WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.520 BenQ reached out to us to sponsor a video 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.080 about their SW271 monitor, 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:09.280 which is marketed as engineered for photographers 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:11.880 and great for video editing too. 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.200 But what does that mean? 00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:17.400 Well, it means it has hardware calibration support, 00:00:17.400 --> 00:00:19.440 fantastically accurate colors, 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.680 covering over 99% of the Adobe RGB color space, 00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:25.000 and it's 4K to boot. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.680 So then, with a tool like this at our disposal, 00:00:27.680 --> 00:00:28.960 we thought, well, hey, 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.660 why don't we take this opportunity to take a look 00:00:31.660 --> 00:00:34.420 at how we have done a less than perfect job 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:38.140 of color correcting some of our own videos here at LTT 00:00:38.140 --> 00:00:40.660 while offering you guys three tips and tricks 00:00:40.660 --> 00:00:42.560 for taking our color correction, 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.980 and maybe yours too, to the next level. 00:00:44.980 --> 00:00:48.160 And since I can't tell pink from periwinkle, 00:00:48.160 --> 00:00:49.040 I've enlisted the help 00:00:49.040 --> 00:01:04.260 of our very own director of photography, Brandon Lee. 00:01:04.260 --> 00:01:06.210 There you go. 00:01:06.210 --> 00:01:08.020 Okay. 00:01:08.020 --> 00:01:09.460 Okay. 00:01:09.460 --> 00:01:10.840 So taking a look at our backlog 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:12.020 from the last six months or so, 00:01:12.020 --> 00:01:15.720 I was able to identify three common, 00:01:15.720 --> 00:01:17.700 let's call them shortcomings, 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:19.360 that I think we could improve on. 00:01:19.360 --> 00:01:20.840 The script is not moving at all. 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:22.760 What the heck? 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:26.520 Number one, foreground to background color exposure balancing. 00:01:26.520 --> 00:01:27.900 This can be really challenging, 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:29.200 especially if you're shooting outdoors 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:32.380 like we were in our recent ASUS AI Mesh video. 00:01:32.380 --> 00:01:34.180 Let's freeze frame there. 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:36.340 We did an okay job balancing the exposure here, 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:37.640 but it could have been better. 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:39.200 The image is overexposed overall, 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.040 but it's particularly bright in the background 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.220 compared to Linus. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:43.400 What we should have done 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:45.440 is brought the background highlights down 00:01:45.440 --> 00:01:48.740 to make Linus and the laptop stand out more like this. 00:01:48.740 --> 00:01:51.820 Number two, color consistency throughout the video. 00:01:51.820 --> 00:01:53.260 If your colors are inconsistent, 00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:55.160 then scene changes are really jarring 00:01:55.160 --> 00:01:56.560 and distract the viewer. 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:57.440 We were guilty of this 00:01:57.440 --> 00:01:59.220 on our TechLink announcement video, 00:01:59.220 --> 00:02:01.480 where we quickly jumped from location to location 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:04.240 and each spot had a different dominant light source. 00:02:04.240 --> 00:02:06.760 In this case, the biggest issue is white balance. 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:08.820 At the beginning, we start in Linus's office 00:02:08.820 --> 00:02:11.360 where he's being lit by a daylight balanced Aputure 120D. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:12.320 The daylight balance is 120D, 120D, 120D, 120D, 120D, 120D, 120D. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:13.660 Daylight from the outside 00:02:13.660 --> 00:02:15.460 is mostly being stopped by the window shades 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:17.700 and the white balance on the camera is a little warmer 00:02:17.700 --> 00:02:19.360 because I personally think it's a good fit 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:21.320 for the friendly tone of the video. 00:02:21.320 --> 00:02:23.060 But then we move to Nick's office 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:25.760 where the guys are being lit by much warmer overhead lights 00:02:25.760 --> 00:02:26.960 and the shades are open, 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:29.140 so we see blue daylight behind them. 00:02:29.140 --> 00:02:31.100 To keep the color ideal for this shot, 00:02:31.100 --> 00:02:33.320 I split my white balance between the cool daylight 00:02:33.320 --> 00:02:34.400 and warm overheads, 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:37.000 otherwise their skin would look really orange. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.620 But in a fast-paced shooting environment, 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:41.000 you have to make these changes on the fly 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:42.700 and they're not going to be perfect, 00:02:42.700 --> 00:02:46.720 which is okay as long as you close the gap in post-production, 00:02:46.720 --> 00:02:49.120 which we didn't do this time. 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.740 We release a video every day, all right? 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:55.390 Give me a break. 00:02:55.390 --> 00:02:56.590 All right, that's fine 00:02:56.590 --> 00:02:58.030 because I've done the color correction now 00:02:58.030 --> 00:02:59.190 and watching the before and after, 00:02:59.190 --> 00:03:01.290 you can see that it's a smoother experience 00:03:01.290 --> 00:03:03.430 since the scenes have more unity. 00:03:03.430 --> 00:03:06.450 And finally, number three, color grading. 00:03:06.450 --> 00:03:08.950 This is the process of deliberately altering the colors 00:03:08.950 --> 00:03:11.150 in the pursuit of artistic expression 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:13.270 rather than neutrality and realism. 00:03:13.270 --> 00:03:15.090 But here's the thing, 00:03:15.090 --> 00:03:16.850 in order to do a color grading properly, 00:03:16.850 --> 00:03:19.550 color correction has to be done first. 00:03:19.550 --> 00:03:21.370 If your starting point doesn't have consistent 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:22.990 and neutral colors and exposure, 00:03:22.990 --> 00:03:24.650 then color grading will usually only serve 00:03:24.650 --> 00:03:27.180 to make your videos look amateurish. 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:29.640 Our camping battle station video is a good example 00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:32.300 of a video that is ready for color grading. 00:03:32.300 --> 00:03:33.360 It's nicely balanced, 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:36.100 but it lacks that wow factor to take it to the next level. 00:03:36.100 --> 00:03:38.600 Tweaking the green and yellow tones throughout each shot, 00:03:38.600 --> 00:03:40.580 as well as the adjustments to the overall contrast, 00:03:40.580 --> 00:03:43.120 make the video pop just a little bit more. 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:45.760 We did actually color grade our murder box video. 00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:47.820 See how those warm colors shine through? 00:03:47.820 --> 00:03:48.960 But in my personal opinion, 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.260 we could have worked in a bit more color contrast 00:03:51.260 --> 00:03:53.360 by pushing cooler colors in the shadows 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.980 to contrast the warm orange mid-tones. 00:03:55.980 --> 00:03:57.160 There we go. 00:03:57.160 --> 00:03:58.060 So that's it. 00:03:58.060 --> 00:04:02.080 Brandon's top three tips for taking your videos, 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:04.240 our videos, to the next level. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.860 Back to you, Linus. 00:04:05.860 --> 00:04:07.440 Thanks, Brandon. 00:04:07.440 --> 00:04:09.380 Now, are we really doing the newscaster bit? 00:04:09.380 --> 00:04:10.380 Okay, whatever. 00:04:10.380 --> 00:04:12.260 Now let's take a closer look at the SW271. 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:16.240 So first and foremost, it comes with a shading hood. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.140 This not only helps cut out glare, 00:04:18.140 --> 00:04:19.860 but perhaps more importantly, 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:22.160 makes your monitor, and by extension you, 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:23.640 look like a super badass. 00:04:23.640 --> 00:04:25.760 It even comes with this little door in the top 00:04:25.760 --> 00:04:28.180 for your spectrophotometer or your colorimeter, 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.260 so you don't need to take the hood off 00:04:30.260 --> 00:04:31.960 when you need to calibrate the display, 00:04:31.960 --> 00:04:33.340 which you can do with the included 00:04:33.340 --> 00:04:36.320 Palette Master Element software that, in our case, 00:04:36.320 --> 00:04:39.580 made the already great out-of-the-box color accuracy 00:04:39.580 --> 00:04:42.020 even better thanks to hardware calibration. 00:04:42.020 --> 00:04:42.800 It managed Delta E values, 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:47.200 under one, well under what's perceivable by the human eye. 00:04:47.200 --> 00:04:50.620 So thank you, 14-bit 3D lookup table. 00:04:50.620 --> 00:04:53.020 It also comes with this little puck control, 00:04:53.020 --> 00:04:55.300 right for the face, puck controller, 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:58.200 which not only makes the on-screen display easier to use, 00:04:58.200 --> 00:04:59.880 but also lets you set shortcuts, 00:04:59.880 --> 00:05:03.220 like switching between sRGB, Adobe RGB, 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:04.840 and advanced black and white modes, 00:05:04.840 --> 00:05:07.380 and it nests nicely into the stand 00:05:07.380 --> 00:05:11.460 in this little nook right here, keeping it nice and clean. 00:05:11.460 --> 00:05:12.560 The stand, by the way, 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.480 is very sturdy, mitigating screen wobble 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:19.280 while still affording a generous amount of swivel, 00:05:19.280 --> 00:05:25.340 elevation, tilt, and even 90-degree pivot. 00:05:26.140 --> 00:05:28.260 Although it should be noted that your shade 00:05:28.260 --> 00:05:30.280 will not function quite the way that it does 00:05:30.280 --> 00:05:32.040 when you have it in landscape mode. 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:32.860 Incorrect. 00:05:32.860 --> 00:05:33.700 This gives a- 00:05:33.700 --> 00:05:35.660 Actually, it has more parts that you can use 00:05:35.660 --> 00:05:36.800 to put it in the other mode. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:37.640 Oh, really? 00:05:37.640 --> 00:05:38.480 Yes. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:39.320 Oh, cool. 00:05:39.320 --> 00:05:40.140 Nevermind, I stand corrected. 00:05:40.140 --> 00:05:42.780 Now, in terms of IO, we've got two HDMI 2.0s, 00:05:44.340 --> 00:05:46.100 one for the DisplayPort 1.4, 00:05:46.100 --> 00:05:49.840 as well as DisplayPort over USB type C, 00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:53.460 which can also deliver both data and 10 watts of power. 00:05:53.460 --> 00:05:56.520 Plus, there's a no-rotation required USB hub 00:05:56.520 --> 00:05:58.100 with an integrated SD reader 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:00.520 that you can check out here on the side. 00:06:00.520 --> 00:06:02.960 So, a big thank you to BenQ for sponsoring this video. 00:06:02.960 --> 00:06:05.100 Big thank you to Brandon for providing me 00:06:05.100 --> 00:06:07.380 with some much-needed color correction tips. 00:06:07.380 --> 00:06:10.940 You guys can check out the SW271 photographers monitors, 00:06:10.940 --> 00:06:12.860 as well as other monitors in this lineup, 00:06:12.860 --> 00:06:14.060 like the SW320, 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:15.080 the SW2700PT, 00:06:15.080 --> 00:06:16.280 and SW240, 00:06:16.280 --> 00:06:17.580 which is just 400 bucks, 00:06:17.580 --> 00:06:18.820 at the links below. 00:06:18.820 --> 00:06:21.800 There's one for B&H Photo and one for amazon.com, 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:24.340 where the first 50 people can get 10% off 00:06:24.340 --> 00:06:25.860 by using our promo code. 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:27.260 Then, after you buy one, 00:06:27.260 --> 00:06:30.940 you can get a $25 gift card just for writing a review. 00:06:30.940 --> 00:06:32.980 And if you have more color correction questions, 00:06:32.980 --> 00:06:34.640 make sure you leave a post on our forum, 00:06:34.640 --> 00:06:36.440 where you can chat with a giant community, 00:06:36.440 --> 00:06:38.140 which includes, believe it or not, 00:06:38.140 --> 00:06:41.440 some professionals and enthusiasts, 00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:42.840 as well as some trolls. 00:06:42.840 --> 00:06:44.040 I'm not gonna oversell it. 00:06:44.060 --> 00:06:45.590 So thanks for watching, guys. 00:06:45.590 --> 00:06:46.890 If this video sucked, you know what to do. 00:06:46.890 --> 00:06:48.790 But if it was awesome, get subscribed, 00:06:48.790 --> 00:06:49.690 hit that like button, 00:06:49.690 --> 00:06:51.330 or maybe check out the link to where to buy the stuff 00:06:51.330 --> 00:06:53.490 we featured in the video description. 00:06:53.490 --> 00:06:54.790 Also down there is our merch store, 00:06:54.790 --> 00:06:56.150 which has cool shirts like this one, 00:06:56.150 --> 00:06:58.850 and our community forum, which you should totally join.