relighting in post and how you can build upon what was captured in camera in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Workflow Setup
1:38 - Simple Example (Exposure Analysis)
2:27 - Simple Example (Power Windows)
3:52 - Power Window Presets
4:28 - Moderate Example (Tracking Windows)
5:00 - Moderate Example (Reducing Distractions)
6:39 - Advanced Example (Creative Analysis)
7:26 - Advanced Example (Multilayered Compositing Workflow)
9:53 - Advanced Example (Combining Power Windows)
10:48 - Advanced Example (Recap)

Notes:
The absolute last thing I want someone to take away from this video is that lighting doesn't matter and you can just "fix it in post". With the techniques shown in this video we are only manipulating the image, we are not generating, or adding new elements, it really comes down to what was captured. Even with the biggest budget movies, where half the movie is CG they still ensure what's captured in camera is lit properly.

One of the main problems with this method is something I highlighted in a "hot tip", we are operating in a 2D environment so we can make adjustments and manipulations in the X and Y dimensions but anything involving depth (Z) isn't gonna fly. A real light would be brighter on something that is closer and dimmer on something that is farther, but with this method of relighting both objects are illuminated equally. This is why I advised tracking in some scenarios to try and hid this issue. Relighting in a 3D space is possible, however it's currently beyond the scope of the color page in Resolve right now. It would also require a virtual recreation of the environment. I'm sure this can probably be done in fusion, but it would require someone smarter than yours truly to do it.

Now I'm sure I may get some folks asking why I didn't use magic mask in any of the examples. For these purposes I find rough shapes with blurred edges work nicely and in many cases can feel like on set lighting. You could achieve this with magic mask, but I personally find in it's current iteration power windows are more intuitive for this task, in addition to the fact that magic mask isn't really designed for relighting. As an AI driven auto roto tool I think it's great, certainly some ai quirks to work through though, just like their facial recognition/tracker technology. However if you feel you've developed a good workflow for relighting with magic mask I'd love to see it. I'm always open to learning.

There's this notion that you can shoot anything and through the "magical" power of color grading make it look "cinematic or whatever". In some situations this may get you results you're happy with, but it's ultimately a bad way of looking at things. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, you need the camera team, lighting department, production design, actors, director, etc.. that capture the images and sounds. Post production then helps elevate those captured elements to align with the directors vision for the project. Anyway that's my little rant on that, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, back to the notes.

Finally, if you've read this far I just want to thank you for taking the time, and I must apologize for the audio quality in the screen capture portion. The fan noise from my laptop was a real issue, and removing the fan noise resulted in some problems. I've been in the arctic for the past month and I'm still getting a hang of making videos while away from the studio so thanks for hanging in there with me.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode Filmmaker Lav, and Zoom H4N
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Intel 10th Gen i7
GPU - RTX 2070 Maxq
Monitor - It's a crappy laptop monitor, oh how I miss my studio monitor while on the road.

Common Mistake Beginners make when White Balancing - Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-05-19 | In this video I show you some to the biggest pitfalls to avoid while color balancing in DaVinci Resolve 17

0:00 - Intro
0:39 - Worst Case Scenario
1:36 - Temperature Sliders and How They Work
2:41 - Identify The Problem
3:45 - Global Adjustments with Offset Controls
4:27 - Fine Tuning with Log Controls
5:15 - Skin Adjustments with Primaries
5:42 - Hue Control with Color Warper
6:10 - Worst Case Scenario Recap
6:26 - Does Raw Really Fix Everything?
7:26 - Every Day Use Cases
8:34 - Mixed Lighting Pitfalls and how to Correct Them
9:52 - General Touch Ups
10:27 - Super Fine Adjustments with HDR Controls

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
at 5:33 I said bringing down the Blue and increasing Red would introduce purple and didn't notice it until right now. Huge facepalm moment. The word I was looking for was Orange, not Purple. My bad y'all.

References:
White Balance Sliders Explained: youtu.be/fUktAhhQNso
Color Wheels Explained: youtu.be/quGIGbbEBtI
HDR Controls Explained: youtu.be/ni5IR8Xk2io

Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

DaVinci Resolve Color Grading Workflow - Image Pipeline Explained

Nathan Carter 2021-05-05 | Today we do a Deep Dive on The Image Processing Pipeline in DaVinci Resolve 17, so you can know exactly what order things happen and develop better workflow from Beginner to Pro.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:00 - Getting Started
1:18 - Raw Processing
2:24 - Color Management Overview
3:24 - ACES Simple Explanation
4:20 - Resolve Color Management
5:26 - Input LUT
6:35 - Fusion
7:03 - Color Page Nodes Overview and Groups
8:27 - Group Pipeline Explained
9:02 - What to do first in Nodes
9:48 - Clip Node Tree
10:40 - Versions
11:31 - Remote Grades
12:33 - What to do at last in Nodes
13:06 - Timeline Tracks
14:00 - Timeline Node Tree
14:17 - Output LUT and Color Space
14:36 - Delivery Page

Notes:
After a few months off, I'm back and we're going over the image processing pipeline. Now this may not be the flashiest topic to cover, but understanding the ordering in which operations occur has many benefits and results in a better understanding of how to achieve desired results through image manipulation.

I strongly recommend checking out the Resolve Manual at the page number in the references below for a great chart that goes over most things covered in this video. I decided to do a full lesson on it, as the chart leaves lots to the imagination, and I wanted a one stop shop for not just knowing what order things happen, but actually how they are happening.

Regarding ACES, I've linked to ACES Central below and I highly recommend you check it out. The biggest problem with ACES is the constant misinformation and lack of understanding. I do aim to do a full breakdown on ACES in the future going over some of the things that folks often get wrong here on YouTube, so let me know if there's any parts you'd like explained further.

Finally if you've read this far, I just want to say thank you. You are the reason I came back to this channel almost half a year later. I hit a massive load of work and entirely lost my motivation for making Youtube tutorials, but seeing all the kind words from people on comments of old videos I knew it wasn't something I'm willing to let go and maybe one day I can actually turn my full time job into teaching Resolve. For now though, the goal is twice a month putting out deep dives that really go into the nuts and bolts of Resolve and how it works.

References:
Take Me Away (Music Video): youtu.be/3eQ7vHJzjC0
Learn More About Aces: acescentral.com
Groups: youtu.be/exLLQ4V3Wkw
Versions: youtu.be/oqitFAeoe1Y
Remote Grades: youtu.be/jepkkBqNcJw

Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
Order of Image Processing Operations: Page 2842

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

How Midtone Detail Actually Works - DaVinci Resolve 17 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2021-01-14 | Today we explore the Midtone Detail slider and showcase what it's actually doing to your image and how it works in DaVinci Resolve 17.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro
0:40 - MD Slider Overview
1:50 - Testing Set Up
2:45 - Testing Sharpening Hypothesis
3:54 - Tonal Range Impacted
5:37 - Attempting to Recreate the Effect
6:57 - Testing the Recreation on a Real Clip
8:07 - Getting More Control (Free Method)
8:34 - Getting More Control (Studio Method)

Notes:
I add all the notes to this section as some folks have found the on screen notes distracting, though I want to be sure all the information is readily available.

I've really been enjoying these deep dives lately. It lets me work my science background a little bit. What I love about it is that's it's not just my opinion. I'm able to show you my methods so you can recreate the tests for yourself and if you also get the same results then we may really be on to some thing here, and if you get different results (I try to do my research as best I can, but I'm far from perfect) then we have a learning opportunity on our hands

Also my bad for the music jump at the end. I literally just noticed this as the very last thing on the midnight before the release. Somehow I missed adding a fade, my bad y'all. I figure since it's in the last few seconds it shouldn't catch too many folks, plus I really should get some sleep.

Here’s the answers to a couple questions I anticipate I may get.

Q: Why did you use a Color Space Transform and not a color managed workflow?
A: Using a color managed workflow makes generators act funny unless you set their specific input color space. I also wanted to eliminate the chance for error on the testing portions, so DaVinci YRBG seemed like a safe testing grounds

Q: Why did you use the Mist Mode in the blur controls?
A: In my testing I find that all the modes are very similar and in trying to replicate the softening effect in testing before hand I found making some adjustments with the mix (which is only available in the mist mode) helped more than the other parameters, like coring softness etc.

Q: Why can't you recreate the effect with the blur controls? You said that the midtone detail slider is a sharpening effect, so what's the deal?
A: This is a great question and I have some theories. So I described Midtone detail as being sharpening for a specific tonal range, and while this is true, there's more going on here.

As stated in the manual "When this parameter is raised, the contrast of regions of the image with high edge detail is raised to increase the perception of image sharpness, sometimes referred to as definition. When this parameter is lowered to a negative value, regions of the image with low amounts of detail are softened while areas of high detail are left alone."

Showcasing this high edge detail vs low edge detail proved to be challenging and I couldn't devise a test that showed this clearly in a repeatable method. I'm not saying it can't be done, I just wasn't clever enough to come up with one this time. As far as I know, this level of specificity is very difficult to qualify without resorting to OFX, and it would take a bit of head scratching to really sort out, for me at least. If you have any idea on how to replicate it without using OFX, or even a reasonable testing methodology, I'm all ears.

Q: How’s this gonna help me make sick color grades?
A: I like to believe understanding how tools work will inform you on how to better implement them in your workflow. For example there’s a bunch of ways you can sink a nail with a hammer, but it’s most effective when you swing it. When it comes to color, it’s not quite as obvious as a hammer, so hopefully these videos will help inform folks so they better understand how the tools actually work.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
Sharpening Video: youtube.com/watch?v=Gq-efgSIMII&ab_channel=NathanCarter

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

How Sharpening Actually Works - DaVinci Resolve 17

Nathan Carter 2021-01-04 | Today we get to the bottom of exactly how sharpening works, using DaVinci Resolve 17.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Laying out the Tools
2:08 - Solid Color Test
2:53 - Grey scale Test
5:56 - Edge Test
7:14 - Real World Impact
7:42 - Edge Definition Proof
9:04 - Real World Edge Detection
9:41 - Why Targeted Sharpening can be Beneficial
10:22 - Outro

Notes:
I added all the notes to this section as some folks have found the on screen notes distracting, though I want to be sure all the information is readily available.

This video does not cover different methods of applying sharpening at specific tonal regions or adjusting the threshold on edges. This is to simply prove and demonstrate exactly what sharpening does to your image. As Sharpening increases and decreases detail you could extrapolate this same information to other tools that adjust detail, like the MD slider for example (a video on that next week to make it clear).

Here’s the answers to a couple questions I anticipate I may get.

Q: Why didn’t you use the other modes like blur and mist?
A: In my testing I found no fundamental differences across the modes. The amount of contrast they applied could differ, but aside from that the underlying principle remained the same.

Q: Why did you use a Color Space Transform and not a color managed workflow?
A: Using a color managed workflow makes generators act funny unless you set their specific input color space. I also wanted to eliminate the chance for error on the testing portions, so DaVinci YRBG seemed like a safe testing grounds

Q: Wait so how does the H/V Ratio work?
A: It stands for the Horizontal/Vertical ratio. Decreasing it favors the sharpness of horizontal lines, and increasing pushes towards vertical lines. With Diagonal lines being favored right in the middle. My testing had a bias towards horizontal lines, so my apologies for any confusion that this has caused

Q: Why are you in the Arctic?
A: Christmas with the in-laws. Or as my Fiancé likes to say, up at Santa’s workshop for seasonal work.

Q: Why did you take 10 minutes to explain this?
A: I could have said “it adjusts the contrast of edges” and called it a day, but that’s not very engaging, plus why should you believe me? If we go through with tests and prove undeniably what it’s doing then it’s not a matter of opinion. You can test it out yourself and if you arrive at the same result when then it looks like we’ve got a fact on our hands. The scientific method at work.

Q: How’s this gonna help me make sick color grades?
A: I like to believe understanding how tools work will inform you on how to better implement them in your workflow. For example there’s a bunch of ways you can sink a nail with a hammer, but it’s most effective when you swing it. When it comes to color, it’s not quite as obvious as a hammer, so hopefully these videos will help inform folks so they better understand how the tools actually work.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Youre Fixing White Balance Wrong - DaVinci Resolve 17 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-12-22 | Today we do a Deep Dive on how the Temperature and Tint Sliders Adjust Your Image In DaVinci Resolve 17. I also demonstrate a method that achieves similar results, but with much finer control.

Download DaVinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro Skit
0:32 - Overview
1:06 - Testing Prep
1:30 - Channel Testing (Grey Solid Color Generator)
3:15 - Luminance Testing (10 Step Generator)
4:02 - Colors Impacted (EBU Color Bar Generator)
6:10 - Replicating Temp/Tint Sliders
8:00 - Added Control Benefits
9:30 - Practical Applications
10:12 - Outro

Notes:
Now I'm sure some folks are going to suggest alternatives for specific tonal regions, Eg. Log, curves, Other Primary Wheels, etc. That's great, though the intent was to replicate the Temperature slider for a general solution. If you need to adjust a color cast in a specific tonal region then of course you'd be better off applying an adjustment that impacts that region.

Also, check out the extra credits video for a quick rundown on how to do the same thing with the offset and HDR Global controls. I mainly added these in as they are popular methods though they didn't fit naturally into the flow of the tutorial.

References:
How to Use Versions: youtu.be/oqitFAeoe1Y
How the Exposure Controls Work: youtu.be/quGIGbbEBtI
Extra Credits Offset WB Adjustment: youtu.be/zK2MtvCXSCE

Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
Dell G7 17 inch 2020
CPU - Intel 10th gen i7-10750H
GPU - RTX 2070 MaxQ
Trying out my new laptop while on the road

Simple Color Grading Workflow - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-12-15 | In today's video we're going over why it's better to start developing your look with a simple workflow in DaVinci Resolve 17
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Time Stamps
0:00 - Intro
0:32 - The "Complicated" Way Setup
2:00 - Look Breakdown
2:44 - The Problems
3:50 - More Efficient Setup
5:00 - Why it's Faster
5:40 - Why Use Offset for Look Creation
8:07 - Using Offset w/ Printer Light Hotkeys
9:00 - Changing Look Quickly for Entire Scene
10:00 - Final Notes and Take-Aways

Notes:
Please watch the note at the end. I'm not trying to say that you're wrong for using a certain method, it's more about working efficiently and making things easier for yourself especially in the initial look creation phase. There's a reason why we have the term secondary grading, and it it recommend to leave these things til further on in the project to avoid tons of work if a massive change is required.

I also don't mean to say that you shouldn't use tonal specific color adjustments, in the demonstration I do exactly that to balance out shadows. it's just that a look created in the offset will translate more easily to other shots because of how it's uniformly applied.

The main shot of me is in bad need of some noise reduction, but after many attempts my laptop was not having it. Not enough Vram to get the job done I guess. So apologies for that. I'll find a brighter corner next time in this hotel room. Lighting options are limited.

Also, should I be labeling my nodes? Probably. This is just a quick example project, but it is a good practice and invaluable for large projects involving many sessions or multiple people working on it.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
How the Standard Color Controls Work: youtu.be/quGIGbbEBtI
How to use Groups: youtu.be/exLLQ4V3Wkw

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Sure SM 58, Zoom H4n
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
Dell G7 17 inch 2020
CPU - Intel 10th gen i7-10750H
GPU - RTX 2070 MaxQ
Trying out my new laptop while on the road

Color Grade Projects WAY Faster - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-12-03 | Use a remote grading workflow to Grade your Projects way faster in DaVinci Resolve 17
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Remotes grades are a great way to blast through a project that cuts back to the same clip multiple time. In the demonstration I use a music video, however interviews are very effective for this workflow as well. I will note that you do love the ability to make quick changes once you copy the remote grades to local, as to make clip changes you'll need to work in local. In this case working with groups can really help.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Resolve 17 HDR CONTROLS Fix Skies EASY - Color Grading Workflow

Nathan Carter 2020-11-26 | Today I'll be showing how to get the most out of the NEW HDR Controls in DaVinci Resolve 17 and how to use them to make fine adjustments to your images and bring your color grading to the next level.
Red Sample Footage: red.com/sample-r3d-files
Black Magic RAW Sample Footage: blackmagicdesign.com/ca/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/gallery
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
The goal of this video was to demonstrate how working in a larger color space will better let you take full advantage of the HDR controls and then I demonstrated that with the clouds, however there are something I want to clear up. Both of the cameras used have large dynamic ranges so there is quite a bit of depth to the clouds. This however is not always the case, especially if you're not shooting in a log format. The control themselves do not give you access to more data, they simply allow you to better control the data you already have.

Of course this also means that if an area is blown out, there's nothing that these controls can do to bring that information back. I just wanna make sure that no one is misled and is under the impression that these controls are are going to increase their dynamic range.

I also intended to showcase how you can take advantage of HDR without actually delivering in HDR. Using Black Magic's new Wide Gamut really allows you to dive deep into your image and tailor it to your liking. As I mentioned in the video this can also be done in a number of different color spaces using RCM, you also could use ACES though with ACES the controls for resolve will respond differently.

Finally, at one point in the video I say that BM Wide Gamut can hold more stops of dynamic range than current cameras can shoot. I'm sure somebody is going to point to some type of bracketed shooting technique eg. Red's HDRX, or just HDRI's in general. In that sense I guess you technically could bring in an image that has a larger dynamic range, but how practical is that for 99% of filmmaking (from a grading standpoint, of course they're used in VFX all the time), and even then you'd have to reach a point where the dynamic range would exceed the human eye which right now I have trouble seeing the benefit of doing this.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
The HDR Palette is currently covered in page 113 of the beta manual.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

DaVinci Resolve 17 NEW HDR Controls Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-11-11 | DaVinci Resolve 17 is out and it has new HDR Controls that we'll be breaking down how they work, and how to use them for your own projects.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/ca/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - HDR Palette Overview
2:00 - Tonal Highlight Feature
2:34 - Brief Color Space Overview
3:06 - Grey Scale Set Up
3:36 - Tonal Ranges Explained
6:18 - Global Control
7:09 - Black Offset
7:31 - Contrast
7:42 - Saturation Testing Set Up
8:10 - How Contrast Changes Saturation
9:49 - How HDR Exposure Controls Impact Saturation
10:46 - Tonal Saturation Control
11:46 - Outro

Notes:
There's lot about HDR to cover. The goal of this video was to teach how these controls work so you can use them on your own projects. While they are HDR controls, they can be used on non HDR projects and provide tremendous tonal control. Being able to easily manipulate the saturation of a tonal range while adjusting the exposure is incredible, you can achieve a similar result in the VS curves, but it just makes it so simple and flexible.

I will note that I had two crashes while screen recording this. I decided to show one of them for transparency. I'm not entirely sure what caused the crash, but stability issues are to be expected when it's still in beta. You can always roll back to an older version, though when upgrading just like I say in the video always back up your database.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 17 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
The HDR Palette is currently covered in page 113 of the beta manual.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Green Screen SUPERHERO FLIGHT EFFECT (CHEAP) - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-11-05 | Today we're taking flight in the Free Version of DaVinci Resolve 16 with these easy SUPERHERO Flying effects
Free Sample Footage download: drive.google.com/file/d/1Qs1PA1ADEWDoLAwU3xQ4aFuzVBqR2ZeK/view?usp=sharing
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Sky Images: graphics.productioncrate.com/set-extensions-skies.html#_ga=2.226081370.1935303501.1604164046-602868691.1596146373
Clouds: graphics.productioncrate.com/set-extensions-clouds.html

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:59 - Tutorial Start
1:06 - Color Page Method (Basic)
2:13 - Color Page Touch Ups
2:40 - Color Matching
3:20 - Why Use Fusion?
4:06 - Fusion Setup
4:45 - Pulling a Key In Fusion
5:42 - Garbage Matte
7:30 - Adding the Sky
7:57 - Cloud Color Matching
8:17 - Organizing Fusion Clip
8:50 - Adding Motion
10:20 - Motion Blur
11:30 - Finishing Touches
13:00 - Final Effect
13:11 - Outro

Notes:
If you're wondering why I'm going to the edit page for a render cache I believe it's a ram issue. I'm due for a system upgrade, especially the more I delve into VFX tutorials. However if you've encountered this issue and know what's going on I'd appreciate some input.

References:
Super Hero Effect Music Video: youtube.com/watch?v=ObNNcUQKZEQ&ab_channel=ProblematicHipHop

Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Youre Adding Contrast Wrong - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-10-29 | Today we go over How the Different Contrast and Exposure Controls in DaVinci Resolve 16 work.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Example video Downloads:
Train Track Shots: drive.google.com/file/d/1olUV40apUeKzc9Rz4E1K_gsm9bmtx-Wm/view?usp=sharing
Models Walking in Daylight: blackmagicdesign.com/ca/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/gallery
I unfortunately can not share the original plane shot as it's part of an unreleased music video, and the full shot has the song in it.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:38 - Tutorial (Setup)
1:53 - How it works (Overview)
2:34 - How it works (Curves)
3:41 - How it works (Contrast Slider)
5:03 - How it works (Primary Controls)
6:17 - How it works (Log Controls)
7:33 - How it works (Offset Adjustments)
7:53 - Practical Application
9:45 - Before/After
9:55 - Outro

Notes:
Ultimately the goal of this video was to demonstrate the different ways of applying contrast in Resolve. Different tools that affect different areas linearly or logarithmically to achieve your desired result. Understanding how these tools operate will allow you to efficiently produce the look you want with practice and repetition.

So regarding the before and after at the end, to be clear the intent is not to say "look at how bad this image was before, and now we've fixed it" but rather demonstrate how to make contrast and exposure adjustments using multiple tools together in Resolve. I chose an overexposed starting image so the adjustments would be abundantly apparent, hope that clears up any possible confusion.

Check out the extra credit unlisted video for an explanation on how contrast impacts saturation. Ultimately adding contrast increases the distance between the brightest and darkest part of the image. With this change also occurring on a sub pixel level you get a larger difference between the sub pixels, resulting in increased saturation. The larger the initial gap, the more of an effect will be produced by adding contrast. If you're lost, just watch the video, that should make it pretty easy to follow.

References:
Extra Credit Color Saturation: youtu.be/RLyg1LTFR6E
Color Grading with Curves: youtu.be/Rx4Sy_eKLWs
Balancing Shadows with Log Controls: youtu.be/sQvATFSIFU0
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.

Contrast and Pivot: Page 2434

_______________________________
Socials:
I don't have any yet, but if I get some you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

SUPER HERO LANDING effect tutorial! (DaVinci Resolve)

Nathan Carter 2020-09-24 | Learn how to Make Super Hero Landing Effect in the FREE Version of DaVinci Resolve.
Download FREE Assets from Footage Crate here:
Ground Debris: vfx.productioncrate.com/search/#!/Dirt+Debris&type=debris-categories&ai=Debris
Shockwave: vfx.productioncrate.com/search/#!/shockwave
Dirt screen hit: vfx.productioncrate.com/search/#!/screen+hit
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Tutorial (Shot Preparation)
2:10 - Tutorial (Rotoscope)
4:57 - Tutorial (Motion Blur)
6:38 - Tutorial (Footage Crate Assets)
8:18 - Tutorial (Color Grading)
8:58 - Tutorial (Camera Shake)
10:09 - Outro

Notes:
This has been my most requested effect to date. So I tried to make it super beginner friendly but also not too slow for more advanced users.

I do think the order of color correction could be adjusted, possibly normalize the clip then add the assets and match the ground asset to the normalized shot. It felt like I may have pushed it a little bit with the method shown in the video.

Also this video was death to edit. I'm on the road and back on my terrible old laptop. After dozens of crashes and curse words we got there in the end. I'm renting a computer starting tomorrow to do client work, so hopefully that'll make for a better tutorial next week.

References:
Steve Ramsden's after effects video: youtube.com/watch?v=aKyXZDDuA7I&t=1s&ab_channel=SteveRamsden-UnexploredFilms

Socials:
I don't have any, but if I start you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

Easy Object Removal - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-09-17 | Easily Remove Objects in the Free Version of DaVinci resolve
Download the free footage and follow along: drive.google.com/file/d/1EdeH_-cq4byAPtQ3uFrt00PtzB1SFOz8/view?usp=sharing
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - Dust Removal
2:26 - Eyebrow Removal
5:28 - Extra Tips

Notes:
Just a quick one today, but can get you out of a sticky situation. This video is actually from a request from Orlando Votano where he said:
"So far I have not found a solution to this for resolve, maybe you can help me out.
It's about removing lens dust from my footage. There is one video about it but it seems like he's doing such a heavy fusion composition just for one small dot. Maybe you know a simpler way?"

As I point out in the video, things can get way more complicated but these methods will help you in easy situations.

Problematic Music Video: youtube.com/watch?v=wIlJZuZaui0&ab_channel=ProblematicHipHop

____________________________________
Socials:
I don't have any, but as soon as I start you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

The Boys LASER EYES SUPER POWER EFFECT - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-09-10 | Create professional looking LASER EYE EFFECTS in the FREE version of DaVinci Resolve 16.
Free asset download Links:
Laser: vfx.productioncrate.com/search/#!/laser
Explosion: vfx.productioncrate.com/search/#!/sparky
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Glowing Eyes (What You Need to Get Started)
1:25 - Glowing Eyes (Fusion Tutorial)
11:50 - Glowing Eyes (Finishing Touches in Color/Edit Page)
16:20 - Shooting Lasers (What You Need to Get Started)
16:49 - Shooting Lasers (Color/Edit Page Tutorial)
27:42 - Shooting Lasers (Final Touches)
29:38 - Outro/Skit

Notes:
Take your superhero effects to the next level with some of these tips. I made sure to show it in fusion and in the edit/color page because I know some folks can find the fusion page intimidating. To those of you who are on the fence I highly recommend checking it out. If you have After effects experience your knowledge won't directly carry over, but once you get used to a node based compositing system you won't want to go back.

Also let me know what you think of these deep dive tutorials. It's like 2 or 3 of my regular videos all packed into one, in an attempt to try and provide some of the most comprehensive resolve tutorials not behind a paywall.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
Paint Node: Pages 2041-2051
Soft Glow: Page 1619
Lens Reflections: Pages2813-2814
Glow: Page 2809
Lens Flare: Page 2809

_____________________________________________
Socials:
I don't have any, but if I start something you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

TEN Resolve COLOR Page Features - That Would have SAVED ME YEARS

Nathan Carter 2020-08-27 | Davinci Resolve 16 tutorial from Beginner to Pro covering 10 helpful and time saving features on the Color page.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:40 Highlight Modes
3:39 Keyboard Customization
5:18 Display Qualifier Focus
6:58 WB Eyedropper RGB Values
9:23 Versions
12:49 Stills
16:41 Image Wipe (without stills)
18:25 Groups
22:44 Timeline Node Graph
24:02 Lightbox
27:22 Outro

Notes:
These are the 10 features on the color page that I constantly find myself using to save time. The goal of this video is to have the feature fully explained so you actually know how it works, not just how to use it. As far as I know these features are all available in the free version of resolve (if you find something's not please let me know)

By far this is the most information dense video I've made for this channel to date. I'm experimenting with doing videos once a week so I can make them bigger and better. Let me know what you think of the new format.

References:
Check out the DaVinci Resolve 16 reference manual to learn more you can find it in the help tab of Resolve.
Keyboard Shortcuts Pages 138-142
Qualifier focus: Page 2380
WB Eye Dropper: Pages 2412-2414
Versions: Pages 2559-2569
You can also learn more about versions in Pages 165-169 of the Color Correction with Davinci Resolve 16 by Daria Fissoun, CSI linked here: documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-16-color-correction.pdf?_v=1584057357000
Stills: Pages 2541-2547
Split Screen Modes: Pages 2375-2376
Groups: Pages 2589-2594
Timeline Node Tree Pages 2591 and 2577
Lightbox: Pages 2403-2405
Slomoguys TV Video: youtube.com/watch?v=3BJU2drrtCM

____________________________________
Socials: I don't have any, but if I start you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

This is not the Skin Tone Line - Color Grading Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-08-17 | Whether you're using Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro in scopes they all have a skin tone line for the Vector-scope which may not mean what you think it means.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
This is a controversial topic in color grading and people have differing well founded opinions. The intent of this video is to show the history of this tool and hopefully showcase that while a helpful resource it's not a rule. You skin tone does not have to sit on this line. Under white light conditions with neutral grading it could, but one of the great things about people is we all have our own unique characteristics and this can also come down to skin.

Also if I could fit more words on the Thumbnail without it looking too busy I would say "Stop using this as a rule". It's a great guide for helping you know if you're in the right ballpark especially if you don't have a color accurate monitor. I touch on this at the end of the video.

References:
"Skin Line" Forum Discussion: forums.creativecow.net/docs/forums/post.php?forumid=277&postid=17493&univpostid=17493&pview=t

Alexis Van Hurkman Explanation for I-Bar Name: http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?p=1930

Tektronix Guide to using Oscilloscopes as artistic tools: tek.com/document/primer/guide-using-waveform-monitors-artistic-tools-color-grading-high-resolution?fbclid=IwAR1Gg7cWlprIEyt19pgN2sNdeoLOC39rZmGIPcIRDYkzp4dDAzQ9SA3jWUk

Learn more about the Vectorscpoe: Pages 2382-2389 of the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual which can be found in the help tab of Resolve

Underwater Color Grading Tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=YqmGbUwVJe8

Magic Spell Effect Tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=tYRgjgIbVhA

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

The Most Advanced Transition Pack for Davinci Resolve 16 - Review

Nathan Carter 2020-08-10 | Is the Drag and Drop AFX Power Transitions Pack really "the most advanced Transition Pack for Davinci Resolve 16"?

Learn more about AFX Power Transitions: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=kuLTQrVQMv8
Buy AFX Power Transitions: https://www.art-fx.eu/
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So Eryk reached out to me saying he believes he's made the most advanced Resolve Transition Pack available and he wanted me to test it out and decide for myself. If you are in search of pre-made transition options for resolve I'd say it's worth checking out for sure.

Now there is an argument to be made for why not make your own transitions, and you can absolutely do that. If you're so inclined you could certainly dive into fusion go through some tutorials, trouble shoot and practice and end up with some great results custom built to your needs and if you have the time and desire to do that then that's great. I personally like using packs because I honestly don't want to dive deep into Fusion right now and this let's me skip a few steps and deliver the product that my client is requesting in a timely manner. I'm not discouraging against learning new skills, but I would argue that asset packs can certainly be beneficial and I'm happy we're getting more easy to use option available for Davinci Resolve.

References:
Learn more about AFX Power Transitions: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=kuLTQrVQMv8

Check the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual located in the Help tab of Resolve
Learn more about Transitions in Pages 716-728

______________________________________________
Socials:
I don't have any but if I start, you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638

Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Motitor: Eizo CG2420

Laptop Specs:
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51 Released Mid 2017
CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U
Integrated HD620 Graphics
12 GB Ram

How to end a Song ANYWHERE - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-08-06 | In today's video we're talking about ending songs anywhere using Reverb In DaVinci Resolve. Everything shown in this video can be done in the free version of Resolve:
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So the reason why we extend the compound clip is to give it space to ring out so the reverb can stay active. If we didn't extend it the reverb would stop as soon as the clip ends. You can also add reverb on a track specific level, which can be useful if you find yourself ending songs often throughout a video.

Also if you wanna learn more about me, my company and what I do for a living check out the following link, and see if you can notice the effect in action: youtube.com/watch?v=5Pqb6pW6ERU

References:
Learn more about Reverb: Pages 3073-3074 in the DaVinci Resolve reference manual, which can be found in the help tab of Resolve.
Example Video: youtube.com/watch?v=5Pqb6pW6ERU

__________________________________________________________________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but if I start you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor EIZO CG2420

Color Grading SKIN TONES Under WATER - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-08-03 | In today's video we're talking about Color Grading Under water skin tones in DaVinci Resolve 16. Everything shown today can be done in the free version of Resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
As I mention in the video, it's all a matter of taste so if you want orange skin under water go for it. My main intention is to show that keeping your skin on the line is not a rule, just a general guide and I figured showing the history of this feature would give some insight and better inform folks.

I will admit that I understand the desire to have rules to stick to, ensuring you get the correct result. Coming from a science background (I actually have a chemistry degree believe it or not haha) These are the sorts of things I always look for, however this is art. Color grading is all subjective, there's no hard rules, just general guides that keep you in the ballpark most times. I think it's important to remember that especially when you're getting bogged down with technical information.

I should also mention that the whole I & Q thing comes from NTSC Broadcasting though the technical reason is kind of above my head. I know that I and Q components are very much a thing with Oscilloscopes (your scopes are oscilloscopes) but I don't have a solid foundation what exactly their purpose is, so I didn't want to misspeak on the subject and give inaccurate information.

References:
Problematic Music video: youtube.com/watch?v=JB2z3hIeqaM

"Skin Line" Forum Discussion: forums.creativecow.net/docs/forums/post.php?forumid=277&postid=17493&univpostid=17493&pview=t

Alexis Van Hurkman Response: http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?p=1930

Tektronix Guide to using Oscilloscopes as artistic tools: tek.com/document/primer/guide-using-waveform-monitors-artistic-tools-color-grading-high-resolution?fbclid=IwAR1Gg7cWlprIEyt19pgN2sNdeoLOC39rZmGIPcIRDYkzp4dDAzQ9SA3jWUk

Learn more about the Vectorscpoe: Pages 2382-2389 of the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual which can be found in the help tab of Resolve

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Node NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor - Eizo CG2420

How to Use Custom Curves - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-30 | In today's video we're going over Custom Curves in Davinci Resolve 16. Everything shown today can be done in the free version of resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
I personally find the curves are often overlooked as it's a more abstract concept to grab than turning dials. I totally get that, however understanding curves can make them a great tool in your toolbox. In addition to simple exposure control we dive into addressing color casts, designing looks, and more.

I should note that I didn't included vs curves in today's video to avoid information overload and they are very useful in their own right. Also my apologies for all the incorrect words in the video (I believe I caught everything and tried to clarify in the on screen notes) We've been going through a heatwave and I can't seem to get my words right lately.

References:
Curves Pages 2450 - 2463 in the Davinci Resolve Reference Manual which can be found in the help tab of DaVinci Resolve.
Problematic's New Music Video: youtube.com/watch?v=JB2z3hIeqaM&t=0s

________________________________________________
Socials:
I don't have any, but as soon as I get some you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
Monitor EIZO CG2420

Clone Trail Effect - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-27 | In today's video we're going over the Clone trails effect in DaVinci Resolve 16. Everything shown in this video can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Super simple (just time consuming) effect that works great to show the motion in just one frame. The main condition to keep it simple is that the camera remains still. You could however add camera movements in post. This is not to say it's not possible with a moving camera, that would just require you to go into fusion and do more advanced tracking and compositing than covered in this video.

References:
Cinecom Clone Trail Video: youtube.com/watch?v=g4zMT-HvZCI
Jamie Fenn Ghost Effect: youtu.be/NhVRB5sHteQ?t=48

________________________________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but if I start you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Remove Photo Flash - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-23 | In today's tutorial we're fixing camera flashes caught on video in Davinci Resolve 16. This can all be done within the free version Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Just a simple one today fixing up flashes. I will say one of the problems with this method is that in most cases you have to cut out 4 frames, so if there's a large moment at that point then optical flow can only do so much to recover it. That being said, for most situations I'd say this will get the job done.

Also for the intro I got a little extra tricky and had the flash when I was talking. To do this I used optical flow to slow down either end of the talking clip to get them to meet in the middle and then used a smooth cut as a cover. So the lips get ever so slightly out of sync but we're only talking a frame or two for a few seconds. So you can certainly get creative with this technique.

References:
Matt Johnson's video: youtube.com/watch?v=DAOWPVprUxY
Morph Transformation Effect: youtube.com/watch?v=M2OnhrkWGbg
Slow Motion from Optical Flow: youtube.com/watch?v=GkKdKi6ZLUI

Check the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual located in the Help tab of Resolve
Learn more about Smooth Cut transitions On Pages 723 and 724
Learn more about Optical flow On Page 833
______________________________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but when I start you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Fix Unwanted Vignettes - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-20 | In today's tutorial we're fixing unwanted vignettes and dark corners in DaVinci Resolve 16.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So you can run into this problem a number of ways but I find it's most common when using a wide angle lens. This technique only works if the area is darkened, if it's obscured completely ie. using a s16 lens on a s35 sensor then you're in for a bad time.

References:
Learn more about the color compressor effect in the pages 2712-2713 of the Davinci Resolve 16 Reference Manual located in the help tab of Davinci Resolve

_________________________________________________
Socials:
I don't use and, but as soon as I start you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Techniques for Color Correction on Cheap Monitors - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-13 | In today's tutorial we're going over how to Color Correct using Cheap monitors in DaVinci Resolve 16 using scopes and other adjustment tools to get more accurate information than your display is capable of displaying. Everything shown today can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Chances are when you're starting out you don't have a super color accurate monitor. At the consumer level it's getting better, but just to be clear a professional monitor should be 10 bit (12 bit is even better but more future proofing right now I'd say) with at least a 1000:1 contrast ratio (with HDR becoming more popular even higher is better, with the XM311k having a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. It also costs $37,500) and cover the DCI P3 color space. I use the Flanders Scientific monitors as reference just because I am most familiar with their monitors.

So I totally blanked on mentioning this in the video but you can adjust the video bit depth for monitoring in the project settings for either 10 bit or 8 bit, but the real limiting factor is the bit depth of your display. If it can't produce the colors, it really doesn't matter what setting you select.

References:

__________________________
Socials:
I don't have any, but if I start using them, you'll be the first to know I promise.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Apex 176
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
Normally I use
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070
for this video:
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51 Released Mid 2017
CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U
Integrated HD620 Graphics
12 GB Ram
(it chugged pretty hard, but got the job done more or less. Shot everything in prores to go a bit easier on it too)

My Color Grade Workflow - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-09 | In today's tutorial I'm breaking down my color workflow in DaVinci Resolve 16 for these tutorial videos. Everything I show today can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve 16.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So here's the workflow I use for all of these videos. For narrative work I typically use color management to get to a specific color space and work from there correct then adjust to taste. For these videos however it's only for streaming on Youtube so I run things kinda quick and dirty.

Now to peel back the curtian a bit I've been traveling for the past week and these past 3 videos were made in a batch. If everything goes according to plan I'll have a video made during my travels come out on Monday (still have to shoot and edit it) but I'm gonna miss Thursday's video. Hopefully I'll be back on schedule by the Monday after. Thanks for understanding.

References:
Here's some videos that cover the techniques used in this video in further detail. The description of these videos also has reference link to the Resolve Manual for further information.

Automatic Color Correction: youtube.com/watch?v=8Bv5OX8XeRA
Color Specific Changes: youtube.com/watch?v=DmcV4TI0JVQ
Balancing Shadows: youtube.com/watch?v=sQvATFSIFU0
Sharpening Technique: youtube.com/watch?v=M_9epKYLW1g
How to Use "Groups": youtube.com/watch?v=exLLQ4V3Wkw
________________
Socials:
I don't use any, but if I get something going you'll be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

FREE Noise Reduction VS PAID - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-06 | In today's tutorial we're going over free noise reduction in DaVinci Resolve 16 and how it compares to the paid version. Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Less Compressed Comparison: vimeo.com/434523560/a6effd218b

Notes:
I'm gonna be honest when uploaded to Youtube, I'm pretty impressed with how well the free method compares. However I recommend checking out the vimeo video link for a more accurate representation of what you'll see on your computer. Youtube compression strikes again.

So if you're in a pinch I'd say this can help get the job done for sure. If the softness bothers yah you could boost the midtone detail or bump up the sharpening using this method: youtube.com/watch?v=M_9epKYLW1g&t=3s

References:
Learn More about Fusion Remove Noise in pages 1813-1814 of the DaVinci Resolve 16.2 December 2019 reference manual which can be easily found in the help tab within Resolve.

Learn More about Studio Noise Reduction in pages 2678-2684 of the DaVinci Resolve 16.2 December 2019 reference manual which can be easily found in the help tab within Resolve.

______________________
Socials:
I don't have any, but if I get something going you'll be the first to know

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Keeping White Balance with Heavy Color Grading - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-07-02 | In today's tutorial I go over one method of maintaining White Balance during color grading in DaVinci Resolve 16. I also go over why you could want to do this, and why in some situations it may actually hurt the end result. Everything shown today can be done in the free version of resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Let's just get one thing squared away. Grading that white clip teal doesn't look great, I'm well aware. I mainly wanted to use a very exaggerated example so you could see it in action clearly. The real world example around 5 minutes in is much more subtle and I feel it helps produce a superior result for this situation.

This is all fairly subjective, as color grading in many cases is a matter of taste, and something that's objectively good is more difficult to come across than you may imagine. Just because you like it, doesn't mean everyone will.

Also to achieve white in this video I was applying color adjustments to specific luminance ranges using the log controls. You could of course make these adjustments to Hue, and Saturation ranges as well, or even combine all three for a very targeted correction. If you wanna learn more about color adjustments applied to specific HSL ranges check out my change any color tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=DmcV4TI0JVQ

Finally regarding Angel Vs Demon Part 2 I just want to clarify that I believe the success of this music video is due to it being a sequel to Problematic's biggest song (the first one has like 5 million views). I am however more proud from a production stand point of the bigger projects I've produced with him where I'm fortunate to assemble a team of tremendously talented individuals. Videos like Lie and Stay Wide Awake are good representations of this.

References:
Huge shoutout to Film grab as all the movie stills came straight from them. They're a great source for frames from beautiful movies that I use regularly when working with directors to help find a look for their project. Check them out at: film-grab.com
Problematic Angel Vs Demon Part 2: youtube.com/watch?v=kI-37974d0g

--------------------------------------
Socials:
I don't have any right now, but when I do you'll be the first to know I promise.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to FIX Multicam Sync Issues - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-29 | In today's tutorial we're going over how to fix multicam sync issues in DaVinci Resolve. Everything from audio issues, to multiple live performances synced together and more. This can all be done in the free version of Davinci Resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
Multicam editing is amazing. For music videos/live performances it can be incredible, even talking head interviews it can make your life super easy. I'm currently working a contract where I've edited at least 50 multicam performances in the past 2 weeks and I've run into some issues that I feel are fairly common so I figured it would help to show the workaround I've developed.

Huge shout out to DiverseCity for letting me use their footage for educational purposes. They didn't have to do that, so I really appreciate it.
Check out their website (not mobile friendly): diversecityfest.com/?fbclid=IwAR0RL-TSPERKNHxv7Tr7ZEuWCVPBTWIBHPx6gVORdxazKXHXYeWpRqE4ZWg
You can also check out Part 1 of the festival here: vimeo.com/432972646/f809f31ec5

I'm still in the thick of editing part 2 and when this video posts I'll be 1 day out from deadline so wish me luck.

Also it's crazy we just hit 1k subs. I had this whole things planned as aspecial givaway but I honestly thought I wouldn't hit it til like September so I've got nothing ready to go, my bad yall. You guys are the best. I'll get something together in the next few months for sure.

References:
Multicam Editing Pages 660-668 of the DaVinci Resolve Reference manual
You can find the manual in the help tab of DaVinci Resolve

Socials:
I honestly don't have any, but if I get some you guys will be the first to know.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Color Grading 8 bit Video - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-25 | In today's tutorial I do a color grading breakdown for Problematic's latest music video in DaVinci Resolve shot on a Canon M50 (apparently Greg got a new camera so it's actually a 90D my bad y'all). I also have lots of tips for color grading 8 bit video to help you get the results that work for your projects, and there's a tip for some special sauce at the end for an easy effect that helps make an image pop.

Problematic's Latest Music Video: youtube.com/watch?v=nclvhNyvj0k

Everything shown in this video can be done in the free version of Davinci Resolve 16
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
8 Bit color grading is incredibly common as so many consumer cameras shoot 8 bit (eng cameras too) so I figured it was long overdue that I cover some of my do's and don't for 8 bit.

Speaking about bits, while I didn't want to get too deep into it aside from the little blurb I just wanna explain how we arrive at how many shades are available per color channel (RGB). So a bit has the ability to be either a 1 or a 0 so if you had 1 bit you would have two possible combinations which are 1 and 0/f you had 2 bits you have 4 possible combinations which are: 00, 10, 11, 01. When you have 3 bits it's 8 possible combinations and so on. Now this may sound small and that 68 billion possible combinations sounds impossible but you have to realize that this is increasing exponentially. The expression being 2^n where n is the number of bits. Now these bits are available for each channel, so for video each the Red Green and Blue channels have 2^n possible shades where n is the number of bits. So to get the total number of possible colors you the have to calculate how many possible combinations there are with those 3 channels coming together. So we have s^3 where s in the number of shades for each channel. So that's how we end up with these massive leaps. No while the human eye really can't see much more than 10 million colors. The computer you're processing the image with however can see all of these colors. The more colors you have available the less opportunity for banding occurs, you can also pull a better key and there's more granularity. I hope this makes sense and I do highly recommend checking out Videomaker's explainer video on this as it makes things fairly clear. I just felt it was irresponsible not to also provide this information within this video.

Also as I state a number of times in the video, this is just how I did things for this particular project. There's no one right way to operate, just different techniques for different situations.

References:
Bit Depth Explained by Videomaker: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=6yXYxp0UiVg
The order of Image processing Operations Graphic: Page 2615 of the Resolve Manual
Lens Reflections FX: Pages 2813-2814 of the Resolve Manual
Problematic "Lie": youtube.com/watch?v=kNvatWjmh90
Problematic "Stay Wide Awake": youtube.com/watch?v=3z4YlgW1RA8

The resolve reference manual can be easily found in the help tab of DaVinci Resolve

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Youre Balancing Shadows Wrong- DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-22 | In today's tutorial we're Balancing shadows in Davinci Resolve 16. The objective is to get black shadows and there's a couple methods of achieving that. everything in todays video can be done in the free version of Resolve.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
I've shown this technique on a number of different videos, but I figured it deserved it's own video. It also gives me a good chance to outline some of the differences between primary and log controls. I should also mention that this process can be helped by applying a grade in a way that balances the shadows and you can see it in your waveform. For example getting a teal look by using curves and you lower the bottom of the red and bump the bottom of the blue really helps balance out your shadows but I didn't want to cram too much info into one video.

So I usually record at Q5 compression ratio in black magic raw which can range from 12:1 to 8:1 as a ratio. Though this episode I accidentally recorded at a 3:1 compression ratio. So what was normally a 40GB video file turned into a 180GB video file. The video is uploading as a write this but I'f be really surprised if there was any noticeable improvement. Given Youtube's compression I'd imagine there'd be no telling the difference however it may have graded a bit nicer. Just thought some of yall would get a kick out of that.

References:
There's actually no real references for today's video. Though I recommend just opening up the DaVinci Resolve manual that can be accessed via the help tab of Resolve. It's where I've learned the vast majority of everything I know about Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Automatic Color Correction - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-18 | In today's video we'll be going over Automatic Adjustments in Davinci Resolve 16 and how to use them. These features are available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
While these tools can be a particular divisive topic, I feel as though they can act as a learning tool for new users, also when used in conjunction with additional correction methods they can help speed up the process. Personally I only find myself using the white balance tool, but different workflows for different people and situations for sure.

Now I have left the shot match feature out of this video and while it is an automatic adjustment I felt things were fairly information dense and explaining that feature would require it's own video. Also like the Auto Color feature it doesn't display the changes made which I don't understand why that's the case. It's not like it's making adjustments that can't be made using the controls, maybe there's a technical reason but I have yet to come across it. If anyone knows why I'd really appreciate any insight.

If you liked this video here's some of the videos I reference:
How to use Versions: youtube.com/watch?v=oqitFAeoe1Y
How to fix blown out Skies: youtube.com/watch?v=Wg3ZuER1eaA

References:
The davinci Resolve Manual can be found in the help tab of Davinci Resolve
Automatic Adjustments Pages 2412-2414

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Morph Transformation Effect Easy - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-15 | In today's tutorial we're doing the Morph Transformation effect in DaVinci Resolve 16 using the free version. This simple morph uses the optical flow feature in DaVinci Resolve to generate new frames to create a simple and natural transformation for basic images via the smooth cut effect.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
This is a about as simple as it gets for morphs, but with that in mind I gotta say I'm pretty impressed with the results especially given how fast it can be done.

As a side note I'm currently having some computer issues so that why no fusion effects were used in today's video as I just couldn't get things to render out. For those who follow it I always put my sub count at time of render at the end. Honestly just as a reference for me to look back and see how this community has grown but it just wasn't working this time, so the number was 806 which I find is incredible. We're not far off from 1,000 which I find pretty crazy.

On another note for those who read through the description as a heads up I'm fast approaching a deadline for a big editing job and free time is becoming less and less available so I may need to slow down to 1 video per week just for the next month or so. If I do I'll be sure to make an announcement in a video I just thought it'd be a good idea to give you a heads up.

References:
Check the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual located in the Help tab of Resolve
Learn more about Smooth Cut transitions On Pages 723 and 724
Learn more about Optical flow On Page 833

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rope NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Color Strobe Effect - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-11 | In today's tutorial we're making a Color Strobe effect in DaVinci Resolve 16 using a couple different methods. Everything in today's video can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
So I'd say there's pros and cons to the two different methods. While the first method with the solids is easy to make and manipulate to match the audio I feel like making the adjust within the color page typically produces a nicer looking effect. You could however combine the two methods and in stead of using solid colors, make multiple adjustment layers each with a different color and match it to the beat that way. The main goal was to give enough info to start experimenting for yourself and develop a method that works for your project.

References:
You can find the DaVinci Resolve Reference manual in the Help tab of DaVinci Resolve
Learn more about Composite modes: Pages 810 - 813

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

COLOR POP GLITCH EFFECT EASY- DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-07 | In today's tutorial we're making a super easy Color Pop glitch effect in DaVinci Resolve. The RGB Channels pop out and you can do it in minutes. This effect can be done completely in the free version.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

First Video with Problematic: youtube.com/watch?v=aKbxwDIhKak

Notes:
Obviously the Lens Distortion effect has an intended purpose of addressing and correcting distortion, though while editing Oh Lord about a year ago I found out that if you ungang the channels and key frame it you can easily get this effect. As I show in the video you can also do this within the color page, but it's just not as intuitive, and you don't have the audio waveform to go off of in the color page and each channel would be node specific so it just gets cumbersome. That all being said, you could still totally do it that way.

Reference:
You can find in the Resolve Reference manual which you can access via the help tab of DaVinci Resolve.

Lens Distortion Page 2877

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Turn 60FPS into Super Slow Mo - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-04 | In today's tutorial we're talking about getting super slow motion out of you camera for free in DaVinci Resolve 16. Using features in the free version of Davinci resolve you can easily turn your 60 FPS footage into smooth 480 FPS shots making it 8 times slower.

Everything I show in this video can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve, aside from using the speed warp motion estimation.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

part 1: youtu.be/ZFdIknSnG7o

Notes:
The optical flow feature in combination with Speed Warp takes full advantage of Davinci Resolve's Neural Network were they utilize AI to help perform tasks. While only Speed Warp does use their neural network (that's the impression I get from reading the manual, reference listed below) the results you get without speed warp are comparable.

You can also see this AI in action in their facial recognition feature which I also did a video on: youtube.com/watch?v=Yr-wxQS1SkU

Now as I go over in the video there are a number of limitations and the key one being speed. If an object is moving so fast that a large number of changes occur between the frames that you capture then the AI is going to have a difficult time creating frames that accurately display what it should look like filmed at a super high frame rate. Decreasing motion blur can absolutely help get a clearer picture, but it's not magic. That being said as AI improves I think there is reason to believe that features like will also get better in the years to come.

References:
To learn more check out pages 833-834 of the DaVinci Resolve March 2020 Reference Manual which can be found int the help tab of DaVinci Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Add Censors to Videos - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-06-01 | In today's tutorial we're going over adding censors in DaVinci Resolve 16. Everything from tracking blurred mouths and faces, to static and tracked graphics within Fusion to fit your needs for whatever project you're working on. There's no perfect way to do things just different solutions for different situations and my goal for this video is to arm you with a number of solutions so you know how to problem solve when you have to do something like this on your own projects.

Notes:
These are tools I use all the time that extend far beyond just censorship. Being able to track graphics into a scene is a key step in starting VFX as things continue in complexity. Over the next few months I will dive deep into Fusion. As I try to learn more about it myself I find there's not a ton of great resources on youtube. Especially with more advanced effects, with many videos being clear the presenter doesn't fully understand what they're talking about (there are some good ones though!). My goal withing the next year is to learn more about fusion and start creating tutorials that cover a higher level of complexity, but it'll take time. I never want to teach something until I feel confident that I know it inside and out, because there's a big difference between knowing how to do something and being able to explain how it works.

References:
Mocaic Blur Page 2790
Planar Tracker Pages 1278-1282
Motion Tracking Windows 2515-2518
All references can be found within the Davinci Resolve March 2020 Reference Manual which can be found withing the help tab of DaVinci resolve

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK & Apex 176
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Get Extra Slow Motion using Speed Warp - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-28 | In today's tutorial we're talking about retime effects in DaVinci Resolve 16 and the incredible results you can get with Speed Warp using Optical Flow. This can allow you go get extra slow motion out of shots and can be used to get some pretty extreme shots, but it also has a lot of use in everyday situations where you need a shot to be just a bit longer to fit the edit. So something shot at 24fps could be stretched out to 48fps or more to fit your needs.

I will note that speed warp is only available in the studio version but everything else I show can be done in the free version.
Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes
So it's worth noting that by conventional wisdom there's typically specific frame rates you should adjust your shots to based on your timeline frame rate. For example having 30fps footage on a 24fps timeline using the nearest frame mode would cause certain frames to drop resulting in stuttered playback, whereas if you had 48 fps footage every second frame would get removed resulting in smooth playback. This is why in the video I typically adjust to double the frame rate. However, with the use of optical flow I'm under the impression that it could result in smoother playback at different rates, but I haven't done enough testing to fully back that idea.

Also I hope you enjoyed the beginning clip, it was fairly goofy and set up super fast so I did some heavy lifting in the color grading department to get it looking close to what I had in mind. I'm planning more dramatic intros like that cause I feel like they're a fun way to demonstrate the effect before we get into things.

Reference:
To learn more check out pages 833-834 of the DaVinci Resolve March 2020 Reference Manual which can be found int the help tab of DaVinci Resolve.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Use Groups - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-25 | In today's tutorial we go over the Group feature in DaVinci Resolve 16. This powerful feature allows you to make global changes to any clip before and after a clip specific node tree. Which allows a simple way to balance shots individually and then create a look for a scene in an efficient time saving manner. Everything demonstrated in this video can be done within the free version of DaVinci Resolve 16.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Homesick (2020 Short Film): youtube.com/watch?v=2xlxiCPnFFw

Resolve Color Management Tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=DGY14ygjpLU
Avery Peck's tutorial on RCM is one of the best to easily explain the subject. I highly recommend checking it out.

Additional Notes
If you implement this feature for scenes, in addition to versions and stills I personally feel that is a very efficient way to work. Obviously there's no one way to do things, and no one actually has any secret sauce, this is just what I find works well for my workflow.

Refferences:
Groups Pages 2589-2594
In the Resolve 16 Reference Manual which can be found in the help tab of Resolve

_______________________________________________________
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to CLONE YOURSELF In DaVinci Resolve 16 No Green Screen - Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-22 | In today's tutorial for DaVinci Resolve 16, we're going over how to clone yourself without a green screen. Everything I show today can be done in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. Stick around for the later parts of the video to learn some more advanced techniques, and even how to move the camera with a clone shot which is notoriously troublesome, but you can be the judge for how I did at the end.

Problematic Music Video: youtube.com/watch?v=zN_KOFKgxQk

Additional notes:
Hope you guys enjoyed the skit, and can look past the out of focus parts, my fiance tried her darnedest (she's not too interested in camera stuff) and she wasn't up for a second take. That kinda stuff drives me crazy but I figure good is better than perfect in this situation so I'm hoping you got a kick out of it.

For the moving shots you could also achieve this effect with a motorized slider, and honestly I think a slider with some type of consistent counter weight system could get the job done. In a pinch you could also maybe get it done with an egg timer, just as long as the motion is smooth.

I hope you folks are liking these tutorials with 3 examples. It drives me nuts when a tutorial only goes over an effect in ideal circumstances, because 90% of the time that's not what you're working with so I figure showing different situations that elevate in difficulty help give you the trouble shooting skills to make these effects for your projects.

No references for this video today, but try it outself and let me know how you get along

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Use Adjustment Clips - DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-19 | In today's tutorial we're talking about using adjustment clips in DaVinci Resolve 16. It's a super simple and fast way to change parameters to a number of clips. It's a super fast video today as today's scheduled video got pushed til hopefully later this week.

Refferences:

Adjustment Clips: Page 792
Groups Pages 2589-2594
In the Resolve 16 Reference Manual which can be found i the help tab of Resolve

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Fixing Blown Out Skies - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-14 | In today's Tutorial we're going over adding color to overcast skies in Davinci Resolve
You can do everything unless specified in the free version of Resolve.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Additional Notes:
So one thing I forgot to put in the video is if you're having issues getting uniformity in the color application like I was having but didn't address in the third shot, you can fix that by just dropping the gain a bit on the key then make your adjustment and it should look a little more natural.

I also address in the first clip that you can generate an outside node an make adjustments to the ground and I absolutely recommend this especially if you're making large changes to the sky you'll be able to more easily match the ground and introduce some of the color you added into the sky.

I wanted the main focus of the video to be techniques and methods for getting a fairly clean key of the sky, and If you want a more in depth color changing lesson I have that here: youtube.com/watch?v=DmcV4TI0JVQ

You can also check out the lesson created by Daria Fussoun, CSI for Black Magic in
Pages 24-27 of the Color Corrrection Resolve 16 Training manual: documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-16-color-correction.pdf?_v=1584057357000
Learn more about the color compressor effect in the pages 2712-2713 of the Davinci Resolve 16 Reference Manual located in the help tab of Davinci Resolve

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

Video Noise Reduction Techniques DaVinci Resolve

Nathan Carter 2020-05-11 | For today's tutorial we're talking about Noise Reduction in DaVinci Resolve different techniques for cleaning up your shots and methods to determine exactly what you're impacting in your image. We also cover some time saving ways to keep resolve running smooth when using noise reduction. You will need to have the studio version of Resolve for Noise reduction, however you can still follow along on the free version, it'll just be watermarked.

References:
Learn More about Noise Reduction in pages 2678-2684 of the DaVinci Resolve 16.2 December 2019 reference manual which can be easily found in the help tab within Resolve.

There's also a lesson on the topic provided by Black Magic designed to teach you about Noise reduction. You can find it starting at page 247 in the following link: documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-16-color-correction.pdf?_v=1584057357000

Additional Notes:
I wanted to make sure I didn't spend this video just reading through the manual describing all of the parameters of noise reduction as I've seen a number of tutorials who've done exactly that, so I wanted to show you the techniques that I use to help speed up the process. I also want to be sure to show these techniques in a way that can work for your footage/workflow. At the end of the day there's no magic answer to this sort of stuff, just different solutions for different situations.

If you have any questions, be sure to let me know in the comments, also huge shout-out to features 21 for the video suggestion.

Download Davinci Resolve 16.2 for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Rode NTK
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070

How to Make GLOWING EYES Effect EASY DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

Nathan Carter 2020-05-04 | In today's tutorial we're going over how to make easy Glowing Eyes effect and how you can do it yourself in minutes. I also go over troubleshooting methods for when you use this technique. By the end of the video you'll be able to easily make the Glowing eyes effect on your own videos.

I will also note that while the first method I showed can only be done within the Studio version of resolve, the second method can work on it's own in the Free version. Still fairly easy, just a few more steps involved.

Download Davinci Resolve for Free: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Notes:
You can learn more about the face refinement tool in pages 2739-2744 of the DaVinci Resolve 16 December 2019 Reference Manual which can be easily found in the help tab of DaVinci Resolve

I will also note that this particular effect can be done in a number of different ways, I just intended to show the easiest, as a drawback however it does have a number of limitations which I go through towards the end of the video. If you are looking to use the effect in these situations, to a certain extent I believe using power windows in the color tab can be effective however I do believe for more complicated shots where the face is often obscured and there's lots of movement that going into fusion would be a better option. From there you could then potentially track their eyes and apply that transformation to a glowing asset that you generate and then control the glow on the face through a larger mask with a corrector node just bumping up the offset. I hope that helps you, and if there's demand for it I could do a tutorial on this method.

Also while I reference Blade runner throughout the video, they actually created that effect in camera, it was just my favorite example.

Gear I use:
Camera - Black Magic Pocket 4k
Microphone - Apex 176
Main Lens - Meike 12mm f2.8
Other lenses - Meike 35 mm f1.7, Rokinon 50mm T1.5, Rokinon 24mm T1.5
Tripod - Velbon Videomate 638
Computer Specs:
CPU - Ryzen 1700x
GPU - GTX 1070