I filmed a movie and it looks good on camera, but it looks dark on my computer
 

is this normal?

on the camera itself the movie looks great, but when I watch it on editing software it looks dark.
Ive opened it in Adobe, Windows movie maker and Arcsoft showbiz and its dark on all 3 programs.

Does this just mean my monitor sucks, or does it mean the movie will come out darker?

That's normal. Hook up a TV monitor to your computer (or patch it through your camera to the TV), and you'll see how it outputs on a TV.

If you are making movies for the web, you have to tweak them more.

ADG Webmaster

Just turn on the lamp near your computer. That should brighten things up :2 cents:

Look at it on another monitor. If its still dark, and you're planning on publishing it to the web, then you'll have to do some additional tweaking.

ok thanks.
ill be outputting to web, vhs and dvd

Final Cut Studio is a nice editing program.

However, to save yourself lots of time and trouble, use a good lighting system, and then always do a white balance. Also, shooting at an 18% gray card (or other such white/color chip card) - which is available for cheap at any good camera store, will make it much easier to adjust the colors later.

If I only knew then, what I know now...

ADG Webmaster <graduate, School of Hard Knocks>

amen its easier to get it right in production then fixed it later

I just plugged it into a regular tv and it looks normal, not dark at all. thanks :thumbsup

yea pc editing is a bit more complicated

and calibrate your moniter !

:1orglaugh

Gamma....