Why it matters to you
Enhancing color in aerial video is time consuming, but these new presets make quick work of the process.
PolarPro, the company that boosts aerial drone video with custom-sized filters, is now developing filters for after the shot, too. On Thursday, May 18, PolarPro announced Aurora, a set of cinematic color presets designed for drone videography.
The software is designed to enhance D-Log video (the videographer’s equivalent to a RAW photo) by taking advantage of the file format’s wider dynamic range while helping users quickly enhance the color in the footage. The 12 cinematic color presets have two variations, one designed specifically for the camera profile on the DJI Mavic Pro and another for the Phantom Pro 4, with additional versions for more drone cameras expected to launch in the future. The presets are compatible with a number of editing programs, including Adobe Premier, After Effects, and Photoshop, as well as Final Cut X (with an additional plug-in) and DaVinci Resolve.
The presets offer a range of different color enhancements, with several including variations for warm, cool, and neutral colors. The Elektra preset adds a pop of color while Purity sticks with more natural color enhancement. Deep adds saturation and darker blacks and shadows while the Classic preset is designed for a Hollywood look with more pastel colors. Morpheus and Knight create their styles by pushing the greens and blues to enhance the video’s mood.
All of the presets are designed to enhance D-log, which offers aerial photographers a wider dynamic range but flat color profiles that require editing. Using the camera’s built-in color profile narrows the camera’s light capturing capabilities down to eight stops, PolarPro explained, while shooting in D-log has no color profile but a 12-stop dynamic range for more detail in the lightest and darkest areas and more control over the editing process. The new presets are designed to take advantage of the D-log format but helps minimize the required editing by quickly re-calibrating those colors.
The cinematic color presets sell for $30, with versions for the Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 Pro.