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How to Edit a Video Recorded in Low Light

When video footage is shot without a proper external light source, the resulting images can come out muddy, dull and incomprehensible. Traditional color correction techniques may make the footage grainy, with a bleached-out feeling. However, the footage is not necessarily unusable. There are tricks you can apply in post-production to make low-light video footage less muddy. This is especially useful with documentary or candid footage, where a filmmaker often has little to no control over the lighting. This tutorial refers to Apple's Final Cut Pro, though the tricks may be applied to other video-editing programs.

Instructions

  1. Gaussian Blur

    • 1

      Highlight the clip you want to correct in the Timeline.

    • 2

      Go to the "Effects" menu and click "Blur," then "Gaussian Blur."

    • 3

      Open the clip in the Viewer by double-clicking it. Make sure that the playhead is on the clip in the Timeline, so you can see it in the Canvas.

    • 4

      Click the "Filters" tab in the Viewer. Set the Gaussian Blur filter to affect only the blue video channel, and set its radius for one or two pixels. Look at the Canvas to see which looks better.

    Color Correction via Cloning

    • 5

      Highlight your dark clip on the Timeline. Option-click and drag it directly above where it currently is, and hold down the shift key to clone it there.

    • 6

      Open a contextual menu by right-clicking (or Ctrl+clicking) on the cloned clip.

    • 7

      Select "Add." This will blend the clip with the layer below it and brighten the overall look of the footage.

    • 8

      If the footage is too light, reduce the opacity of the top clip. If the footage is still too dark, repeat the process in Steps 1 through 3 to create a third layer.

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