Home Update The Color Correction Handbook is Here

The Color Correction Handbook is Here

by alexis

When you write a book, the publisher stipulates that you get a certain number of author copies, delivered straight from the printer. Well, the FedEx guy dropped off my two boxes of books this week, followed almost immediately by Amazon declaring the book’s availability. After seven months of intensive writing, research, experimentation, and editing, my new book on color correction is on shelves now!

To see the scope of it, click here for a downloadable table of contents in PDF form.

“The Color Correction Handbook: Professional Techniques for Video and Cinema” consists of over 530 pages of cross platform fundamentals, tips, and techniques covering the art and process of professional color correction for film, broadcast, or the web. I’ve worked hard to create a book that will be as useful to the novice who’s just starting out in this field as it is to the veteran colorist who’s looking for deeper information on the latest in vision science research that applies to the task of grading. No matter what level you work at or what grading application or NLE you use, this book will be a valuable addition to your library of color correction knowledge.

I’ve written my book to be applicable to as many applications as possible, with screenshots and information about Assimilate Scratch, FilmLight Baselight, Quantel Pablo, Iridas SpeedGrade, and Apple Color, this is also the first book to show techniques as they apply within the new version of DaVinci Resolve that’s available for Mac OS X and Linux. If you’re one of the many who are stepping up to using DaVinci Resolve for your color grading, this book is an absolute must have.

Building upon the best of the content found in the Encyclopedia of Color Correction, The Handbook is a complete rewrite focusing on dedicated grading applications, with considerable expansion to add more background, completely new examples with all HD media (most of which is included on the accompanying DVD-ROM), and entirely new chapters for subjects including grade animation, scene balancing, and memory colors & audience color preferences, much of which has never before been covered in a book on this subject.

The Handbook culminates with a 63 page chapter on creative techniques, providing a cookbook of highly customizable looks and stylizations that can be mixed and matched including cross-processing simulation, vintage looks, day for night techniques, bleach-bypass, and many more. Altogether, these techniques providing a valuable foundation of creative grading methodologies upon which you can build for any type of project.

Joe Owens, a colorist of long experience whom many of you will know from his extensive posts at online forums relating to color correction, was my technical editor on this book. Upon getting his copy he had the following to say on the Creative Cow’s DaVinci forum:

…it was an absolute pleasure to work on and I was able to stay in touch with my alma mater Engineering College’s motto “Thorough“.

…Alexis has put together a very nice progression and builds its complexity outward around a very deep core understanding. For me personally, it came home again that one gains a deeper comprehension—plus there’s always something out there to be discovered and/or re-modelled—when working through or teaching a process like this. It was like colorist college or daVinci Academy again for a couple of months of intense review! It’s the real thing.

Click here to check out the downloadable table of contents, and if you like what you see, click the link over to the right of my blog and buy yourself a copy. And please, let your colleagues know this book exists, I can really use your help to get the word out!

Lastly, for those of you who are interested in getting a digital copy of the book, rest assured that one will be available soon, I’ll let you know where and when just as soon as I find out.

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10 comments

Manuel Lopez November 25, 2010 - 11:23 am

Hello Alexis. I have already a link in my tweeter, and I am waiting for it arrived.
Good luck

Reply
DAVID N January 7, 2011 - 12:20 pm

Hi Alexis,
I use premiere pro cs5 but didn’t see it mentioned here. Does it mean this book won’t help me.I’m in the middle of my very first major project and having sleepless nights over the color grading process-how to use the vectorscopes,broadcast safety etc…and saw this book on amazon.
Will it help?
thanks.

Reply
Alexis January 7, 2011 - 1:36 pm

Hi David,

While Premiere Pro CS5 isn’t software I call out specifically, the grading tools in Premiere (color balance controls, curves, contrast, levels, video scopes, etc.) are all concepts that are thoroughly discussed and shown in my book, so I think you’d find real value. My book goes more in depth into techniques then specific controls, so you should find the ideas easy to adapt. Hope that helps!

Reply
Daniel Melo April 16, 2011 - 1:56 pm

I just bought the book from iTunes Books Store.
How can I get the DVDRom? Is it possible to download the files?
I can send you the receipt, if necessary.

Thank you

Reply
Alexis May 2, 2011 - 2:35 pm

Hi Daniel,

Instructions on getting the additional downloadable content (both articles and movie files) are on one of the last pages of the Kindle book. I imagine the same information is available somewhere on the last page of the iBook version of the book, as well.

Cheers!

Reply
Eugen Oprina October 8, 2011 - 4:29 pm

Hi Alexis,
I am very much interested in your book, but I would love to be able to read it on my IPad so please let me know as soon as you have it in digital format.
Congratiulations,
Eugen

Reply
Alexis October 11, 2011 - 12:14 am

Hi Eugen,

My book should be available from the iBook store, but it’s also available from Amazon’s Kindle store, so you have your choice of digital reader formats. Enjoy!

Reply
Alex September 20, 2012 - 10:31 am

Had your book for a few days now and am loving it! Really easy to get through for an editor that is pretty new to grading.

The DVD that came with it though is corrupt. Can only download the first 4 chapters worth of footage. I was wondering if an ibook user could email me their link for the downloadable files. Really don’t want to go through the hassle of sending it back and waste this week where I’m quiet enough to actually get through this book!

Cheers.

Reply
Prashanthkp May 22, 2013 - 4:33 am

Iam using Apple Color for grading my stuff. I have seen that you have mentioned it, but will it help me if i buy this book to grade on Apple Color? pls help,
many thanks,
prashanthkp

Reply
Alexis June 12, 2013 - 8:14 pm

Yes, my Color Correction Handbook presents many Apple Color examples.

Reply

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