If you want your videos to instantly grab people’s attention with stunning visuals, color grading is the way to go. It involves editing the color settings in your video to enhance how your footage looks and has the power to completely transform the mood of your videos. But what exactly is color grading and how can you use it in your edits?
In a nutshell, color grading means tweaking your video’s color balance, contrast, saturation and brightness to achieve a certain look. It’s the go-to tool used by videographers and content creators to make better, more professional-looking footage. And best of all, it’s a lot easier to master than you might think.
Color grading isn’t just about making your videos look nice – it can elevate your storytelling, create a signature aesthetic, and make your content stand out. In this guide, we’ll break down what color grading is, why it matters, and how you can use it to transform your videos.
- What is color grading?
- When to apply color grading to your edits
- Color grading vs color correction
- Essential color grading techniques you should know
- 5 tips to make the most of color grading
What is color grading and why does it matter?
Color grading is the process of adjusting and enhancing the colors in your footage to achieve a particular look or mood. It’s used in everything from Hollywood films to YouTube videos to give content a polished, professional feel – once you know what it looks like, you’ll see it everywhere!
Beyond aesthetics, color grading plays a huge role in storytelling. The colors you choose set the tone for your entire video and help shape how your audience feels while watching your content. Think about how horror films often create a bleak, intense atmosphere by removing the vibrancy from the colors you see. The 2018 film A Quiet Place creates a sense of dread at critical points with darker tones.
On the other hand, music videos do the opposite and dial up the brightness to bring a lively quality - like APT by Bruno Mars and ROSÉ and its vibrant pink video that matches the energy of the song. Now picture these examples swapped their signature looks - you can imagine how different they'd both feel as a viewer!
When should you apply color grading to your edits?
Most creators apply color grading at the final stage of editing – and for good reason. It’s best to wait until you’ve locked in your cuts, transitions, visual effects, and audio before diving into color work. That way, you’re grading the final version of your video rather than making changes that could throw off the look later.
Applying color grading at the end also helps you maintain a consistent tone and visual style across all your shots, giving your entire video a more professional, cohesive finish. Think of it as the finishing touch that brings everything together.
Color grading vs color correction: What’s the difference?
When you start looking into color grading, you’ll likely come across the term ‘color correction’ too. But despite the fact that some creators use the terms interchangeably, they’re not the same thing. It’s easy to confuse color grading with color correction, but they serve two distinct purposes:
Color correction fixes exposure, white balance, and color inaccuracies to make footage look natural.
Color grading is a creative process where colors are enhanced or adjusted to create a particular style.
Think of color correction as the foundation and color grading as the artistic touch that makes your content unique. Color correction will be done as part of the editing process to iron out any flaws in the footage, while color grading will complete the final look of your video.
Essential color grading techniques every creator needs to know
You might think color grading seems complicated, but just a few key techniques can completely transform your videos. Below are the color grading techniques every creator should know – whether you want to achieve a natural look or add a stylized cinematic feel
Each of these tweaks can be made in whichever editing software you use. They’re techniques that will help refine your footage, set the right mood, and keep your videos looking polished and professional:
Adjust the white balance for a natural look ⚖️
Before diving into creative color grading, make sure your footage has accurate white balance. If your colors look too warm (yellow) or too cool (blue), adjusting white balance will ensure a neutral starting point.
Control the light in your footage by tweaking its exposure and contrast 🔦
Balancing brightness and contrast is a key part of managing how your content looks. Tweaking the exposure can help fix under or overexposed footage, while contrast will help you control the difference between the light and dark in your video – too much contrast can lose details in shadows, while too little can make your footage look flat.
Enhance saturation and vibrancy for eye-catching visuals 🎉
Saturation makes colors more intense, while vibrancy boosts muted colors subtly without making things like skin tone look unnatural. They’re a great way to make your colors pop, but you want to strike the right balance so your footage doesn’t look too over the top.
Master color wheels and curves for greater color control 🎛️
These tools give you greater control over the colors in your footage. Color wheels and curves help fine-tune highlights, mid-tones, and shadows to create depth and add visual interest to your footage. Get to know how you can adjust the color in your footage and you’ll be able to create your own signature looks.
Save time by applying pre-made LUTs (Look-up tables) 🏃
Think of LUTs like Instagram filters for videos. They’re pre-made color presets that instantly change the look of your footage, making them a color grading cheat code. They’re great for achieving a cinematic look quickly but make sure they’re fine-tuned to fit your specific video.
Make the most of color grading: 5 tips for creators
When color grading, it’s important to enhance your footage without overdoing it – aim for a natural, balanced look that matches the vibe your content is aiming for.
1. Use reference images 👀
You’ll have more success with color grading if you know what you want to achieve. Take a look at content you like the look of and build a bank of reference points. Use this to compare the colors in your content and refine your aesthetic.
2. Keep your look subtle 🤌
The last thing you want is to distract viewers from your content. It’s easy to go overboard with color grading. Over-saturated footage or extreme contrast can make your video look unnatural, so try to stick to small adjustments.
3. Think about the emotions you want to show ❤️
Color grading instantly impacts how footage feels. Warmer tones feel inviting, while cooler hues add drama or tension. Keep in mind what you want your audience to feel from your content, and make sure your color grading choices match.
4. Ensure consistency across clips 🤝
Your video needs to look cohesive right the way through. Mismatched colors between shots can make your video feel disjointed and might cause viewers to stop watching. Take the time to double-check you’ve applied consistent color grading throughout.
5. Check colors across devices 🤳
After you’ve mastered how your content looks, you want your audience to enjoy exactly the same experience, no matter what device they’re watching on. What looks great on a high-end monitor might look different on a phone or TV, so check how your video appears on different devices before finalising your edits.
Make your content pop with color grading!
Now that you understand the impact of color grading, it’s time to experiment with it in your own videos! Use color grading to add emotion, style, and professionalism to your videos. And remember, simple adjustments can make a huge difference.
If you’re looking for high-quality motion backgrounds, overlays, and transitions to pair with your color-graded footage, Uppbeat’s motion graphics library has everything you need. Start experimenting today and bring your creative vision to life!
