fireworks - finale_WS_1 time echo_split

couldn't leave it alone. here's a split view of before on the right, after on the left.

Good:
-subtle and natural enhancement at first glance.
-footage feels brighter and more colorful.

Bad:
-not quite as noticeable as i'd hoped.

here's the breakdown:
i used time echo in after effects, which is aptly named. rather than a single frame of video being viewed by itself, time echo shows other frames (either before or after) in a gradually faded manner, similar to onion skinning in animation.
problem: using time echo on footage can cause it to get overly bright, which was already a problem for me with the core of the burning... fire... work... things...
solution!: after effects supports 32-bits per channel, which is nerd talk for saying it can understand brightness values brighter than white (just because 2 things show up as pure white on video doesn't mean they're of equal brightness). so i turned on 32-bit mode, did the time echo, ended up with crazy bright fireworks streams, then applied an effect called HDR Highlight Compressor, which brought those super brights back down to just plain old bright. the added advantage was that instead of just being white, those pixels now regained a semblance of color.

i'll include the after effects file on my tumblr page (www.jeremyschulz.tumblr.com).