Crooked Path Flat – Picture Styles for Canon DSLRs
Here’s a list of what’s offered and descriptions about each.
A NOTE ABOUT USING FLAT PICTURE STYLES:
The purpose of using a flat picture style while shooting video is useful if you plan to color grade the footage in post production. The picture style is not intended to be used as an in-camera method of color. You will notice that the Crooked Path Flat picture style will make the image very de-contrasted. This is done by editing the gamma curve to record detail in the shadows and the highlights that would normally be lost. This gives you ultimate latitude in post for color grading a beautiful finished movie.
When you are on set and getting ready to roll, it is important to NOT use flat picture styles while setting ISO, exposure and lighting. The picture style is SO FLAT that you cannot tell if you are properly exposed. It’s important to use a picture style (either one of the preset styles, one that you can create, or the CPF Graded style) that closely matches what you and your director’s desired final graded image. It’s okay if it’s not perfect in the camera…just close enough so that you can gauge your lighting and exposure settings properly. Then, right before you are ready to roll camera, switch to the Crooked Path Flat style.
BE CAREFUL!
- Shot with Extreme Contrast in Camera:
- Shot with Flat, Added Extreme Contrast in Post:
There are some downsides to using ANY flat picture style. If you planning on adding some serious contrast, you will notice noise and artifacts in areas that have a gradient texture like sky or walls. You will see a phenomena commonly referred to as “banding,” which is essentially the artifacting in the compressed H264 codec being ENHANCED…which is not good. What is happening when you shoot flat… is the compression creates, for example, 15 steps or shades in a gradient instead of 40 that would normally be there if you shot with the NEUTRAL picture profile. So when you grade this flat video and add contrast, the software doesn’t add more “steps” to the gradient bumping it back up to 40…instead it just contrasts the 15 steps that were recorded. This creates a more drastic difference beetween step 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, and so on. The result is enhanced artifacts and “banding.”
Check out this quick article and video which demostrates this phenomena really well: http://yodigroup.com/hdslr/news/hdslr-color-grading-before-or-after.htm
WAIT…SO SHOULD I SHOOT FLAT OR NOT!?!?
Yes and no. I still shoot flat when I’m certain there no smooth gradients and/or I’m not planning on pushing contrast to the extreme in post. I mean you really have to push the contrast to see the banding. Also, flat profiles work really well in high-textured environments like a forest in the daytime. Just be careful and go into it with this awareness and you’ll be fine. I still think my Crooked Path Flat profile is the best around, and think it looks much better after grading than grading the Neutral profile.
I also created the Crooked Path Flat 3.0 series, which is a completely re-worked set of picture styles that are “safe” for post grading, extreme or not. If you’re confused about which to use, I recommend using 1.0 and 2.0 for non-gradient situations and high-texture environments. 3.0 is for all-around use and gradient situations. The best advice I can give is to TEST THEM OUT for yourself. Decide what is best for you and your situation.
Current Picture Styles:
- Based of the FAITHFUL profile. Faithful is just like NEUTRAL only adds a touch more saturation to the highlights and midtones, and also pulls the midtone and highlight exposure down very slightly.
- Curve is not extreme, and is very gradable in post.
- Totally removes any muddy/terracotta/plastic look to faces.
- Totally removes any noice issues (assuming you’re properly exposed).
- Default Sharpness is set at 2. This is a very subjective area. In our testing, we noted that any setting below +2 seems to almost blur the image. Anything above +2 seems to be artificial looking. +2 seems to be perfect. We’ve also noted that the in-camera sharpness is much cleaner and un-artificial looking when compared to using the unsharp mask in after effects. It is recommended that you lower only if seeing moire issues.
- Default Contrast is all the way to the left. We don’t recommend changing this.
- Default Saturation is at zero. In 8bit 4:2:0 colorspace, it’s best to keep it here and adjust in post. Lowering will cause lost information.
- Default Tone is +2. In our testing the 5d seemed to bias toward red in the skintones. This is to compensate for that. Adjust to fit your needs.
Crooked Path Flat 3.0 (HiLight Helper)
- Exactly like 3.0, but pulls the curve down in the highlights for that extra help in maintaining highlight detail and/or keeping them from clipping.
Crooked Path Flat 3.0 (Graded)
- Gives you an in-camera preview of how 3.0 will look after grading is applied.
- Adjust the contrast and saturation levels to fit your desired end-graded video.
- Used this profile while adjusting aperature, ISO, and lighting, then switch over to 3.0 (or 3.0 HiLight Helper) when you’re ready to record.
- A VERY FLAT picture style to give you ultimate latitude.
- Adjust contrast to taste.
- Based off the “standard” picture style to give better skintones.
- Made the default SATURATION level ZERO. It’s important to keep the color setting at zero and adjust in post. In the 5d’s 4:2:0 8-bit colorspace, you are losing color information if you drop this below zero…and you can’t ever get that information back.
- Made the default SHARPNESS setting +2. This is a very subjective area. In our testing, we noted that any setting below +2 seems to almost blur the image. Anything above +2 seems to be artificial looking. +2 seems to be perfect. We’ve also noted that the in-camera sharpness is much cleaner and un-artificial looking when compared to using the unsharp mask in after effects. It is recommended that you lower only if seeing moire issues.
Crooked Path Flat 2.1 (High Gamma)
- This is the exact same style as my Crooked Path Flat style, but with the entire gamma curve shifted higher.
- This is useful for extremely dark settings when the extra gamma can help get detail across the entire range of the sensor. Prone to noise…so be careful.
- Earlier version of the 2 series without the “fixes” that are in 2.1.
Using my picture styles on a recent trip to Arkansas:
Categorised as: Guides
How do you think this would work on the 60D?
Hi John; it should work fine as long as you can load it onto the 60d, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know how if works.
The quality and clarity of this movie is great (and I’m looking forward to trying out this new picture style). However I was also wondering if you’d mind sharing your post shoot workflow from CF card to Vimeo, as I’ve never got anything up online that’s looked nearly this clean!
What are you converting to, editing in, grading in and exporting to. Also do you still subscribe to the preshoot check list, especially the highlight tone priority enabling which I’ve heard can add noise to the shadows (was it enabled in the movie above, which is dark but again looks great).
Thanks for all the sharing
Hey I need clarification. First you say we need to switch to neutral style to judge exposure then we swith to the Crooked Path style. But then later on you said you changed this anamoly so that we can use the Crooked Path to judge exposure without switching so I am confused. I would like to be able to use the CP flat setting to judge exposure without switching, so please clarify. I use the CP flat HG because I shoot low light and dark. So please advise me correctly. Thanks.
@Andrew: sorry for the confusion. Yes, you should switch to an in camera profile that closely matches your desired final graded image to set your exposure and lighting. Then switch to flat before recording. I merely altered my flat style so it wasn’t so far off, that if you expose off the flat style while in a hurry, it will not throw you off too much.
Okay I got you. I have magic lantern installed on my Canon t2i. If I wanted to change color temp on ML, would I also need to do this on the neutral setting before switching to flat? Or can I change color temperature on the flat setting? Thanks
Hey Rich,
Thank you so much for that awesome picture style. I used it in an entry for a beer commercial contest and it worked fantastic!
http://www.t2iforum.com/share-your-videos/entry-for-a-beer-commercial-competition/
@Ryan: Nice commercial. Glad you liked the picture style! It seems you didn’t apply much grading, can you tell me your post worflow for grading it?
@Rich, I didn’t do much grading since I’m new at this film thing and figuring things out. i added some contrast, some vignetting through Magic Bullets, some tweaks in fast color corrector, and added a little sharpness. I’m really looking forward to your color grading video. I’m a big fan, thanks for all you’ve done to help us rookies out!
@Ryan: I’m so glad to help out and it’s rewarding to know I’m doing some good!
[...] I realize it doesn’t have the Technicolor name on it…but I still recommend using my Crooked Path Flat 3.0 because it doesn’t lend itself to a codec breakdown in post. But as always…your [...]
Question: How can I control the dynamic range that is acceptable on a picture style? I do not know how to create my own picture style using graphs and such. Can you please help?
@Sidmar: for the most part you truly increase dynamic range…but you can limit the camera’s internal curve that crushes blacks and blows out highlights. You can do that by turning down the contrast all the way in your picture style setting.
I’m so glad I found this post!! Just testing your CPF2.1 on my 5 day old 5DMK2. The difference is truly amazing. Just wanted to say thanks!
[...] Crooked Path Flat [...]
[...] Crooked Path Flat [...]
Could you please check the link for the article: http://www.hdslrhub.com/news/hdslr-color-grading-before-or-after.htm – it directs me to BHPhoto webside instead. Thanks for your profiles!
Looks great, many thanks for all the research.
Updated the link….thanks!
[...] Several picture styles geared toward a more cinematographic look are available online, including Crooked Path Flat, Technicolor’s CineStyle, and my personal favorite, Marvels Cine Picture [...]
Danke für diese Software.
Sehr hilfreich.
didn’t work on 60d…=(
Could you make me a Crooked Path 3.0 style with about 25% less crush on the blacks. I’ve tested it relentlessly against Technicolor Cine, Neumann Flat and found it to be the best on both Canon and Nikon lens.
If there is a way for me to edited your picture style, then please let me know.
Thanks
for your help
Ian Mac
FC Medea
Check out my other flat profiles and see if they are any better. I didn’t want to go the extreme route of Technicolor because the 8 bit codec can’t handle it, and 3.0 is made to be less extremely flat but more so than the neutral profile.
Rich, I love the Terrence Malick feel of your sample vid! You really captured the feel of family life. I am inspired. Now I just need a family.
[...] hours learning how to shoot digital properly to maximize color grading. We’ve made special profiles for Canon DSLRs and now we at created one for the [...]
Hi
I learned about Crooked Path Flat today. I also have my own suite of picture styles for Canon DSLRs. It’s called Flaat, and it was born because of very similar concerns: CineStyle led to increased noise after grading, and other flat picture styles led to ugly skin tones in post (probably due to my limited grading skills).
I’ve compared them both using my usual DR, light response, and skin tone tests, here:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?262094-Adventures-in-the-PSE&p=1986102498&viewfull=1#post1986102498
I definitely prefer the light response and DR options of Flaat, but I have to say you have a great point with that increased Tone parameter: I think 2 is too much, but raising it a bit definitely helps.
You may like this:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-picture-styles/technical-tests-1.html
Hi @Rich
Thanks for your great kindness and for giving us your experience.
When testing your picture styles I’ll tell you how it worked for me.
again thank you so much.
I just released version 2.0 of my Flaat picture styles:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-picture-styles/index.html
One of the improvements over v1 is that, following your lead, I switched to Tone=1.
As a thank-you for that, I’ll share here a few things I leartn while trying to create a version of Flaat custom-tailored for the 5D3:
* the good news: picture styles for the old cameras work just as well on the 5D3; that includes CineStyle, and of course Flaat; cutting 5D3 and 5D2 footage shot with the same picture style should be relatively easy, at least in terms of light and color
* the bad news: this means that, compared with my old APS-C canon, with the same picture style, dynamic range is basically the same; if the 5D3 has any extra DR to offer in video mode, it will require new picture styles
* the even worse news: it’s not easy to get more dynamic range with picture styles; the information is there, I can see it playing with the RAW stills in DPP, but no matter how hard I fight with the picture style editor, so far 11.5 stops seems to be the limit; unless Canon gives us a new way to control how the RAW information from the sensor is converted to video footage, the 5D3 has exactly the same DR as the 60D or the old rebel
* the still unknown: even if DR is not any wider, useable DR may be better, given the 5D3′s lower noise levels and hopefully improved codec
[...] Crooked Path Flat [...]
[...] Crooked Path Flat [...]
I have not downloaded any of your Pix STyle yet but will do so shortly. I however noticed two things you mentioned that makes my say to myself “finally somebody knows what they are talking about”. As a former professional photographer using canon cameras, I will have to agree that color tone on Canon favors red and yes not so flattering on skin tone. +1 or +2 on the Tone, on Faithful is the way to go for a better skin tone. +2 Sharpness is what I have also concluded is best setting for Video/Film purposes. Per Saturation, I would not necessarily agree that any significant color information is lost from dialing saturation down -1 or -2. The color information is there just that 4.2.0 does not have all the information 4.2.2 captures. Not so much of a function of the level of saturation but the type of data acquired. Canon DSLR like the 5D Mk ii and MK iii have a high dynamic inherently and having too much color at the point of recording can introduce color noise etc…it’s safer to increase saturation in post (if you need it) than desaturated an already messy footage (within the context). I would recommend at least a -1 on Saturation for any video recording on Canon 5D. I have even recorded on -3 Saturation on a flat style and after Grading with proper Lift and gamma, the look is more convincing as something that came from a high end film camera.
I will hopefully get a chance to report back on after I test run your Picture Style. Cheers
HI, thanks for your article, still useful in late 2012! Question – I’m going to be shooting a scene in studio with a white/grey wall which will be lit with a smooth gradient similar to the pics you have above. Obviously my primary concern is to avoid banding. Do you recommend I set exposure etc using graded picture style first and then shoot with flat style, or should I just shoot with graded style? I’m just concerned that post grading the flat style could cause artifact/banding problems as the final look will be high contrast and will definitely include gradients. Shooting on 7D. Many thanks…
I would shoot CPF 2.0 with e contrast bumped up to where it is close to the what you want in the final grade, then take it down one notch. That’s the best you could do.
Cheers, thanks for the advice.
[...] Crooked Path Flat [...]
I usually use a couple of canon 550d and use flat profile to shoot videos, does this work with my 550d ?