Slider-by-Slider: Using Resolve's New 'Film Look Creator'
Learn to use Resolve's 'Film Look Creator' plugin, slider-by-slider, with tips & advice. Does it compete with Dehancer Pro-style alternatives?
Control Your Mastering White Point To Control Your Highlights
Learn how to use white points in color management and how to choose them creatively, in this interview with FilmLight's Daniele Siragusano.
Lens Flare For HDR Enhancement And Lighting Repair
Learn how to use Lens Flares to add dynamic range in HDR workflows while also repairing and texturing the clipped highlights of light sources.
Colourist Comparison Pt 2: Comparing Workflows and Techniques
Colorists Kali Bateman CSI and Luke Ross reveal gritty details of their node trees - grading identical footage to the same creative brief.
Pat’s DaVinci Fixed Node Tree (2024 Edition) - Color Grading 101
Patrick shares how he's designed his fixed node tree, plus outboard hardware and software optimizing color grading speed and efficiency.
Colorist Comparison - Two Colorists Grade The Same Footage
Explore two distinct approaches to color grading on one spot. Join Kali Bateman and Luke Ross as they dive deep into technique and workflow.
Office Hours Live-NAB 2024 What We Expected + iPad Calibration
We discuss what we expected at NAB 2024, calibrating an iPad Pro, and how/if we're using the headline Resolve features of prior years.
Old-School Color Grading - Shot-Matching People & Time Of Day
Learn how Patrick color graded (in Resolve) in 2013! In an upcoming Insight learn how he's overhauled his workflow - for better results.
'Barbie Look' In Resolve: Emulating Technicolor's 3-Strip Process
Colorist Jason Bowdach creates a Barbie-inspired 3-Strip Technicolor film look with customization controls using Nodes in DaVinci Resolve.
Upgrade Your Toolkit: Create Custom Highlight & Shadow Controls
Learn how to create a custom highlight roller tools tailored to your creative needs inside DaVinci Resolve.
How To Build A Custom Contrast-Pivot Tool Using Curves
Colorist Patrick Inhofer shares his favorite, and simplest, method for controlling the contrast of your images when doing Primary corrections.
Build Your Own Custom Abstract Animated Backgrounds in Fusion
Igor Riđanović teaches how to quickly & easily generate unique animated backgrounds using DaVinci Resolve Fusion's 3D toolset.
A Complete Guide to Baselight's Base Grade Operator
Luke Ross helps you master every Base Grade operator control in Baselight - and challenges Resolve users to figure out equivalent operations.
Animating Fusion Titles - Polishing Your Shared Title Templates
In Part 3, VFX artist Bernd Klimm customizes a shareable animated Fusion title template with expression modifiers, user controls, and macros!
Skill Up: Fusion-Photoshop Painting/Cleaning Workflow - Part 1
VFX artist Bernd Klimm imports one frame of a painted Photoshop still (removing an object) and shows how to composite it into a moving image.
‘Topaz Video AI’ Review: Video Processing Using Machine Learning
Jason Bowdach shows why you might use Topaz Video AI for difficult video manipulation tasks such as upscaling, retiming, and stabilization.
Refining A Fusion Title Animation & Creating A Reusable Template
Learn how to use shading layers, add intro/outro animations, and package your Fusion animation as a *.drfx template for easy sharing.
The Multiple Personalities of Resolve's Contrast-Pivot Controls
Colorist Patrick Inhofer shows you the three different and distinct behaviors of DaVinci Resolve's two Contrast-Pivot controls.
Substituting ACES ADX for Cineon Film Log With Film Looks LUTs
Explore how to get better results from Resolve’s Film Looks LUTs by leveraging the ACES ADX standard — even if you're not grading in ACES!
How To Build A Custom Fusion Title Template From Scratch - Part 1
VFX specialist and trainer Bernd Klimm joins Team Mixing Light shows how to create a custom Fusion title template to use on the Edit Page.
Using Custom Curves To Emulate Fill-Light Adjustments
Sometimes you want to 'open up' the shadows as if you added a bounce card or fill light to the scene. Custom curves make this easy.
Learning to Color Balance More Quickly With Fewer Adjustments
In the final episode of his 'Flexing Fundamentals' series, Cullen Kelly shows how to color balance more efficiently by thinking differently.
Stabilizing Shaky Footage in Baselight LOOK
In Part 17 of our series, Luke Ross shows how to stabilize footage in Baselight Student / LOOK using the Area and 2-point trackers.
Contrast Adjustments: Which Is The Right Tool For You?
In Part 3 of Cullen Kelly's 'Flexing Fundamentals' series, learn how to think about organizing contrast adjustments to improve your results.
Learning To Work Quickly Using The 'Glow' Resolve FX
Glow effects are versatile - but you can waste time fiddling with their controls. Learn how to work with the Glow Resolve FX, intentionally.
How To Upgrade Your Contrast, Pivot, Lift, and Gain Adjustments
Learn why colorist Cullen Kelly loves Contrast-Pivot for his contrast adjustments - and how you can upgrade them for more nuanced control.
Learning Baselight - Tracking Shapes with Keyframes and the Area Tracker
In Part 13, Luke Ross teaches you how to track shapes manually, using keyframes, and automagically, using Baselight Student's area tracker.
Deconstructing Blur, Mist, and Unsharp Mask Operations
In Part 3 of Hector Berrebi's 'Texture Management' series, learn what blur is doing to your images and build an Unsharp Mask using nodes.
Digging Into The ResolveFX Surface Tracker (For Retouching)
Resolve 18's Surface Tracker combines a multiple-point tracker and a warper in one tool. Learn how it works while prepping a retouch job.
How Do You Avoid Adding Visual Artifacts When Sharpening Your Images?
Are you adding RGB artifacts into images when sharpening? How is Midtone Detail different (in DaVinci Resolve)? Plus, sharpening in LAB space.
Film Print Emulation: Paul Dore’s ACES DCTL Look Modification Transform
In Part 3, learn how to go beyond LUTs for an artistic approach to emulating film print looks using Paul Dore's DCTL in an ACES workflow.
An Introduction to Texture Management (using DaVinci Resolve)
In the start of a new series, colorist & educator Hector Berrebi defines the terms and tools of the important concept: Texture Management.
Film Print Emulation: Breaking Down PixelTools 'Film Lab PowerGrades'
Continue developing your critical eye for evaluating Film Print Emulations (FPEs) by breaking down Pixel Tools Post's 'Film Lab PowerGrades'.
Why Are Film Print Emulation LUTs Special (and how to use them)?
In this new series, build the foundation to evaluate & implement ANY Film Print Emulation (FPE) - with the Kodak 2382 film stock as baseline.
Grading HDR & Dolby Vision: Patrick & Dan Join The Fun
In this installment of 'From The Mailbag' Team Mixing Light discusses Patrick & Dan's newest HDR projects &the challenges they faced.
Match Move ResolveFX: A Color Page Multitool
In this Insight, Joey D'Anna shows you how to use the DaVinci Resolve Match Move ResolveFX plugin for powerful tracking, stabilization, and paintwork
Inside the Grade: The First Pass On A Feature Film
Watch over the shoulder of senior colorist Cullen Kelly as he works through his first pass on a feature film and shares his approach.
Good Grades: Documentary Masterclass with Evan Anthony
In this installment of Good Grades we sit down with renowned documentary colorist Evan Anthony and talk about his start, work and more!
Look Development Part 2: Dialing In The Contrast Curve
In Part 2 of his series, Cullen Kelly takes a look at dialing in the contrast curve for a look with the new HDR Zone tool in Davinci Resolve 17.
Help Matching These Shots, Please!
A member asked for some advice on matching two shots that had distinctly different looks. In this Mailbag, we discuss strategies for matching these shots.
Resolve 17: Big Little Features Part 1 - The Color Page
Sometimes, it's the small features making a huge difference! Learn new color page tools to speed up and improve your workflow in Resolve 17.
Using Fusion's 3D Camera Tracker for Patching and Object Placement
Learn how to insert 3D objects or paint out defects in videos with a moving camera using DaVinci Resolve Fusion's 3D Camera Tracker.
Node Tree Compositing: Building A Green Screen Shot In One Node Tree
In this Insight, Joey D'Anna shows you how he uses the DaVinci Resolve color page node tree to build great looking green screen composites.
Working With Reference Images Part 3: Building The Look
Cullen shows how to put the analysis of reference images + analysis of shots on the timeline together to create a cohesive, matching look.
Combining Group Grades With Shared Nodes While Avoiding The Pitfalls
In Part 2 of this advanced workflow series, learn how you can use Shared Nodes inside Group Grades for quick & easy revisions down the road.
Using Playheads - Working Faster In DaVinci Resolve's Color Page
Learn how to accelerate your color grading in DaVinci Resolve's Color Page by using multiple Playheads to quickly navigate the timeline.
Using the Mocha Pro OFX Plugin in DaVinci Resolve Fusion
See the MochaPro OpenFX plugin in action to track and remove a logo on a car door - and finish / refine the composite in Fusion.
Better Blurring In DaVinci Resolve: Part 2
In the second part of his series on better blurring, Joey jumps into Fusion to explore its powerful capabilities to create natural-looking blurs.
Advanced Keyframe Editing in Fusion
Learn powerful keyframe editing techniques in DaVinci Resolve's Fusion page, using the built-in spline and keyframe editors.
The 10-Minute Grade: Shot Balancing
In this installment of The 10-Minute Grade, Cullen Kelly walks you thru a few different techniques to quickly get shots balanced when time is of the essence
Mastering DaVinci Resolve Cloud, Point Trackers for Shapes and OpenFX
If you want to master DaVinci Resolve's Color Page then you need to master its Cloud and Point trackers. This Insight sets you on that path.
The 10-Minute Grade: Global Contrast
In the first installment of a new series, Cullen Kelly shares his strategies for quickly getting a grade on its feet by creating global contrast
Mastering DaVinci Resolve's Stabilizer and Classic Stabilizer
Learn DaVinci Resolve's Stabilizer and its legacy 'Classic Stabilizer'. This Insight is pulled from our Courses with a new introduction.
Color Grading In Spectachrome Part 2 - Working With The Fuji XT-3
Working with new cameras is always a challenge. Get an inside look at what Dan does when working with the Fuji XT-3 camera
Emulating Film Halation in DaVinci Resolve
Learn two different methods (with different levels of control) of emualting the beauty of film halation using DaVinci Resolve.
Broadcast Promo Finishing Workflows in DaVinci Resolve
Learn how to use DaVinci Resolve to finish and output coutless versions of broadcast promos, easy fast and without any mistakes.
Color Grading In Spectachrome - Starting With Grain
Dan answers some comments from members about why he adds his grain to the image at the very beginning of his node graph
Color Grading In Spectachrome - Going Full Wes Anderson Part One
Dan cracks open another project fresh from the grading suite. In this part we take a look at the Spectachrome brief & project organisation.
Introduction to Tracking Tools and Techniques in Resolve Fusion
Learn how to set up and use Resolve Fusion's point- and planar- trackers. You'll deal with occlusions and see a powerful tracking technique.
Troubleshooting 101 – Color Compressor & Node Resizing
Dan shares his breakdown of cleaning up a bike frame using the color compressor and node resizing in Resolve
Troubleshooting 101 - Cleaning Up An Annoying Background
Dan shares his thoughts behind his solution to removing a reflection using Resolve's Color Page - on a 16mm shot with moving grain structure.
Look Inspiration - Emulating VHS Camcorder Footage
What's harder than faking a VHS-look from a high-end camera? Intercutting that look with actual crummy VHS. Learn one way to do it.
Colorist Inspiration January 2019 - Most Memorable Jobs of 2018
Every year Dan looks back at the previous year and shares his greatest successes. This year, he focuses on his most memorable jobs.
The Benefits Of Fixed Node Structures in DaVinci Resolve - Part 2
In Part 1 you learned how to build a Fixed Node Structure in Resolve's node tree when color grading. Now learn its huge time-saving benefits.
Learning Fusion Part 2 - Revising A Text Animation (Like A Compositor)
Learn how to deconstruct a pre-built Fusion animation that ships with DaVinci Resolve. After studying one, we revise our animation to match.
Behind The Curtain - 16mm Style Grade Part Three
Dan is back in part three of his unfiltered look at a recent grade. In this part we take a look at matching the externals in this 16mm style
Behind The Curtain - 16mm Style Grade Part Two
Dan picks up where he left off in this series on real time grading a music video. In part 2 we look at the noisy internal scene.
Learning Fusion The Easy Way: Using Resolve's Fusion Text Generator
DaVinci Resolve's Fusion page is intimidating. In this video, learn an easy way of getting into Fusion, with a simple Text animation.
Handling Over-Sharpening: How to Soften Footage Without Losing Detail
Drone footage adds tons of production value to projects. But the cameras often suffer from over-sharpening. Get tips for fixing this problem.
Revisiting the Versatile RGB Mixer (in DaVinci Resolve)
Mixing the R, G, and B colour channels is a versatile color grading technique. Using Resolve's RGB Mixer, learn its simplicity - and power.
Making It Pop: Evaluating Methods of Adjusting Saturation
Do all saturation controls behave similarly? Or are there subtle differences that add new arrows in your quiver of saturation controls?
Behind The Curtain - 16mm Style Grade Part One
Dan shares the opening part to his full unfiltered look at how he graded a music video in a 16mm film style.
Behind The Curtain - Cleaning Up For 2019
Dan shares his thoughts on trying to clean up his grades in 2019 and moving away from his favourite film emulation techniques.
An Introduction to Resolve Fusion's 3D Camera - Part 1
Learn how to get your Resolve Fusion composition into 3D space. Also, learn how false perspective is created and 3D cameras are animated.
Behind The Curtain - 16mm Film Emulation
In this Insight, Dan shares his approach to creating a classic 16mm Film Emulation that he used on a recent music video.
Color Correcting With Blending Modes -Recovering Highlights With Multiply
Dan shares his technique of using the multiply blending mode to recover highlights easily and naturally via a layer node.
Grading Challenge - 90s Video Review
Dan shares his 90s video review and his attempt at going bold, bright soft and crushed in this grading challenge.
Color Grading Challenge: Recreating the 90s Pop Video Look
Dan kicks off a new grading challenge where he plays your client. It's based on a 90s pop video style color grade he recently recreated.
Behind The Curtain - Liberty Commercials: Adding Depth To Drone Footage
Drone footage is a very common occurance on timelines these days. Dan shares his techniques for adding depth to the footage.
Behind The Curtain - Liberty Commercials Sun vs No Sun
Sometimes we are gifted with better sun than other times. In this Insight Dan shares his experience on a job shot over multiple months.
Elsewhere On The Web: Managing Saturation, Live HDR, Resolve Fusion (& more)
Summer 2018 round-up of don't-miss color correction tutorials from other websites (with commentary). We wish we had them here, first.
How To Paint, Track, and Replace A Logo In DaVinci Resolve Fusion 15
Learn how to track DaVinci Resolve 15's non-destructive paint tools in Fusion. Plus, get a tip for viewing a color grade inside Fusion.
Behind The Curtain - Live Concert Grade
Dan shares a tale of things going a bit wrong on a live concert grade w/ high powered LED lights and how moving over to ACES solved things.
10 Things I've Learned (So Far) About HDR Grading
In this Insight, Robbie explores 10 things he's learned in 3 years of grading HDR and how his recent experiences have informed his view on HDR.
Colorist Toolbox 2.0 - Building A Look Library 2018
The only person that is going to inspire you is yourself. A Look Library surrounds you with inspiration keeping you motivated and current.
DaVinci Resolve Compound Nodes: Efficiently Managing Looks
Now that DaVinci Resolve is gaining tools by the month, Dan takes a look at managing the node graph to keep things organised and flexible - with the goal of allowing for quick changes.
A Career As A Colorist: The Best Advice We've Received
We discuss the best advice we've received for our color grading careers. From attitude to technical to creative, we share what's worked.
Inspired By Lacoste, Timeless - Learning From An Award Winning Grade
What makes an award-winning grade so special? Dan attempts to break down what made the Lacoste, Timeless commercial so special and how we can pick up some tips to use on our own grades.
Getting Started As A Colorist & What's Changed In Grading?
We've got lots of questions from members asking how to get started as a professional colorist and how has grading changed over the years?
Practical Beauty Color Grading Level One: Quick and Effective
Sometimes even offering the smallest level of beauty work for a client can go a long way. Learn quick skin-smoothing / eyebag-reducing tips .
Color Correction Gear Head: May 2018 Edition
In this installment of the Color Correction Gear Head series, Robbie takes a look at the 2018 LG OLEDs (C8), the HD Fury Integral 4k, Aja 1616 12G Router, OWC Mercury HeliosFX and remote control application Splashtop.
Inspired by Mini 2018 - How One Colorist Emulates A Vintage Look
We've all seen amazing commercials and films that inspire us, but how do we turn that into color corrections that we can use on our own projects? Dan shares his approach to being inspired by a recent award-nominated color grade.
Talking LGs, OLEDs, and Calibration With Portrait Display's Tyler Pruitt
In this special edition Mixing Light Podcast, Technical Evangelist Tyler Pruitt joins Robbie to discuss LG's 2018 OLED monitors and various calibration issues like metamerism, colorimeter matrices and more!
An Introduction to Fusion (For Colorists) in DaVinci Resolve 15
While Fusion is a node-based compositor, its node tree is very different than the Color Page. Learn how to use Fusion in DaVinci Resolve 15 in under 15 minutes.
Resolve 15 New Color Page Features
In this Insight, colorist Joey D'Anna, fresh off demoing Resolve 15 at the Blackmagic booth at NAB 2018, shares his thoughts on the top new features that benefit the dedicated colorist the most in Resolve 15.
Two Ways of Using DaVinci Resolve's Parallel Mixer Node
In Part 2 of this series you learn two different ways of using DaVinci Resolve's Parallel Mixer node. We take the theory from Part 1 and put it into action on real footage (from one of our Color Correction Practice Projects).
NAB 2018 Plans & Is My Harris DL860 Working Properly?
We discuss our 2018 NAB teaching plans and where to find Patrick on the show floor? We answer a member's question about the Harris DL860.
Re-Revisiting Multi-Channel Audio Output In Resolve
No, that's not Déjà vu! We're re-revisiting multi-channel audio output in DaVinci Resolve! In Part 1 of a new series, we'll explore the essentials of multi-channel output including using the 'Timeline Tracks' method, The Link Group behavior, and basic bussing.
Colorist Challenge: Moving From A Direct View Monitor To The Cinema
A member asks about grading on a direct view monitor vs. the cinema. We discuss the differences and why overcomplicating it is a bad idea!
Colorist Podcast EP 022: Dado Valentic
In this installment of the Colorist Podcast, Josh sits down with colorist, trainer and industry visionary Dado Valentic to discuss his much talked about presentation on color grading and AI, HDR workflow, on tools for colorists and more!
Multicam Gone Wrong: Re-syncing Clips in DaVinci Resolve 14
DaVinci Resolve's automatic syncing of multiple cameras for its multicam editing workflow often fails. Learn how to reliably re-sync cameras after creating a multicam clip.
How To Migrate PowerBins, PowerGrades, Configs Between Databases?
Team Mixing Light discusses strategies for moving Resolve PowerGrades, PowerBins & project configurations between databases.
Behind The Curtain - Bread Short Film Part One
In this new series, Dan is showing a real-time grade of the bread short film he graded recently. Shot in less than ideal conditions with natural light on a compressed camera, it's a great chance to see the good the bad and the ugly from the grading suite.
Behind the Curtain - Commercial #2: From Base Grade to Final Look
In this Insight, Dan covers another of his behind the curtain commercials. This time we look at a bright morning kitchen scene. In this real-world assessment and grade, Dan focuses on getting a bright airy feel without losing on the filmic sense.
Grading The White Cyc Stand Up - When White Is Not White
In this video, you learn techniques for color correcting log encoded white cyc footage. Plus get several solutions for fixing common problems with these types of shoots and why, many times, your corrections are a compromise.
Behind the Curtain - Commercial #1: From Base Grade to Final Look
Dan returns to his Behind The Curtain series with a real-time insight that shows his approaches to this commercial grade. He covers primaries, look theory, shot matching and Look refinement.
How To Back Up Your Resolve Databases And Your Computer
One of our members asks about backing up Resolve databases and computers. This is an essential skill for colorists, listen to how we do it.
Colorist Podcast EP 021:Shane Mario Ruggieri
In this episode, Josh talks to Shane Mario Ruggieri, C.S.I. from Dolby. Learn about HDR from the colorists perspective, Dolby Vision, HDR 10, grading HDR and SDR and more! If you're interested in HDR this episode is a must listen!
From The Grading Suite: From Short Form To Reality
Dan shares the tale of his attempt at grading long-form reality television after spending 10 years being a pampered commercial colorist.
Grading A Short Film Part 2 - Testing The Feel Of The Footage
Dan shares his assessment of how to get the feel of the footage before you speak to the director. It helps when you can be upfront about what is and isn't possible.
Revisiting The Judd Modification When Calibrating OLED Displays
Team Mixing Light answers a member question about using the Judd Modification for an OLED reference monitor. What is it? When to use it?
Telestream Switch: A Media Player For Pros?
QC and media inspection are an essential part of 'finishing' process. In this Insight, Robbie shares his experience with Telestream Switch which is a full featured media player, inspector and QC tool.
Colorist Podcast EP 020: Ian Vertovec
In the first installment of the Colorist Podcast for 2018, Josh sits down with well-known colorist Ian Vertovec from Light Iron. They discuss Ian's work, ACES, HDR, VFX workflow and much more!
Elsewhere On the Web... Insights You Shouldn't Miss 'Out There'
Our focus in our Insights Color Correction Library is on creating original content. But sometimes we see original thoughts on other websites that you need to read. In this post, we share a few of those don't-miss insights from the internet.
Talking About and Understanding Dolby Vision Color Grading
Building on Robbie's recent articles, Pat and Dan ask questions about workflow and Robbie's recent trip to Dolby in Burbank, CA.
What Not To Do When A Client Asks For A New Direction
Dan shares a tale from the grading room of a film emulation gone wrong and how by missing the mistake was destined to fail in the grade with his clients.
Hollywood Restoration and Remastering: Colorist Marc Wielage
Film restoration and remastering is a specialty in the craft of color grading. Learn how a Hollywood colorist handles its unique challenges?
The Challenges (And Lessons Learned) Of Color Restoring Classic Films
The color restoration of classic films is one of the few 'Dark Arts' of digital color correction. Colorist Jim Wicks shares his challenges - and lessons learned - from this unforgiving niche of the craft of color grading.
Getting To Know Dolby Vision Part 2: Delivering To non-HDR Televisions
In part 2 of our Dolby Vision series you learn more about suite setup. Then you dive into using the Dolby Vision trim controls (in DaVinci Resolve) for Standard Dynamic Range TVs. Plus, Dolby Vision 'mezzanine' file creation.
Colorist Inspiration - January 2018 Edition
Colorist Dan Moran spends the first day of January 2018 looking back on his best work from 2017. Picking his favourite commercials, music videos and long form narrative projects and also sharing the stories behind when he enjoyed them so much.
When do you reach for Temp or Tint controls to White Balance shots?
White balancing is a basic color correction task. And Temp or Tint controls are often a time-saving shortcut. But they don't always work. Learn why?
The 12 Days Of Running A Better Color Correction Business
Getting into the holiday spirit, in this Insight Robbie shares 12 strategies to improving your color correction business in 2018
Can You Save This Shot? Part 2: Patrick's Solution (in real-time)
How do you save a shot that has exposure changes and compression artifacts? Patrick shows you how he does it, with footage you can download.
Image Cleanup In Resolve - Rotoscoping, Cloning, and Repeated Frames
Being able to offer Basic Cleanup in the grade is a great ability. It saves moving to and from a compositing application and helps finish off that job.
The Fundamentals of Rotoscoping in DaVinci Resolve
Sometimes a shot is so basic that a little VFX knowledge goes a long way. In this insight Dan shares his real world rotoscoping example
Getting To Know Dolby Vision Part 1: Terminology, Gear, and Workflow
In part 1 of our series on getting to know Dolby Vision HDR workflow & color correction, you learn the essentials of setting up a professional Dolby Vision mastering suite.
Fixing VFX Colorspace Issues In A Problematic Pipeline
VFX colorspace issues are the last thing you need when you are on a tight deadline. Dan shares his experience solving issues like these.
Inside the Color Grade Of A Furniture Brand - Series Overview
In a new series Dan shares a look behind the curtain at a real world grading project. From quoting to delivery he dives deep on his process.
Color Correcting Using New Software - Have Confidence In Yourself
Most of us are more comfortable using the same software all the time but why limit your opportunities? Dan shares his tips on learning a new software.
Colorist Podcast Episode 17: Bob Festa
In this episode, Josh talks to legendary colorist Bob Festa about his gigantic body of work, grading techniques and much more!
Grade Rescue - Saving A DSLR Moving Portrait
Dan filmed some bad footage on his 7D with the wrong color temperature, harsh lighting & heavy compression. He offers up his best effort on a grade rescue.
Color Grading Challenge - Beauty Grading Review
Dan critiques your beauty grading entries and shares his attempt. The challenge was quite advanced and the results are great. Dan's DRX is also downloadable
Colorist Inspiration – September 2017
Dan shares his inspiration for this month by checking out the nominations for Outstanding Color Grading at the HPA awards
Surviving (And Finishing) A 1000 Shot Project In 2 Days Or Less
Coloring long form projects with very quick turn arounds can be very challenging. In this article, learn techniques for surviving & finishing big projects
Colorist Podcast Episode 16: Alexis Van Hurkman Part 2
In this episode, Josh continues his conversation with director, author and colorist Alexis Van Hurkman. they talk HDR, ACES and more!
Grading Challenge - Beauty Grading Brief
Beauty grading is a discipline all on its own. Dan shares a typical client brief and will offer stages of feedback like a real world client
Grading Challenge - Reviewing My Car Brief Grades
In this insight Dan is reviewing your efforts on his car brief and also sharing his attempt at the shot to show his approach to the grade.
Colorist Podcast Episode 15: Alexis Van Hurkman
In this installment of the Colorist Podcast Josh talks to well known author, director, and colorist Alexis Van Hurkman about a wide variety of color topics
Using Resolve 14's New Color Stabilizer To Smooth Exposure Bumps
If you're trying to smooth out exposure changes in your footage then you'll love using Resolve 14's new Color Stabilizer filter (and avoid keyframing).
Thinking Like A Colorist - Assessing Tonal Range
Dan shares his new approach to Assessing Tonal Range and the initial grading moves by asking. Are you trying to make it look better or different?
Colorist Podcast Episode 014: Juan Ignacio Cabrera, CSI
in this installment of the Colorist Podcast, Josh talk to colorist Juan Ignacio Cabrera about his work on cutting edge projects & many other subjects.
Creative Color Grading - Blending LUTs | Mixing Light
Some jobs just call for the grade to be turned up to 11. A fun way to do this is by blending multiple LUTs together and enjoying the happy accidents!
Our New DaVinci Resolve14 Traning & Revisiting Remote Rendering
The Team discusses our new Resolve 14 New Features title as well as DaVinci Resolve Remote Rendering with guest Joey D'Anna.
Colorist Podcast Episode 013: Vanessa Taylor
In this installment of the Colorist Podcast, Josh is joined by colorist Vanessa Taylor. From balancing tech & art, grading HDR this is a great listen!
In Action: Working With The Key Mixer In DaVinci Resolve
In Part 2 of this series on working with alpha channels in DaVinci Resolve, learn how to use the Key Mixer to solve tricky a tricky problem on a commercial.
Getting To Know The Resolve 14 Collaborative Workflow Part 2
In this Insight, we put Part 1 into action and explore the powerful workflows possible with Resolve 14 collaborative workflows.
Dan's Month In ACES
Dan spent a month in ACES getting to know the new way of grading. In this insight he shares his thoughts on the good the bad and the ugly of ACES.
Creative Grading - Retro Sci-fi Look
Sometimes you have to go full cheese and pay homage to looks and films from the 70s and 80s. In this insight we create a retro Sci-Fi look
DaVinci Resolve 14: First Look
In this Insight, we take a look at some of the compelling new features in DaVinci Resolve 14 including OFX, performance and editing improvements.
From The Grading Room - Are We Sterilizing Images?
Now that most people have a basic knowledge of color correction thanks to Instagram what does that mean for us colorists?
Colorist Inspiration – March 2017
Dan shares his inspiration for this month including BTS on Moonlight, Peter Doyle, A$AP Rocky and a Lorde video shot on 16mm
Green Screen Keying & Managing Transparency In Resolve
Learn how to pull a green screen key in DaVinci Resolve and how to manage transparency and render alpha channels.
Becoming A Better Colorist - Stop Focusing On Individual Shots
We should be spending more time looking at the timeline as a whole than focusing on shots. Nobody ever watches a single shot!
Skin Tone Essentials: Hands, Arms, Legs and Feet Part One
Have you ever considered hands or legs when doing a beauty grade? We spend hours on faces but the skin should match all over the body.
From The Grading Room – Knowing When To Start From Scratch
Sometimes when grading you end up going in totally the wrong direction have to just stop what your doing and start from scratch.
Lens Profiling - What Is It And Why Could It Be Useful?
Is lens profiling something we should be looking at as colorists or is it a lot of extra effort to save a small amount of time in the grade?
Getting To Know The EasyDCP Resolve Plugin: Streamlined DCP Creation
Want to make a DCP directly from Resolve? In this Insight, Robbie explores the essentials of using the EasyDCP Resolve plugin.
Colorist Podcast Episode 09
In this episode of the colorist podcast, Josh talks to Technicolor senior colorist Peter Doyle about his amazing career & many other subjects
Feature Inspired Color Grading Looks - Blade Runner 2049
Inspired by the Blade Runner 2049 trailer Dan shares his attempt at recreateing the intense warm washed look.
Developing Looks And Settling On Your Exposure Levels
In How I Grade Part Two Dan shares more steps in his grading process. We look at auditioning looks and checking the correct exposure
Colorist Podcast Episode 08
In this episode of the colorist podcast, Josh talks to industry veteran/legend Dale Grahn about his storied career & many other subjects
How A Colorist Makes Decisions Through The Grading Process
Dan attempts to walk through his thoughts when grading step by step from quality control to setting the first primary correction
The Look Of 'Westworld' & Look Creation Philosophies
Robbie, Pat, and Dan discusses the look of the series 'Westworld' and our look creation philosophies when color grading.
Sky Replacement - Is It An Essential Skill For Colorists?
If a client asks for a sky replacement; as a colourist, should you? If so, how? Plus a tip on where to start when evaluating a sequence.
Why We Love LUTs and How To Replace Your LUT Addiction
Most of us love to use LUTs behind closed doors. Dan shares his thoughts on why and how to break out of needing LUTs
Creating Haze To Add Depth To Your Image Without Using Shapes
Using Haze as a grading tool is an alternative method to using Vignettes. Making things lower contrast helps them sit back in the image.
How To Quickly Generate Color Correction Ideas At The Start Of A Session
Are you having problems deciding how to attack color correcting your images? Learn how to quickly generate ideas in this video.
Creating the Classic Black and White Look By Thinking Like A Colorist
Dan shares the skills he learned in the darkroom and how he applies them to grading black and white in DaVinci Resolve
New Year Resolutions 2017: Improving Your Business & Color Grading
In this Insight, Robbie shares a number of new year resolutions for potentially improving your business & color grading.
An Interview with Colorist Ayumi Ashley
In this episode of the colorist podcast Josh talks to colorist Ayumi Ashley from Mission Film & Design about her work & career
Thinking Like A Colorist: Breaking Down the Western Scene
Download the footage and follow along as professional Colorist Dan Moran, CSI color corrects a classic shot in the style of a Hollywood Western Look.
Thinking Like A Colorist - Color Correcting A Forest Scene
Colorist Dan Moran shares a color correction breakdown on how he approaches a new shot, sight unseen. How to make it an alien planet or a shed in a garden?
Matching Pantone References - And When To Say No
Matching Pantone references to video can be tricky at the best of the times. Get advice on getting that exact match - even if it's not precisely correct.
An Interview with Professional Colorist Rob Bessette
In Episode 6 of the Colorist Podcast, Josh Petok talks to commercial colorist Rob Bessette about his career, grading commercials & more!
Warm Looks: Yellow Warmth Vs Red Warmth (which are you?)
Warm looks don't always have to be rosy red and cozy looking. Take a look at a non-traditional warm color and learn how to add it to your color toolkit.
Getting To Know ACES Part 4: The Latest In ACES Updates
Continuing our introductory series on ACES, you learn about the latest updates to ACES, including a working color space added to the ACES 1.03 specficiation: ACEScct. Plus, how it effects DaVinci Resolve colorists.
From The Grading Room - Behind The Looks of 2016 UK Best Nominated Commercials
First, explore the list of the UK's 2016 Best Nominated Commerials - then ask a professional colorist to breakdown how they achieved their Looks.
Find Your Color Correct Inspiration - British Arrows Best Colorist Nominations 2016
Dan Moran shares his thoughts on the best commercial color grade nominations 2016. Top work from excellent colorists are great sources of ideas.
DaVinci Resolve Detective: Is the Mouse Math fixed in DaVinci Resolve 12.5.3?
Did Blackmagic fix the 'Mouse Math' problem in DaVinci Resolve 12.5.3? Plus, how about the other bugs we found in our Resolve Detective series?
Syncing Resolve's LUT Folder & Viewing HDR & SDR Simultaneously
A member asks how they can easily sync Resolve's LUT folder between suites. Plus, the pros/cons of viewing HDR & SDR simultaneously.
White Balancing Shots and Solving Common Problems
Learn how to white balance shots with mixed color temperatures. Plus, how to deal with subtle color balance issues.
Thinking Like A Colorist - Considering Final Contrast Pt 1
Considering Final Contrast before you make your first primary correction is a huge advantage creatively to help you get the best results
Getting To Know ACES Part 3: Visual Effects Workflows
Our Getting To Know ACES series continues, looking at the essentials of using ACES for VFX roundtrips with DaVinci Resolve. You learn how to move images between VFX and color grading within the ACES color science.
Revisiting Multi-Channel Audio Output In DaVinci Resolve
Resolve users are often tasked with making final outputs.In this Insight, learn how to easily route multi-channel audio for output.
Color Grading with the ResolveFX Lens Flare Plug-in
Dan shares his experimentation with the idea of grading using lens flares for subtle lighting effects to help match and lift scenes.
Colorist Podcast Episode 004
In Episode 4 of the Colorist Podcast Josh talks to well-known freelance colorist Mark Todd Osborne about his work & many interesting subjects
From The Grading Room – Radiohead
Dan shares his story from the grading room on grading a short promo project for radiohead
Should You Go For That Film Look Or Embrace The Digital Clean Look?
Sometimes going for the film look is not the right decision. Dan shares his tips on going digital to give us great punchy sharp images.
How to Protect Skin Tones While Color Grading with a Heavy Look
When working with heavy looks we sometimes forget about protecting skin tone and making our artist/actor look as good as possible
Conform Issues Database – Introduction
Conforming timelines can be time-consuming before you even start color correcting. Learn the common issues (and how to fix them).
Colorist Inspiration – July 2016
Dan shares his top grades from July as a source of great colorist inspiration
Resolve Remote Rendering: Setting Up A ProRes 'Dongle'
Working on a PC but need to render ProRes? In this Insight, learn how to setup Resolve remote rendering & use a spare Mac for ProRes renders
Dirty Color Grading Looks - Taking Your Image To The Limit
Dan shares his techniques for taking your image to the brightness, saturation, and sharpness limits while maintaining legal levels.
Bad TV: Essential Steps For Creating The Bad TV Look
Every once and a while you'll need to create a stylized bad TV or surveillance camera look. In this Insight learn how.
Dirty Looks: Early '00s Looks
Dan shares some looks from his past focusing on two Early '00s looks in particular. One home digital camera one heavy 35mm music video
5 Strategies For Managing A Supervised Session
Supervised color grading is hard! In this Insight, Robbie shares 5 strategies for managing a supervised session.
Dirty Looks - Emulating Early Film Looks with Light Leaks
Early film looks are a very popular request from clients.They can be tricky to build quickly so Dan shares his DRX files that you can download
Dirty Looks – To Grain Or Not To Grain
Adding grain can help add a wonderful cinematic feel to a project but in the world of heavy compression is it a smart decision?
How Sync & VPN Changed My Color Grading Life
In this Insight, Robbie explores how through VPN & BitTorrent sync he was able to leave the office earlier & still work!
Inspiration - Color Grading Methods In A Fashion Commercial
Get an inside look on methods and techniques a professional digital video colorist uses on a short-form fashion commercial.