Color Grading Best Practices

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Level 1

6 points

Color Grading Best Practices

Although I realise that this is an ambitious topic, I'm just hoping to get a solid foundation with which to work with as I begin.

Firstly, I've heard that there are a few steps that should be taken sequentially in color grading since the effects are cumulative. Color is confusing. Color vs. hue? Saturation? LUTs vs. built-in program functions?

Is there a basic approach to dealing with color grading that can be simplified into a few steps? For example, do I begin by correcting any obvious imbalances? Then try unifying color palette between neighbouring clips? Then bounce clips and make final adjustments? Work with built-in color functions before adding LUTs?

How does composting color FX work? Can I create multiple color boarding layers on a single clip? If so, are they processed in sequence?

Overall, are there any good resources online that people can direct me to that can help train my eye in detecting what constitutes "muddy" vs. "clear" colors while I begin to learn the workflows around color grading?

Thanks!

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 8, 2020 7:02 AM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,867 points

May 8, 2020 7:28 AM in response to Sunshine_82

The process is dependent on what device you're shooting. These days much of the material is see comes cameras that shoot log. The procedure is usually to apply the camera log LUT to all the clips in the browser from that source.

In the project the process is usually you do luminance adjustment first, always using the scopes. Do a master shot first, not necessarily the widest shot, but representative shots. Start with the black level, then do white level, and then do mids. Then you can do the white balance using the RGB. Paradae and adjust the color, the hue and saturation, using the vectorscope. You do a base grade for every shot in each scene. Usually shots repeat, like the same closeup recurs, so you copy the grades. Then you adjust adjacent shots in the same scene so the look similar. Finally, you can add a look to the scene. This is often done with an adjustment layer.

You can use as many tools as you want. Some prefer the Color Board, others the Color Wheels or Color Curves. Different tools will produce different results. There is really no right way. These are the basic steps I use.

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Answer 2

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 8, 2020 9:16 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Very helpful overview. Got lots of questions to come, I'm sure, but for now, while I'm processing this information, can you clarify the nature of the camera log LUTs? Is this a special coding of some sort that is specific to certain cameras? If so, are the files transferred from those cameras embedded with this code?

I'm currently researching new cameras and haven't settled on anything. But I'm leaning towards a Sony, maybe A7III or A7RIII. Although these aren't the highest professional grade cameras for video, I'm hoping that they will be more than sufficient for my general needs.

Regarding the adjustment layer, is this an additional layer that is transposed above the underlying clips? Is this additive? How does one create this adjustment layer?

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,867 points

May 8, 2020 9:23 AM in response to Sunshine_82

Camera LUTs are specific to devices. Different manufactures and different models uses different LUTs. A number are prebuilt in the application. You can see them in Camera LUT settings.

The adjustment layer is a title that gets installed in Motion Templates. You can get one here

http://www.fcpxbook.com/tips/adjustment-layer.html

It goes over the top of the clips and is blank. You apply grades or looks or effects to it and their applied to the video underneath it. This is the simple way to apply a look to a whole scene, change the contrast, tint it, change the saturation, anything. All the clips underneath get the same look added to their base grade.

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Answer 4

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 8, 2020 9:34 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks, Tom. Looks like you've got some great resources on your site. I'll be spending some time there, for sure. :)

I'm confused as to the relationship between Motion and FCP. I know what each does, but why are some plug-ins installed in Motion rather than in FCP? Is basic editing of a project not done in FCP? Can editing also be done in Motion?

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Answer 5

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 8, 2020 10:00 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Right, I understand their different functions, but I'm confused as to why some plug-ins that seem to have more to do with editing in FCP get installed in Motion. As usual, I'm probably missing something. (From the tutorials I've seen so far, several plug-ins get installed in Motion but then used in FCP.)

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Answer 6

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,867 points

May 8, 2020 10:04 AM in response to Sunshine_82

What effects have more to do with editing that are in Motion?

You can create effects in Motion to be used in FCP. You can modify many existing FCP effects in Motion to have more features or specific presets. Most plugins for FCP are created in Motion.

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Answer 7

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 10, 2020 4:13 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

I'm still trying to understand the relationship between Motion and FCP. Are their interfaces the same or similar? Is the integration seamless or does it require importing and exporting between programs?

Also, in regards to adjustment layers, do those exist within FCP proper without involving Motion? I've downloaded a couple already (one of them from your site, Tom -- thanks for that), but how do I install and use within FCP without involving FCP? Is that possible?

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Answer 8

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,867 points

May 10, 2020 5:04 AM in response to Sunshine_82

They are separate applications. Motion is a motion graphics and effects application. It can create effects, transitions, and titles that can be used in FCP. Many effects and titles that are in FCP can be opened in Motion and modified there. The applications are not integrated. Motion does not appear in FCP or vice versa.

"but how do I install and use within FCP without involving FCP? "

This makes no sense. The adjustment layer is a title that's used for adding effects in FCP. It serves no purpose outside of FCP, though I suppose it could be used in Motion, though I've never heard of anyone doing that.

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Answer 9

May 10, 2020 6:07 AM in response to Sunshine_82

Templates for FCP X can be installed and used without you having Motion installed.

They have to be placed in the correct locations so FCP X can access them.

You may need to manually create the appropriate folders in the Finder. I believe Spherico has a tool that can help with that (Motion Template Tool, I think).

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Answer 10

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 10, 2020 9:15 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thank you for the followup clarification.

Once again, I'm not familiar with the programs, so I'm sure that I'm misunderstanding plenty of things about them. I'm not always sure of the context of the instructions that I see and read online.

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Answer 11

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 11, 2020 9:02 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks, Luis. I was able to successfully import the adjustment layer into FCP.

Am I correct in my observation that adjustment layers are intended to be used for enhancements exclusively with video clips? Or will adjustment layers also work for audio clips if the audio is detached from the video? I'm trying to find a best practice for making audio enhancements for groups of clips. Perhaps the copy and pasting of clip attributes is the best strategy within FCP currently?

Also, is there a way to determine what enhancements have been added to adjustment layers? There doesn't appear to be a way to monitor the FX that I add to those layers as there's nothing that seems to appear in the inspector section when the adjustment layers are selected. Am I missing something?

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Answer 12

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 12, 2020 8:05 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks, Tom. I appreciate you sharing this sequence of steps. Very helpful

When you refer to "base levels," does this imply that clips are rendered after certain filters are applied to them? Or are the levels just stacked in sequential order like any other effects?

Also, when you begin to make color grading enhancements, balancing the blacks, whites, and mids, are you simply doing this by "feel" or are you consulting some sort of color grading sheet or some such standard for measurement?

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Answer 13

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 12, 2020 8:07 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks for the explanation, Luis.

That makes sense as to why I've been unable to add audio to adjustment layers. Is there an equally efficient way to treat groups of audio clips? If I understand correctly, certain audio clips can be non-permanently grouped together somehow and then treated with enhancements before being detached to their source clips. Is this correct?

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Answer 14

Sunshine_82 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 12, 2020 8:12 AM in response to Sunshine_82

I'm starting by color grading problem clips. Since I used my cell phone for some low-light conditions, some of my footage is very grainy. The noise filters built into FCP don't seem to be doing much and I'm confused as to how to use the masks. I seem to be getting some opaque blob instead of a seamless enhancement which blends into my clip.

Here's the problem zone in the bottom half of this clip:

And here's the mask that I've applied that blocks out everything else:

As usual, I'm problem missing something?

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Answer 15

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,867 points

May 12, 2020 8:23 AM in response to Sunshine_82

Not a lot you can do. It looks like there’s a as lot of noise in the image, that’s just going to be accentuated when you brighten the image. Push up the highlights and mids keep the blacks down or the image will look muddy.

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Color Grading Best Practices

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