Launch Apple Final Cut Pro, create a new sequence and edit a clip into
the sequence. You can use any media you like. This tutorial features an
underwater scene that was provided courtesy of ArtBeats. Select your
clip and choose Effects > Video Filters > BCC3 Lights > BCC
Rays_Puffy, or simply drag the filter from the Video Filters folder in
the browser to the clip. Double-click the clip to display the
Rays_Puffy parameters in the Viewer’s Filter tab.

Each Continuum filter includes presets that you can customize. The
appearance varies dramatically depending on your media, so don’t be
reluctant to use presets. They help to speed your workflow and a few
simple adjustments give them a custom appearance. Press the L button at
the top of the Filters tab and choose BluishRaysLightenfromAbove.bcp.
This preset creates the light from the Luma channel.

Now use the PixelChooser to light only a specific area. Scroll down to
the PixelChooser parameter group and set the PixelChooser menu to View
Matte Source. This displays the unfiltered clip so you can use the
Matte parameter group to select the region to light. Choose HSL Diff
from the Channel menu. HSL Diff chooses pixels based on the difference
between their HSL channel values and the channel values of the chosen
color. Depending on your clip, you may need to choose a different
channel.

Use the eyedropper to set the chosen color. In this clip, the color of the fish was sampled.

To view the affected area while making adjustments, set the
PixelChooser menu to View Chosen Pixels. This displays the matte, with
black regions representing unfiltered pixels and white regions
representing filtered pixels. Gray areas are partially filtered. This
is useful for adjusting an area that is difficult to see, for example a
subtle light. To create your matte, set the Type menu to Threshold and
adjust the Black/Threshold/From value. Pixels whose channel values are
above the Threshold level are pure white in the matte and are,
therefore, totally affected by the filter. With the example footage,
the Threshold is set to 40.

Depending on your clip, you may want to adjust the Matte Softness, Blur
Matte and Choke Matte parameters. By increasing Matte Softness, it
softens the edges of the matte by creating gray areas for pixels near
the Threshold value. Blur Matte applies a basic blur to the matte to
help smooth edges. Positive values tighten the matte around the opaque
regions, while negative values pull the matte away from the edges of
the opaque regions. Once you finish adjusting your matte, set the
Pixel-Chooser menu to On to view your effect.

So far, the mask controls where the light appears. What you really want
is for the mask to set where the light originates. This is easily
corrected by setting the PixelChooser Target menu to Source Light. Now
the light appears in the correct areas, but looks a little harsh.

The light should appear as if sunlight is streaming through the water.
The easiest way to fix this is to adjust the Apply Mode to control how
the light composites with the image. As the name implies, the
BluishRaysLightenfromAbove.bcp preset uses the Lighten Apply Mode.
Setting the Apply Mode menu to Hard Light softens the light with only a
single parameter change. If the light is too subtle, increase the
Intensity parameter at the top of the filter controls.

Now that the lighting appears the way you want, simply render the
effect exactly as you would render any Final Cut Pro effect. If you
like the effect you created, save it as your own custom preset by
clicking the S button at the top of the filter controls, typing a name
and clicking Save.

Anne Renehan
Director of Marketing and Communications
Boris FX, Inc.

Anne launched the Boris FX Authorized Training Program, which boasts
more than 20 centers internationally. Her background includes editing
programs for PBS, including the launch of Antiques
Roadshow and ZOOM. Prior to that, she
worked for Avid Technology and Discreet Logic. She is finishing her
first Final Cut Pro project, a documentary on the band Mission of Burma.

The nine Boris Continuum Complete Rays filters offer similar
functionality to produce varying lighting effects. This tutorial uses
the Rays_Puffy filter, which spreads light from a source point for a
soft, "puffy" appearance. The light is generated from a chosen channel
in your clip. The PixelChooser lets you fine tune the lighting. This
masking tool is included in many BCC filters and lets you set precisely
which pixels you want the filter to affect. Here, you’re using the
PixelChooser to apply the light rays only to the background.

BCC lets you create effects directly in your native host interface.
Besides Apple Final Cut Pro 5, BCC also works in the native interface
of Apple Motion, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Autodesk
Combustion and Boris Red. There are over 150 filters; each includes
integrated online help and a collection of customizable presets. A
fully functioning trial version of BCC is available for download on the
Boris Web site and works for 14 days before reverting to demo mode. A
new version is scheduled for release later this year.

Boris FX, Inc.
www.borisfx.com
381 Congress St., 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02210
ph. 617.451.9900
anner@borisfx.com