HDR titles aren't bright when I export

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Level 1

4 points

HDR titles aren't bright when I export

So I have a mix of HDR and non-HDR footage in my project. The library and project are both set to HLG 2020. When I export, this isn't fine as the footage looks acceptable.

The issue I'm having is that I have several titles using a plug-in. They look great in the viewer but when I export, using Wide Gamut 2020 and Better Quality H.264 codec, the brightness of the title text has been reduced heavily, making the titles extremely difficult to read (screenshot at the bottom).

I'm guessing this is happening because of the export settings I'm using. The problem is that these exports settings "fix" my HDR footage so that it looks normal on non-HDR displays. If I try and change my library and project settings from HLG 2020 to Rec 709, it messes up the look of the footage.

I have tried tinkering with the color settings of the titles and I have tried using a black screen as the background for the white titles, but none of these solutions have worked.

MacBook Pro Apple Silicon

Posted on Nov 30, 2022 10:28 AM

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Answer 1

yoshvebb Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 30, 2022 11:13 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time. Sorry for not providing more info up-front, I'm both new to Mac OS and new to Final Cut.

The plugin is from a small creator and it's called Ben Halsall's Rounded Rectangle plugin designed to make wrap text easier to format for titles. In addition, I should clarify that I'm encountering this issue because I need my exported video to operate correctly on non-HDR screens. At the bottom of this comment, I'll post examples of what I mean about "fixing" the HDR footage.

Yes, the issue also occurs with a non-custom plug-in. I just tried using the Basic Title effect.

These are the properties for the library, project, and export:

Library

Project

Export

With regard to "fixing" the HDR footage, here's what I'm running into. I shot the footage using my 14 Pro using HDR. Then I realized that my final video shouldn't be in HDR because it's for my family and they don't have HDR monitors.

When I create a test library and project, and I set both to Rec 709, and then I user color override on the HLG 2020 clip so that it's Rec 709, and then I apply the HDR color Final Cut tool, this is the image I get:

As you can see, the color is quite greyed out and distorted.

If I leave all the footage in HLG 2020, and leave the library and project on HLG 2020, and export using the settings pictured above, this is what the same footage looks like, even on a non-HDR monitor:

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,700 points

Nov 30, 2022 10:48 AM in response to yoshvebb

What plugin? Do built in titles work correctly for you? Exactly what are the project properties? Exactly what export settings are you using?

Normally FCP titles look too dark, gray like your screenshot, in the project and need to have their luma raised to match HDR output. Exporting H.264 in Rec2020 is HDR. Not sure what you mean by "The problem is that these exports settings "fix" my HDR footage so that it looks normal on non-HDR displays."

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,700 points

Nov 30, 2022 11:26 AM in response to yoshvebb

Do not use Color Override. It's not for this, though there's a lot on YouTube about it that's wrong.

Apply the HDR Tools effect to the HDR clips in an SDR project. Set the effect popup to HLG to 709 if you really want output SDR, but you don't have to.

Non-HDR monitors simply don't show the full luminance value of HDR. They don't look wrong, unless you see two monitors side by side and see what you're missing. The normal viewer with a normal monitor doesn't see anything "wrong" in HDR media on their TV set.

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Answer 4

terryb

Level 4

3,112 points

Nov 30, 2022 01:52 PM in response to yoshvebb

Good info on how to work with HDR footage from Mark at Ripple Training.

https://youtu.be/rp3zXcyYyuo

https://youtu.be/H4RSS8g5HLU

And since you're new to FCP, these will save you from many hours of head scratching:

60 minute FCP tutorial overview from Ripple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqUP7Zgeuck

Izzy Video tutorials https://youtu.be/_jvyrnQpR1E?list=PLp5SAgbM8S87n1qvv34-PAU2zMHLlXyfb

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Answer 5

yoshvebb Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 30, 2022 01:14 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks!! I tried this and it made the footage look more normal. Unfortunately, I'm still encountering the issue with the greyed out titles. Any idea what would resolve that?

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Answer 6

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,700 points

Nov 30, 2022 01:38 PM in response to yoshvebb

Select the titles in the project and use a color correction to raise the luminance levels. Use the scope to get them to what seems the same park white as the video.

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HDR titles aren't bright when I export

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