Color and Light in Motion Imaging - Course Outline

"Color and Light in Motion Imaging" - This interactive CD-ROM provides a fundamental knowledge of color and light, describes how color images are captured in chemical and electronic imaging systems, and describes factors that play a role in controlling exposure.

You will learn:

What is Light?

• How a prism affects white light.
• How a light source affects the appearance of any object.
• How a light source affects colors recorded on film and video.
• How the human eye captures light (iris, pupil and retina).
• How light is captured in film and on a CCD.

The Color of Things

• The components needed to see an object (light source, object and observer).
• The role that perception plays in our minds eye and how we see.

Role of the Light Source

• The impact of various light sources (daylight, tungsten, and fluorescent) on our perception of color.
• Illustrate the affect of various light sources on an object.

Light Sources and Video

• Electronic camera calibration.

Self-Check exercise

Primary Colors

• The additive primary colors.
• The subtractive primary colors.
• The colors transmitted and absorbed by cyan, magenta and yellow filters.
• The two basic systems for producing light.

Additive Primary Colors

• The additive color system in relation to the visual spectrum and illustrate how secondary colors are formed.

Subtractive Primary Colors

• The subtractive color system as it relates to color reproduction on a printed page and in color film
• How to create additive colors
• CMY filters.

Color Wheel

• The color wheel and its relationship to primary and secondary colors.
• The color systems for film and video application.

Self-Check exercise

Capturing Light

• Name the color of light that exposes the yellow, magenta, and cyan dye layers of a color film.
• Name the color of the dye in color film that most closely approaches the idea.
• How light is converted into digital information in an electronic camera.
• The image sensors in film and how chemical image systems work

Color Layers of Film

• Illustrate how film's colored layers capture light.

Dye Imperfections

• How film is designed to correct for the imperfections inherent in colored dyes to reproduce realistic color reproduction.

Video Light Capture

• How the CCD captures light.
• The analog to digital conversion process in a high-end video camera.
• Role of digital media storage.

Self-Check exercise

Controlling Exposure

• The two factors that control the amount of light that reaches film and CCD in chemical and electronic imaging systems.
• How adjustment of t-stop changes aperture.
• How to speed up and slow down motion by adjusting camera speed.
• Film and video speed and how it affects the look.
• The differences between colors recorded on film and colors recorded on video.
• The factors that control the amount of light that's able to reach the film or CCD.

T-Stop

• Changes in the aperture as t-stop is adjusted.
• Depth of Field - the impact of t-stop selection in determining 'look'
• Differences in depth of field using CCD vs. S35 film comparison.

Shutter Speed

• How the shutter controls the light reaching the film or CCD.
• Various shutters used on motion picture cameras.
• Progressive scanning.
• Under cranking with examples.
• Slow motion with examples.

Film Speed

• Film speed standards (DIN, ISO, and EI).
• Reasons for selecting a particular film speed.
• Graininess and granularity.
• The look of film texture and video texture.
• The look of a high contrast and low contrast images with examples.
• Exposure latitude using an image and characteristic curve.
• Color gamut in film and video systems.

Self-Check exercise