videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/wbflare.md

wbflare

Description

Applies a blown-out white-balance flare that washes the frame in bright, overexposed warmth.
The effect simulates a camera whose white balance has catastrophically failed, producing harsh brightness spikes, color melt, and an unstable exposure cast.

Purpose

wbflare is designed for creators who want:

• intense, flared overexposure resembling broken auto-WB,
• cinematic whiteouts and warm, blooming flare pulses,
• chaotic light wash reminiscent of damaged DSLR sensors,
• a stylized flare aesthetic for music videos, montage, or collage,
• a single-command solution with no configuration required.

How It Works

1. White Balance Miscalibration Simulation
   The image is shifted toward overly warm, blown-out values.
2. Flare Bloom
   Bright areas bloom outward aggressively, swallowing surrounding detail.
3. Exposure Push
   Midtones and highlights ascend toward near-white, creating clip-heavy transitions.
4. Encoding
   Output is encoded using Videobeaux global CRF, codec, and pixel-format settings.

Program Template

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

Arguments

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

Real World Example

videobeaux -P wbflare \
  -i myvideo.mp4 \
  -o wbflare_styled.mp4

Program Output

Technical Notes

• Flare intensity is influenced by scene brightness—high-key footage becomes extremely washed out.
• Skin tones may lose detail entirely as white balance collapses.
• Compression interacts strongly with blown highlights; higher CRF introduces chaotic flare grit.
• Works well as a transition or emotional accent, especially during musical peaks.

Recommended Usage

• Music-video chorus drops or emotional surges.
• Stylized whiteouts in experimental film or collage.
• Dreamlike or transcendental sequences.
• Grungy digital “camera malfunction” aesthetics.
• Transitional flare blasts between scenes.

Quality Tips

• Lower CRF preserves cleaner bloom gradients.
• Higher CRF produces gritty, noisy flare textures.
• Pair with overexposed_stutter for extreme blown-out instability.
• Combine with bad_contrast to deepen shadows beneath the flare.
• Apply before LUTs for LUT-reactive highlights; apply after LUTs for a uniform whiteout.