Picture this: You are looking at this really beautiful drone footage, but it feels empty and uninspired, like a blank canvas that you can’t bring to life. You can’t quite put a finger on it, but it is almost like it needs some kind of special effect or movie filter to create an atmosphere.
More precisely, it needs color grading. Visual artists have long used this technique to set the tone or evoke an emotion in movies and videos. Thanks to the advancements in video editing software, you no longer have to be a schooled creator to master the art of color grading.
You just need to keep reading this guide and try color grading for yourself.
In this article
What Is Color Grading?
To perfect something, we must first learn the basics. So, in case you’re not sure what color grading is, here’s a simple explanation. Color grading is a technique used in cinema where a colorist creates a palette to be used throughout the movie, thus achieving a certain aesthetic.
Think of movies like Blade Runner 2049, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Avatar.
Technically speaking, color grading includes three elements: hue, saturation, and brightness. You will learn more about each of them later in this article because these elements are of key importance for getting color grading right. Use them correctly, and they will transform your art.
The Importance of Color Grading
Now, some of you may be thinking, “Can’t I just add a filter and be done with it?” If you do that, your footage will lack originality and creativity. But if you want videos that are not only visually stunning but also emotionally engaging and artistically impactful, the answer is no.
Color grading is of immense significance for visual storytelling.
- It sets the tone and creates the atmosphere, making your footage look a certain way. This unique aesthetic should not by any chance be a random choice but a carefully designed element.
- In the hands of an artist, color grading elevates the scene and creates a dramatic effect that evokes specific emotions: red is passion, green is joy, blue is serenity, and so forth.
- Depending on the type of project and industry, color grading can provide many other creative and practical benefits. For example, marketers use it for its practical value: to target a specific audience.
- Conversely, color grading can also be used to make videos look pretty.
Challenges of Color Grading
We don’t want to lie to you: color grading is not easy. A keen observer might have noticed that this article refers to it as an artform. That’s because it is. The right software can be of great help, but it ultimately comes down to the artist’s (your) understanding of the craft.
Some of the greatest challenges that inexperienced colorists make are:
- Lack of consistency in applying color palettes;
- Balancing out colors of elements within a shot;
- Preserving details and textures without noise;
- Achieving the right look, tone, and ambiance.
How can you overcome these challenges? By taking the time to experiment and practice. Color grading requires an experienced eye in addition to skill. This is much more than putting two or more colors together; it’s about understanding the relationships between colors.
Picking the Right Tool for Video Color Grading
One of the best tools for learning to understand and use color grading is Wondershare Filmora. This is a powerful video editor with extensive tools, features, and capabilities. One of Filmora’s greatest strengths is that it helps you achieve remarkable results in a safe workspace.
Filmora is constantly among the best-rated video editors for professionals who are only starting out. It packs professional-grade tools in a beginner-friendly interface that lets you learn, hone your skills, and experiment without being intimidated or overwhelmed by options.
Filmora's color grading options are designed to simplify the process. They allow users to try different presets and LUTs (you’ll read more about this in a minute) or create unique color-grading palettes. Filmora is accessible to everyone and available for all operating systems.
Best Practices and Techniques for Color Grading
Now that you have the right tool for video color grading, it’s time to get down to business and start to create. Here, you will find the best practices, tips, and techniques for color grading a wide range of video content, from TikTok ads to movie-like masterpieces. Let’s begin.
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Mastering Color Correction
You might have heard about color gradin’s twin, color correction. The two techniques are similar and complementary, but they are not the same, and they don’t achieve the same results. But in order to master color grading, you must first learn how to use color correction.
Color correction is a technical technique colorists use to correct various issues in color produced by incorrect camera settings, unfavorable weather and lighting conditions, etc.
Unlike color correction, color grading doesn’t fix inconsistencies. Instead, it adds creative value, an emotion, or a specific style to them. Logically, correction comes in first.
This process includes elements like exposure, brightness, white balance, and contrast. The human eye gauges objective beauty by comparing it to a subconscious standard that is an ideal combination of these exact elements. Messing them up could destroy your footage.
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Using Look-up Table (LUTs)
Remember when you were considering video filters as an alternative to learning all this? As it turns out, there is a quick solution to color grade a video without manual experimentation. It’s called LUTs - or the look-up tables. LUTs are like presets but more complex and effective.
If (and only if) you perform color correction successfully, you can add a LUT look to your footage and immediately get the visual style you were aiming for. This is important because LUTs apply grading to natural colors as a baseline, so the end result might not be as you expected.
Obviously, LUT is a huge time-saver, but you need to use it carefully. In addition to successful color correction, another thing to think about is LUT compatibility. Since LUTs are made for various types of footage, from RAW to HDR, using a wrong LUT might yield wrong results.
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Video Color Grading Workflow
Do you want to see how color grading works in action? Most content creators and other visual artists who are trying to master video editing feel discouraged when they first start using professional color grading tools. That’s why we decided to use Filmora to show you the ropes.
Here’s how to use color grading options in Wondershare Filmora:
Step 1: Creating a New Project in Filmora
Filmora is a video editor that doubles as a recording tool with basic capabilities. So, if you already have footage for editing, you can work on it in Filmora after you click New Project > Import and add it from your device. Alternatively, you can select Screen Recorder and record a brand-new clip.
Step 2: Getting the Video Ready for Editing
To start editing a video in Filmora, you need to drag it from the Library and drop it in the timeline below. Take a moment to get familiar with the workspace. Even at first glance, it offers extensive video editing tools and creative assets that you can use to round up your desired look.
Step 3: Using Color Correcting Options
Look to your right. You will see an options panel with four tabs at the top: Video, Audio, Color, and Speed. Choose Color. This is where all Filmora color correction and color grading features are. First, scroll down to Light and adjust Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, and other settings.
Step 4: Adding Presets and LUTs in Filmora
Scroll up, and you will see the Preset and LUT panels. Filmora offers all kinds of stylish presets, from B&W to Epic and Elegant. To add an LUT, choose a Lut Preset from the drop-down menu or click on Add to import a look from an external source. Filmora allows you to customize the Strength, and you can even maintain the natural look of human skin with the AI-based Protect Skin Tones feature.
Step 5: Adjusting Temperature, Tint, and More
To manipulate colors manually, scroll down to Color and adjust values for Temperature, Tint, Vibrance, and Saturation.
Step 6: Manual Color Grading in Filmora
Go back up to the top of the Colors panel and switch to the HSL tab. Here, you can find and adjust settings for the three main elements of color grading: Hue, Saturation, and Luminance (brightness).
Step 7: Using Filmora's Color Wheels
If you want to use color wheels for any of this, you will find them under the Color Wheels tab.
Step 8: Color Matching in Filmora
Many colorists apply color correction and color grading changes to a reference clip and then use color matching to apply changes to the rest of the video. If you do this as well, you can find the Color Match option with the Comparison View at the very bottom of the Basic tab.
Step 9: Saving a Custom Preset
Filmora also allows you to save color correction and color grading settings as a custom preset. This option is at the bottom right corner of the program.
Step 10: Exporting a Video from Filmora
When your video is ready to be shared or published, click on the Export button at the top right corner and choose how you want to export it. If you want to post it online, you can export it directly to YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo.
Conclusion
Color grading is an essential technique in video editing. It transforms average-looking footage into a unique piece of art, communicates the atmosphere to tune with the scene, and helps young video artists develop their own visual style. Color grading is often very complicated.
In order to achieve the desired style and color grading aesthetic, you need the right video editing tool. Wondershare Filmora is one of the best such tools because it offers professional capabilities that can be used by beginners for a wide range of visual stories and projects.
Filmora’s video editing options include all the key color grading elements, such as color correction settings, presets, LUTs, color wheels, and color matching, as well as more advanced features like LUT strength, AI-powered Protect Skin Tones tool, and color grading with curves.
