videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/steel_wash.md

steel_wash

Description

Applies a cool steel-blue wash across the entire video image.
The effect evokes the feel of industrial lighting, cold metal surfaces, or desaturated cinematic palettes often seen in sci-fi, dystopian, and neo-noir aesthetics.

Purpose

steel_wash is designed for creators who want:

• a clean, cool-toned chromatic shift,
• a desaturated metallic aesthetic,
• a simple and reliable grading filter with no parameters,
• a cohesive blue wash to unify mismatched footage,
• a subtle but distinctive look that enhances atmosphere and mood.

How It Works

1. Global Blue Bias
   Shadows, midtones, and highlights are shifted toward cold steel-blue coloration.
2. Desaturation Layer
   Other hues are reduced, allowing the steel tone to dominate.
3. Contrast Conditioning
   Mild tonal shaping prevents the image from becoming flat while maintaining the cold aesthetic.
4. Encoding
   Final output is encoded using global Videobeaux codec, CRF, and pixel-format settings.

Program Template

videobeaux -P steel_wash \
  -i input.mp4 \
  -o output.mp4

Arguments

• (No additional program-specific arguments; uses global videobeaux options only.)

Real World Example

videobeaux -P steel_wash \
  -i myvideo.mp4 \
  -o steel_wash_styled.mp4

Program Output

Technical Notes

• Works particularly well with nighttime, industrial, mechanical, or urban footage.
• Skin tones take on a stylized, pale-blue cast — ideal for sci-fi or dystopian moods.
• High-saturation footage will be subdued; low-saturation footage becomes more cohesive.
• Compression interacts minimally with the wash due to its uniformity.

Recommended Usage

• Neo-noir or cyberpunk scenes.
• Cold, metallic grading for music videos.
• Industrial montage or mechanical close-ups.
• Consistent color unification before collage or Lagkage layouts.
• Atmospheric shifting before applying more intense glitch effects.

Quality Tips

• Lower CRF preserves subtle gradients in blue-toned areas.
• Higher CRF introduces grit that enhances industrial textures.
• Combine with bad_contrast for harsher, high-impact steel tones.
• Pair with ghostee or slight_smear for dreamy industrial softness.
• Apply before LUTs to let your LUT react to the steel wash; apply after to preserve LUT integrity.