macformat.com @macformatContrast and colour APPLE SKILLS
APRIL 2020 | MACFORMAT | 43HOW TO Adjust colour and tone
1
Auto fix
In the Fix section’s Adjustments panel open
Auto Smart Tone. Click Apply. To fine-tune the
auto adjustment, click on Custom and drag a
control handle towards the preview thumbnail
that looks the best. Click Done.2
Preset adjustments
Auto Smart Tone may not produce the
best results. For more control, open Lighting.
Click preset thumbnails to alter Brightness,
Contrast and Exposure in increments. Try
Auto Levels for boosting contrast.3
Manual adjustments
Click the Lighting panel’s Reset button to
restore the clip’s original look. Click More to
access sliders. Here we’ve manually tweaked
the Brightness, Contrast and Exposure sliders
to create the look we prefer.4
Colour boost
To give a clip’s drab colours more impact,
open the Color panel. Adjust the Hue,
Lightness and Saturation of the colours by
clicking on preset thumbnails. Alternatively,
click More and manually boost the Saturation.5
Colour casts
If a shot looks too cold (blue) toggle open
Temperature and Tint. Warm up the clip in
preset increments by clicking the Temperature
thumbnails. Alternatively, click More and drag
the Temperature slider right for a warmer look.6
Creative looks
In the Edit section click the Effects (fx)
icon. Scroll down to Hollywood Looks. Drag
a preset on to the clip. In the Applied Effects
panel you can modify properties such as
Opacity and Blend mode to fine-tune the look.Genius tip!
You can browse for
video effects by clicking
Show All and then
selecting a themed
category. This saves
you the hassle of
scrolling through
dozens of effects.Jargon buster
By adjusting an applied
effect’s Blend Mode you
can change the way the
effect alters the clip’s
colours and tone in a
range of creative ways.