Removing ND grad filter

[Davowade]

Need to do this for work. Looking to remove an ND filter that was added in our pana 202 P2 cam.

http://s2.simpload.com/0514464913bfd98f0.jpg

^ Wanting to make this ^

http://s2.simpload.com/0514464913836db27.jpg

^ Into this in terms of the sky area. ^

Not sure IF this can even be done, but my boss wants me to find out.
Thanks in advance.

[killr_b]

Do you know Shake?

[Davowade]

Do you know Shake?

Sadly no...

[pdpfilms]

Holy Mexico, that's some yummy interlacing!

I'm going to do a bit of problem solving here. OK, so initially one would think it would be an easy task... duplicate the gradient in an inverse (or something like that), and apply to video. I realized though, that the gradient filter behaves a little differently than that. For instance, it may darken a pure white area by 25%, but a pure black area won't be darkened at all- it's still recorded as pure black. So herein we have the problem: identifying which areas need to be lightened which amounts. Could be tough.

You probably already knew this... if so, consider this a personal exercise.

[Davowade]

Yeah I kinda decided to go AE and mask out the sky and replace it.

The boss is happy so that's a good thing.

[ppc_michael]

Alternatively, you could have used two three-way color correctors in FCP: the first one to brighten the entire image, and the second using a limiter to just the blue colors of the sky, and upping the brightness/saturation/blueishness. Attached is an example of that. I did it in like five seconds just to illustrate so it looks sloppy, but with some time I think it would look pretty good.

[Davowade]

This is a working still of what I came up with. Mixed curves, masks, a new sky and a few other elements to get the result.

http://s2.simpload.com/0514464934a422f94.png

[killr_b]

Looks good. You did basically what I was going to recommend doing in Shake. Nice.:D