New filter uses on-screen curves to deliver finer level of color video control

Curve-based color adjustment available for Final Cut Pro, Motion, and After Effects

Levels and Curves is a new filter pack from Nattress Productions that allows users to color grade in film-log space using on-screen adjustable curves.

The on-screen curve display helps editors fine-tune curve and/or level adjustments. The curve display can easily be turned off when footage adjustment is completed.

Adjusting luma curves (luminescence) in Levels and Curves. (Source: Nattress Productions)

Other features:

Film-Log Space: Editors have fine control over the tones in an image and film-like contrast handling.

Library of Presets: Users can apply popular level corrections, or create and save custom presets for reuse.

Levels: The Black and White level inputs and outputs can be easily set, plus gamma curve control allows for fast and functional levels control.

Curves RGB: Provides individual control in an image over the RGB channels. The control set is duplicated for each channel allowing for precise control over image tones and colors.

Curves Luma: Users can choose to work only on the luma component of an image. When a user adjusts luma curves, it only alters how bright or dark the tones of the image appear; color and saturation are not affected.

Curves: Curves work in RGB space equally across all three channels. As contrast increases, so does the perception of image saturation.

Adjusting RGB in Levels and Curves. (Source: Nattress Productions)

Levels and Curves works with the free FxFactory 3 from Noise Industries. It is compatible with Final Cut Pro 6, 7 and X; Motion 3, 4 and 5; and Adobe After Effects CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5. A free trial version of Nattress Levels and Curves is available on the company’s website.

Here’s a short tutorial on using Levels and Curves: