The post-production workflow is cumulative.  An editor can’t move forward with the assembly until the dailies have been properly merged.  Thus, you should plan to show your professor two drafts of each assignment while there is still time to revise them.  A single missed deadline tends to delay successive assignments, all of them incurring a costly late penalty.  Maybe you’re not explicitly listed as a person of ultimate responsibility below; but the nature of group assessment makes it your business to actively aid those who are.

Objective:  Color adjustment is an element of visual polish which frequently distinguish the professional from the amateur.
Assessment: A group grade will be averaged with other quiz & assignment scores.

The successful colorist will demonstrate competence in three areas (performed in this order):

1. Basic color correction.
   • White Balance.  Use the “fat eyedropper” to average more pixels for a more accurate correction.
     • Temperature
     • Tint
   • Tone – as a shortcut, try PremierePro’s “auto” setting first.
     • Exposure
     • Contrast – audiences expect greater contrast range from cinema than from video.  Consequently, adding contrast and lowering the blacks should be among your first adjustments.  Together, these parameters often prove adequate image improvement.  Keep your eye on the waveform monitor while making these adjustments.
   • Highlights
   • Shadows
   • Whites
   • Blacks (see note at “Exposure”)
2. Shot-matching.  Make individual shots recorded under different lighting conditions look like they belong in the same scene.
3. Broadcast-safe monitoring.  Use the Vectorscope to make sure none of your colors is too saturated for the PBS Redbook.
4. Scene Adjustment Layers – The colorist may also add more subjective, creative color grading, but should first present comparable photos or film stills as visual targets.  The targets should be discussed in advance with the professor and the group’s key creatives.