Ultimatte-9 Operations Manual
March 1, 2000
47
Figure 19: Foreground
Flare Menu
XVI. FOREGROUND FLARE MENU
The suppression of flare or spill from the backing onto the FG subject is achieved by special algorithms,
which analyze the colorimetry of the FG subject and set a limit for the main backing color level as a
function of the levels of the other two colors. This kind of dynamic flare suppression is one of the most
distinctive features of the Ultimatte compositing process. Since matting requires a bright and highly pure
color for the backing, this intense color can cause discoloration of the FG subject in several ways. Flare in
the lens or internal camera optics may give the FG subject a colorcast. Bounce light or spill from the
backing will also discolor the edges of the FG subject. Flare suppression may affect the reproduction of
certain colors in the FG image, but has no effect on the generation of the matte signal.
In the flare suppression process, the level of one or both of the other two colors limits the main backing
color level. This limiting factor is variable, to allow a certain amount of adjustment to the flare suppression.
The Ultimatte-9 has three controls, which affect the overall flare suppression: White Balance, Gray
Balance, and Black Balance. These three controls mainly influence certain parts of the FG image, as
indicated by the control names.
The Ultimatte-9 logic removes the effects of spill and flare in which the backing discolors the foreground
object. The trade off is that certain colors in the foreground cannot be accurately reproduced --- the logic
assumes they are actually different colors that are being tinted by the backing and “corrects” them.
Gate 1/3 and Gate 2 allows the operator to override the suppression logic so that those colors can be
used in the foreground. The effects of the controls vary depending on the backing color.
The following tables relate the appropriate settings of the 3 gates and their corresponding effects on the
composite.
Online [ 1, 2, 3, 4 ] Active ( 2 ) FILE=
RETURN
Gate 1 / 3
Green Blue
UM9-
Foreground Flare Menu
BLACK / WHITE
LEVEL
CONTRAST /
SATURATION
AMBIANCE
Gate 2
Red Magenta
White Balance
Gray Balance
Black Balance
FLARE
RESET
ADVANCED
FLARE OFF
%
%
%
%
%
(COLOR) BACKING