H.P. - Greyscale and Red Colour Composite

For our second and possibly third lines of action we have decided to add a greyscale and red colour composite to create a greater distinction between these sequences and the sequence set in the 'present'. This colour scheme is also something we identified in our research as being common among videos of the electro-swing genre. All of the processes mentioned take place in Adobe After Effects CS6.

• Beginning with the base footage, I created a new composition and trimmed it to fit the right timescale.

• I then created an Adjustment Layer above the footage layer, onto which I can apply the visual changes.

• The first step in this process was to apply an Optical Flare just out of frame in the top left corner. This brightened up the area from which the sun is pointing, lifting the colours in the scene and evening the tones a little. 

• I then applied a Leave Colour effect and used the dropper tool to select the brighter red colour of the sunlit side of the feather boa. I then set the tolerance to 12%, confining the effect to just the brighter reds in the scene and set the edge softness to 14% to feather the colour change and avoid harsh edges. 

• The 'Amount to Desaturate' option remained at 100%, meaning that the areas not covered by the effect are greyscale.