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Color Grading Principles and Workflow

Apr 7, 2025

Lecture on Color Grading Principles

Introduction

  • Concept in color grading applicable to all major color grading software: DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, etc.
  • Understanding this concept can save months of trial and error.
  • Emphasis on the importance of order of operations in color grading.

Fundamental Mathematical Principle

  • Example using the commutative law: A + B = B + A.
  • Introduced to explain that order matters in certain processes, similar to task sequences in daily life.

Importance of Order in Color Grading

  • Most adjustments in color grading are not interchangeable.
  • Order of operations is crucial for effective color grading workflow.

Signal Flow in Software

  • Knowing the direction of the video signal flow is essential for correct adjustment order.
  • Signal flow varies by application:
    • Affinity Photo: Signal flows bottom-up.
    • Final Cut Pro: Signal flows top-down.
    • DaVinci Resolve: Signal flows left-right.
    • Premiere Pro: Similar flow to Final Cut Pro, top-down.

Practical Example Across Software

  • Affinity Photo, Final Cut Pro, and Premiere Pro adjustments show how order affects final image.
  • Key adjustment examples: HSL for desaturation and Curves for color cast.
  • Impact of adjustment order demonstrated through practical steps.

Working with Log and Raw Footage

  • Importance of transforming footage to Rec. 709 correctly.
  • Missteps can lead to loss of dynamic range.
  • Proper order of operations avoids issues with LUTs and color transformations.
  • Explanation of how LUTs expect specific exposure for accurate output.

Application-Specific Workflows

  • Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro: Placement of adjustments in inspector/effects pane crucial.
  • DaVinci Resolve: Node-based approach for applying color space transformations.
  • DaVinci Resolve intermediate workflow explained for maintaining dynamic range.

General Order of Operations in Color Grading

  1. Noise Reduction: First in signal chain.
  2. Exposure and Contrast Adjustments: Shape light in the scene.
  3. Balance Adjustments: White balance and mood setting.
  4. Secondary Adjustments: Focus on skin tones.
  5. Look Adjustments: Apply specific color looks.
  6. Color Space Transformation: Last step in the signal chain.

Workflow and Implementation

  • Order of operations is about signal processing, not the order of work.
  • Initial setup of color management allows accurate judgment of footage.
  • Adjustments are placed before LUT/color space transformation in the workflow.

Conclusion

  • Understanding order of operations is critical for efficient color grading.
  • The lecture provides a framework for setting up signal chains.
  • Encouragement to apply knowledge to specific software for improved results.

Additional Resources

  • Mention of personalized guidance for applying the concepts.
  • Offer of a blueprint for proper order of operations.

Note: The lecture emphasizes the importance of understanding order in color grading processes across different software to achieve the desired results effectively.

Full transcript