For many After Effects users, gamma is something you adjust in the levels and exposure plugins, but it goes much further than that.  Gamma is a fundamental component of color management, and it’s something that can’t be ignored. But it doesn’t just involve computers, gamma correction is something we’re born with!

In this video, I introduce the concept of gamma and demonstrate three different scenarios where gamma correction has played a critical role in the development of television and digital video.

In upcoming videos we’ll take the topic of gamma further, and look at colorspaces and linear compositing, but this should demonstrate why gamma is so important.

This is part 7 in a long series on color management.  If you’ve missed the other parts, you can catch up here:

Part 1: The honeymoon is over

Part 2: Newton’s Prisms

Part 3: It’s all in the brain

Part 4: Maxwell’s spinning discs

Part 5: Introducing CIE 1931

Part 6: Understanding the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram

Part 7: Introducing gamma

AND – I’ve been writing After Effects articles and tutorials for over 20 years. Please check out some of my other ProVideo Coalition articles.