Stu Maschwitz (Prolost Color Correction guru) from Red Giant Software just released a new and improved color correction software as a plug in for programs such as Final Cut and Adobe After Effects. After watching his video tutorial I’m sold (at bottom of page). I use their Magic Bullet Looks software for all of my color correction, as well as mojo. For me it’s the perfect mix of professional grade and ease of use.

Colorista II in After Effects

I was unsure of what to think about where Colorista II fits into the Magic Bullet suite but Stu’s informational video made it clear. The keying software used within the program is worth it in itself. In the video he makes a great point of how in keying tutorials they never address cleaning up edges, which can be the trickest part. Stu goes into detail about it and shows how well the program handles it.

Colorista II Keyer

Another big item that I love about Colorista II is the use of different shapes in power masks. It now includes elliptical and square to the arsenal. Elliptical is huge for me because I’m constantly using that on faces to make them pop of the background with exposure levels. Secondly, it looks as if you can move the power masks with key frames. Now I’m not sure if this feature has been available before, but it’s certainly a crucial feature to have in order to keep the look going throughout changes in the shot.

Colorista II in FCP

The last feature I love, but it’s quite simple is the pop setting. If your familiar with Lightroom it’s basically the same thing as the clarity feature. Which I’m a real sucker for because I love sharpness. What’s great is you can use power masks with this feautre as well. Even if you’re not interested in buying the product you should still take a look at Stu’s tutorial. If anything at all it’s a great refresher about color correction and different techniques. Thanks Stu and the guys at Red Giant for another terrific piece of software!

01 – Getting Started with Magic Bullet Colorista II from Red Giant Software on Vimeo.