They ensured the printed film matched the monitors where the color correction took place. Different types of film react to development differently. LUTs were once used when sending video from editing to print. It can also help to slightly decrease the saturation setting. If your camera doesn’t offer a log profile and you plan to color grade your video, use either a neutral profile or set up a custom profile with the sharpness and contrast set as low as possible. This helps to avoid blowing out highlights or clipping shadows, as well as flexibility when editing your video later. In a log color profile, the camera minimizes the contrast in order to squeeze in the most information possible. Most cameras will offer a flat or log profile. However, videographers need far more control over their footage.
Usually color profiles are sufficient for casual situations like taking a quick video of your friend’s soccer game. Color profiles work similarly to white balancing, but also adjust elements like saturation and contrast. However, no camera is able to do this perfectly, so this is where color profiles come into play.
When it does this, it includes instructions on how to modify the data in some way to try and more accurately recreate what you saw. When a camera records a scene, it collects digital data and then translates that data into a viewable format. Color grading: Once the color has been corrected, the footage can be color graded to fine tune the colors and create a specific look.Ī common example you’ve likely seen in films is to add teal to shadowed areas and orange to the midtones.Color correction: The process of adjusting the basic color and white balance, exposure, and contrast to be consistent from shot to shot.While the term color grading refers to the whole process of adjusting the color from the source file to the final output, the process is split into two parts: Color adjustments were made by manipulating how long the film was exposed to the different developing solutions. It’s how videographers adjust the colors of their footage to achieve a visual mood or tone.Ĭolor grading was once called color timing, a process done manually while developing actual film. So, what exactly is color grading and where should you start? What is Color Grading?Ĭolor grading is how you enhance or alter the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image.
Whether subtle or ultra-stylized, how you color grade is optional and depends on your aesthetic. There are many elements that work together to make a video special but color grading can completely transform the look.