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videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/bad_contrast.md
2025-12-07 22:04:44 -05:00

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# bad_contrast
## Description
Applies a “bad contrast” visual effect to the video, intentionally degrading tonal balance, highlight rolloff, shadow separation, and midtone neutrality.
The result simulates low-quality analog transfers, misconfigured broadcast equipment, degraded VHS dubs, or broken grading pipelines.
## Purpose
`bad_contrast` exists as a lightweight, stylized degradation tool for artists who want to:
- introduce tonal instability or harsh contrast,
- mimic analog-era video duplication artifacts,
- add mood through blown-out highlights or crushed shadows,
- create an intentionally incorrect exposure/contrast aesthetic,
- emphasize “bad video” texture in music videos, glitch art, or experimental film.
## How It Works
1. **Contrast Manipulation**
The module applies an internally defined filter chain that exaggerates or distorts normal contrast response.
2. **Highlight / Shadow Distortion**
Highlights may appear clipped or harsh; shadows may compress or posterize.
3. **Midtone Bias**
The effect may introduce incorrect gamma or uneven tonal mapping to create a “broken” look.
4. **Encoding**
Final output uses global Videobeaux codec, pixel format, and CRF settings.
## Program Template
videobeaux -P bad_contrast \
-i input.mp4 \
-o output.mp4
## Arguments
- *(No additional program-specific arguments; uses global videobeaux options only.)*
## Real World Example
videobeaux -P bad_contrast \
-i myvideo.mp4 \
-o bad_contrast_styled.mp4
## Program Output
<video controls preload="metadata" style="max-width:100%; border-radius:8px; margin:1em 0;">
<source src="https://github.com/schwwaaa/videobeaux/assets/7625379/9ba59b08-79a8-4a09-8b18-c0fe90a6c5e2" type="video/mp4">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
## Technical Notes
- The exact look depends partly on global Videobeaux encoding settings.
- Output may exhibit blown-out whites, crushed blacks, or tonal banding.
- Not intended for corrective workflows — this is a purely stylistic degradation.
- Works particularly well on motion-heavy or color-rich footage.
- As with all destructive effects, applying `bad_contrast` early in a pipeline will influence all later operations.
## Recommended Usage
- Broken-TV or analog-digital hybrid aesthetics.
- Glitch art, experimental cinema, and abstract video installations.
- Distressing otherwise clean digital footage.
- Music videos seeking stylized degradation.
- As an “imperfection layer” paired with other Videobeaux modules (e.g., `bad_animation`, `hash_fingerprint`).
## Quality Tips
- Apply at the end of a chain to maximize visible distortion.
- Pair with lower CRF values if you want compression artifacts to interact with tonal distortion.
- Use on footage with clear highlight/shadow separation for the strongest effect.
- Combine with LUTs or `lut_apply` to push contrast into more extreme color spaces.
- For a VHS-like aesthetic, consider pairing with `bad_contrast` + `convert_dims` (480p or 720hd presets).