How can we achieve cinematic color correction, exactly? Why does the color grading of my videos look less appealing compared to others? I prepared this video for Yoon Minsoo, who has been contemplating for three years Hello, everyone! I am the man who edits Last time, we covered indoor shooting footage that includes lighting looked into the method of color grading cinematically For those of you who have some experience in filming, you might already know, but Color grading is significantly influenced by factors such as time, lighting, and location That's why videographers often start shooting early in the morning investing a considerable amount of time setting up heavy lighting equipment and sometimes climbing to risky and challenging high places However, for the majority of hobbyist camera users using only one camera to capture a single subject satisfying color grading quality in post-production becomes crucial for their shoots It takes a considerable amount of time to achieve the desired color grading until the final output is obtained Sometimes, there are people who think they lack talent and give up So today, without the use of additional lighting only using natural light, we filmed an outdoor video The method of color grading cinematically Let's take a look at a video I uploaded on Instagram some time ago Basic information about color grading has already been explained in the previous video This session will be conducted under the assumption that you have a basic understanding of the concepts so let's proceed with the lecture For those who haven't watched the video yet, please click on the link in the upper right corner to check it out Now, let's begin the outdoor shooting video color grading tutorial We are now inside Adobe Premiere Pro Before we start the tutorial, to quickly achieve a satisfying color Before we begin the tutorial, I'll share some tips to help you quickly achieve satisfying colors Those of you watching this video have probably watched numerous color grading tutorials Most likely, you've focused on videos demonstrating the color correction process within various programs Even if you followed along with your own footage, some of you may not have noticed a significant difference The reason is that you might not know how the video was shot in the first place When you watch sample videos included in paid color grading courses by well-known videographers you'll notice some common characteristics Namely, time and location Not only videographers but also those who primarily capture photos outdoors When you look at channels with a large number of subscribers, the shooting time is mostly. dominated by the golden hours, either early in the morning when the sun rises or during the sunset The reason is that we drive several hours to the distant sea from our home to watch the sunrise The most beautiful time with natural light! It's all about the timing During this brief golden hour, color separation is distinct, setting it apart from footage captured during the bright midday or afternoon hours from the very first steps of color correction In simpler terms, it's like starting with a different palette But there are times when you have to shoot during the bright hours when the sun is shining intensely In such cases, pay close attention to the location and its features Using reflectors or diffusers can expand the range of angle choices regardless of the sun's position, however. For the average person, it may not be practical to carry such bulky and heavy equipment Before you start shooting, scout for locations with shade These two videos were shot at the same time This video was shot without paying attention to the direction of the sun One was shot in a location chosen to avoid the sun Even without further explanation, you can feel the difference, right? Remember to actively use locations with shadows, utilizing surrounding structures such as buildings or trees This can significantly reduce the time spent on color correction, often by more than half Now, let's go ahead and import this video into the timeline This video was shot with Sony's FX3 in Slog and no additional equipment was used besides the camera Just remember that the shooting started early in the morning to avoid harsh sunlight Now, let's go to the 'Creative' tab and start by applying the LUT that you have For those who don't have a LUT, you can download free default LUTs for all cameras through the link in the upper right corner and follow along I used the CineMatch plugin to specify the output color, but The reason I use this plugin is that it offers a variety of input camera picture profiles and the advanced features make it easy to handle complex color correction tasks For those who have plenty of LUTs, you may choose not to use it Next, I added an adjustment layer, and then I added the LUT I created additionally Two LUTs were used in total, and I adjusted the intensity through the intensity control, ensuring that the colors were adjusted within a range that didn't result in over-saturation Make sure the Lumetri scope doesn't exceed 100 or fix the values within a range where the skin tones are not overexposed. This way, you won't ruin the color correction For those who want to use the LUT I created you can click on the link in the upper right corner to download it. The advantage of blending LUTs is that you can easily evoke the colors you like and reduce the time it takes to make adjustments Once the camera settings are configured, they don't change significantly in most cases. so remember that you can easily extract your own color palette anytime through the intensity adjustments of the additional LUTs you put in Next, the white balance, which sets the overall tone If you're not satisfied with the dominant tone in the footage adjusting the white balance can be a useful effect. In a video like this, if you look at the lumetri scope, you can see that the red color is strong this color scheme is not bad but the focus of this video clip is clearly on the three subjects rather than the background I will bring the focus towards the center I added a color temperature of minus 5 and a tint of minus 3 to balance the ratio of red and green, making them more similar. The skin tone color may become messy, but that's okay We can fix it through selective editing Don't worry about the subjects focus only on the background Adjust the color editing through the primary color wheels under the Light section Here's an important tip at this point Create guidelines for your preferred primary color editing I prefer slightly reducing saturation, contrast, and highlights. Especially with Sony cameras, I tend to reduce them more Color correction is a crucial aspect that allows me to visually convey my character and style to viewers or clients most quickly Instead of different color schemes every time, try to create your own consistent color style that sets you apart from others Next, in the curves section, you can adjust the shadow, mid-tone, and highlight by moving the graph lines You can create all your creative color schemes from within Especially for footage that doesn't require LUTs For example, smartphone or action camera footage can be easily adjusted with curves alone to create the specific color scheme you prefer. Experiment with moving the graph in various ways to find your own color scheme, but always check the graph as you go Just ensure that the separation of red, green, and blue colors does not become too extreme I tend to lower the shadows and highlights. The Hue/Saturation function here allows you to select and desaturate colors that may be distracting in the video When you press the control key and click on the eyedropper icon, the selection range widens, allowing you to effectively pick colors in areas where the blending is ambiguous In this video, reducing the saturation of the pastel blue seems like a good idea On the contrary, if you want to enhance the colors, you can raise the graph If you're not satisfied with your current editing software or want a more professional editing experience, click on the link in the video and become a member of Adobe By signing up, you can freely access not only Premiere Pro but also various other Adobe programs If you want to elevate your editing skills with numerous AI features, click now to check it out The next color correction process is masking In outdoor settings, due to the direction of the sun, there are areas with strong exposure and dark areas You can use masking to balance these areas In the video, adjusting the exposure of the subject on the right to a certain extent seems to be the best way to balance it The editing process involves copying the video, selecting the Pen tool, and outlining the area you want to adjust You don't need to make the masking too precise just focus on the lines covering the face Now, use the automatic masking function to add keyframes for the moving face After Premiere Pro finishes the operation, increase the Feather value to around 30 lower the exposure, you can easily balance it Premiere Pro allows for partial color editing in this way. it may take some time, remember that there is a significant difference in the final result Masking is also used to cover parts of the video that are unnecessary or distracting By adding an adjustment layer and slightly lowering the exposure in the specified area with no information, you can achieve a video that is noticeably different from before Be sure to make use of this aspect as well Lastly, the added effects include using the dehancer plugin to incorporate Glow and Grain effects, creating a sentimental atmosphere For those curious about this plugin, detailed explanations are provided in the link at the upper right corner, so check it out Through these editing processes, the video has transformed into what you see now How does it look? this video might seem complex and challenging for beginners to follow If you break it down and follow step by step, you should be able to understand it easily Also, remember the ease of completing color correction with the utilization of the LUTs you are using I'll come back with an even more useful video next time. I frequently upload various videos on color correction on Instagram, so be sure to check them out If the video was helpful, don't forget to subscribe, like, and hit the bell icon on the right so you can quickly check out the next video when it's uploaded. Have a creative day, and see you in the next video
