How to Color Correct Using LUTs (By Preparing Your Images)

How to Color Correct Using LUTs

Much to the disappointment of novice colorists and filmmakers… color correcting using LUTs (Look-Up Tables) are not a Fire-and-Forget shortcut to expanding out your Log- or RAW- recorded images.

As we’ve discussed in the rest of this series on LUTs, a LUT is based on a series of assumptions about where the middle of the exposure range of your image resides. It also assumes the placement of your deepest shadows and brightest highlights. If your source footage varies off these assumptions you get less-than-ideal (and often ugly) results.

Four Methods, Slightly Different Results

In this Insight I’m going to explore a combination of techniques you can use to prepare your image before applying a LUT. The end results will be subtly different but may often give you substantially different ‘feels’ to how the image reacts the rest of your grading ‘inputs’.

My goal isn’t to show you the One Perfect Method. My goal IS to give you some different ideas on techniques to explore on your own, applied to different projects. Over time, you’ll develop an affinity for one or two of these techniques which may complement your grading style. And over longer periods of time, you’ll work your way through all of these – exploring the subtle differences that help you achieve the results your clients are reaching for.

In this Insight we’ll be exploring the following tools:

• Lift, Gamma, Gain primary color wheels

• Contrast and Pivot sliders

• Offset wheel

• Various combinations of all three of these tools.

Got Questions?
That’s why we’ve got the comments enabled… feel free to ask questions. Or share any thoughts that this Insight inspires!

Enjoy!

– patrick