How To Build A Custom Contrast-Pivot Tool Using Curves

Quick Tip: A simple method for doing great-looking primary corrections

I previously did an Insight on the multiple personalities of Resolve’s two native contrast-pivot tools. We covered how they work and how Project preferences do – and don’t – affect those tools. But it’s been on my mind that I don’t use those tools in most of my grading. The Insight I created answered a member’s question on the forums. But the unasked question, in my mind, was, “What tools do you use for contrast-pivot?”

One of my preferred methods for controlling contrast during primary grading

To be clear, what I show in this Insight is not my ONLY method for setting initial contrast in a scene. During the Hero Shot exploration stage of a color grading session, I’ll quickly cycle through various approaches. Today’s Insight shows an approach I always test in my initial explorations.

Using Custom Curves, gently

One personal comment on the video below that I don’t think I was clear enough on: I like this method because it’s a gentle use of Custom Curves. I’m not drawing out a busy Curve with lots of control points. Instead, I focus on pulling out and overlapping the tangent handles to build the center point of my contrast expansion. Then I pull up/down to get the amount of contrast I want in the directions I want it.