How to Add a Diffusion/Mist Effect in Baselight Using DFuse

Welcome back to Color Culture, I am Salik Waquas, a film colorist who loves what he does.Creating a dreamy, ethereal look using diffusion or mist effects is a popular technique in film grading. It adds a soft glow, diffuses highlights, and can enhance the overall mood of a scene. In this article, I will walk you through the process of adding a diffusion or mist effect in Baselight using the DFuse operator.

Adding a Diffusion/Mist Effect in Baselight Using DFuse

Step 1: Select the Shot You Want to Apply the Effect To

Select the shot where you want to apply the diffusion or mist effect.

1. Use the Cuts View: The Cuts View shows small thumbnails of your shots. Scroll through the shots in your timeline, and find the shot that needs the mist effect.
2. Click on the desired shot: Once you’ve identified the shot, click on it to select it. It should be highlighted in the timeline. This lets Baselight know which shot you want to adjust.

Step 2: Apply the DFuse Operator

The DFuse operator is the key tool for creating diffusion or mist effects in Baselight. It’s time to select this operator.

1. Locate the Grading Operators: On the right side of the Baselight interface, you will see a vertical column of grading operators.
2. Finding DFuse: From the menu on top select Insert > Spatial > DFuse. This applies the DFuse operator to the currently selected layer.
3. Once DFuse is selected, the parameters for this operator will appear in the Parameters View at the right of your screen.

Step 3: Adjust the DFuse Parameters

Now that DFuse is active, you can begin customizing the diffusion effect to suit your scene by adjusting the following key parameters:

Diffuse Slider:

• This is the most important control and it’s initially set to 0 by default, meaning no diffusion is applied. Start adjusting it by moving the slider to the right.
  • Tip: Start by setting it around 0.5 for moderate diffusion and increase or decrease as needed to create the look you want.

Saturation Slider:

• This slider adjusts the color saturation of the black-and-white image that is mixed with the original image.
  • For a strong black-and-white mix that emphasizes the soft, misty look, slide it further right.
  • If you want to retain more of the original colors, lower the saturation slider.

Aspect Slider:

• The aspect slider controls the orientation of the blur from the diffusion.
  • A negative value blurs horizontally, creating a soft, left-to-right mist.
  • A positive value blurs vertically, emphasizing top-to-bottom softening.
  • Experiment with small values for subtle adjustments, or extreme values for more exaggerated blurs.

Mix Slider:

• This control sets how much of the black-and-white image is blended with the original.
  • By default, it is set to 0.5, meaning that the image is half diffusion and half source.
  • Moving it left reduces the diffusion effect, while moving it right increases the strength of the mix.

Step 4: Mask the Diffusion (Optional)

Sometimes, you may only want the diffusion effect in certain parts of the frame, such as the background or a specific subject like a light source or character. Baselight’s masking tools allow you to localize the diffusion effect.

1. Add a mask:
   • Go to the Matte button in the DFuse controls.
   • Create a mask by selecting one of the options: Ellipse, Rectangle, or manually drawing a shape around the area you want to diffuse.
2. Feather the edges:
   • To make the diffusion blend more smoothly, use the Feather Slider to soften the mask edges. This ensures a more natural look without harsh transitions between the diffused and sharp areas.
3. Position the mask:
   • Adjust the position and size of the mask using the Transform Tool to ensure the diffusion is applied exactly where you want it.

Step 5: Fine-Tuning the Diffusion Effect

With the DFuse parameters and masking in place, you can fine-tune the look of the diffusion to match your creative vision.

1. Refine the Intensity and Size:
   • Play with the Intensity and Size sliders again after applying the mask to make sure the effect looks natural and fits the scene.
2. Adjust Opacity:
   • If the diffusion feels too strong, try reducing the opacity of the entire layer. You can do this by adjusting the Opacity Slider at the bottom of the layer settings. Bringing the opacity down will blend the diffusion into the original image more seamlessly.
3. Toggle Between Inside/Outside Layers:
   • If you’ve applied a mask, you can further refine the inside and outside areas of the mask by using the Invert Matte checkbox in the Matte tab of DFuse operator.

Step 6: Compare the Original and Diffused Shot

Before finalizing, it’s always a good idea to compare the shot with and without the diffusion effect.

1. Use the Bypass Button:
   • There is a small circle button at the top of DFuse Operator that looks like a circle with a diagonal line through it. This is the Bypass Button.
   • Clicking this will temporarily disable the layer so you can see how the shot looks without the diffusion effect.
   • Toggle it on and off to see the differences and make sure the diffusion adds the desired impact to your shot.
2. Playback the Shot:
   • Press the Spacebar to play the shot in real-time with the diffusion effect applied. Watch how the mist effect interacts with motion and lighting to ensure it enhances the visual feel of the scene.

Congratulations, you have successfully created a diffusion or mist filter like effect in Baselight.

• Also Read: ADDING GRAIN IN BASELIGHT (EASIEST GUIDE)
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