What is Color Grading?

In this video we'll start with a simple and complete definition of color grading, and then I'll show you how my definition of color grading as a pro colorist informs my practice when I'm working in DaVinci Resolve.

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[Crimbtw]

It’s always a good day when cullen uploads

[AriIsenberg]

Loving all of your content recently! Thank you for these fantastic videos!

[zymn]

From one Cullen to another, thank you for teaching your skill. I've been binging all week and using it on my footage. I'm already hugely improved, it's awesome.

[Tarek_Abdelhafez]

Like your definition for color grading and how you emphasis the simplicity in all your work. Nice and smart approach, indeed. Thanks, Cullen!

[outdoorsinontario]

Always good! Very consistent and it’s what’s needed with this world! Thank you!

[bobbiedyce]

Nice work. I always enjoy your videos.

[patrickivison]

Hey Cullen, on the next grade school could you briefly go into what a color assistant does and at what point they pass off the project to the senior colorist? I’d love to hear how you utilize assistants and how big post houses generally utilize them. Thanks for putting out such succinctly informative content!

[JimRobinson-colors]

I have no problem with the term color correction.
To me the colorist is a video finish manager.
If the dozens ( sometimes hundreds ) of people before you miss something in the telling of the story, then you at this point fix it.
But everybody before you are all have the same job - and on at a pro level - they are all rock stars in their given specialties, and are hired because they are competent at their job.

I look at everything by a visual of the source outward.
So in the case of any color grade, the source is the script. All decisions are related to telling the story from the script. Even the look and final feel of the grade, should be trying to tell the story from the script through visual emotion of color and/or light and shadow.
For example, we all have seen flashbacks or period grades ( 50s ) etc. That should be part of telling the story. If a person is green looking, they might be getting sick.

But as state if the storytelling is everyone's job, the colorist first needs to make sure there are not mistakes that somehow got past everyone - i.e. make up misses a blemish, or that something is distracting, or the frame is badly lit, for some reason or another etc.
But if everybody before you does their job, the colorist might do almost nothing - that's how good the people are sometimes that have done their job before it appears in front of you.

But the final look and anything that we do, in my opinion it's to push the script out to the person's watching brains. And through the visual experience we are able to better feel and follow the story from the end viewers perspective.
So it's not set to display for me, - it's script to viewer.
We have final control over the emotional experience and continuity of the visual story, and the look and grade conveys that.

[WOWmaticFilms]

Thanks for your detailed sessions Cullen. Unfortunately all of the links in description are showing "Page not found" error. Pls have a look.

[dawstory]

Great content. please make a video on RGB mixer

[invariant]

Can you make a video on how to recreate some popular movie looks (or like a very rudimentary versions of them)? Maybe if a client came to you and said I wanted my footage to look like the Joker, how would you go about it?

[Jimmy_Maurice]

I thought that in the RATIO node we have to put the pivot at 0.336 if we are in DWG color space ?

[slickstuartdjroja]

links are broken please provide any other outsources thank you!

[XVIIsionsProductions]

Seems like I'm never able to actually access your LUT packs :(

[kareemsoliman]

Mr Cullen, I have a question do I need a 4k monitor to color grade 4k file ? I have two option while I want to upgrade my gear ! Eizo CG2420 HD monitor meant for color grading 8bit+2frc panel from a lookup table 16bit lut 100% Adobe RGB & 99% DCI p3 , and Eizo CS2740 4k 10bit panel from a lookup table 16bit lut 99% Adobe RGB & 90% DCI P3 meant more for photographers and film makers, I will appreciate a lot your help if you can help to take these decision

[flochfitness]

Can someone help me?
You know how Cullen demos his looks and it seems like the frame stays still while scrolling the looks? When I try and do the same, Davinci scrolls through the footage making it hard to see exactly what the looks are doing. Anyone know how to resolve this?

[freddyc]

Hey to all colorist. Lately I’ve been thinking about what AI might do to the practice of Color grading. Do you think AI might take over this job or what’s your thought on this? Would love to hear from you ;)

[tomaskonvicka]

When I describing color grading I describe color correction first. Before artist start with abstract art he must learn paint a dog first:)

[gdpjohp]

The Colorist's 10 Commandments website can't buy! 404

[haroldmorganTulsa]

Your initial definition sounds much more like color correction.