VIDEO POST-PRODUCTION ADVICE

Color correction with Log and Lookup Tables

- Robert Rodriguez

Believe me when I tell you that color correction is not as difficult as you might think. In the August/September issue, we started our discussion on color correction and covered how to shoot flat and the basics of Log, or logarithmic setting. There are many tools/programs to use for color correcting video, and some you might already own. While these tools might seem intimidating when you start, you’ll see how intuitive these applications can be when you understand how to navigate the basics.

LUTs are nondestructive when used within the software, meaning that you can apply them to a shot and remove them without “baking” any color into the clip unless you want to.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Most editing software have a basic color toolset, but there are some color-specific applications that you should learn. Blackmagic Design makes one of the most widely used applications in the industry: DaVinci Resolve. A version of it is also free. Resolve has been used on multiple television shows and feature films. If you master Resolve, you could find yourself working in Hollywood one day! This is not going to be a step-by-step tutorial for color correction. There isn’t enough room in this article to share all the details required to learn Resolve or any of the other applications. What I hope to accomplish is to give you the confidence to shoot Log and further your own education by following some of the many fantastic (and free) online tutorials.

The effect is similar to shooting stills as RAW + JPEG. The RAW image is flat, and the JPEG has a LUT applied to make it look “normal.”

Vignettes and windows are tricks of the trade to help you focus the audience’s attention to a specific part of the screen.

GETTING STARTED