Understanding Color Correction vs.

Color Grading for Post Production 15/04/2019, 17+19

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Understanding Color Correction Search

vs. Color Grading for Post

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Nov 4, 2013 | Most Popular Articles | 0 comments
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After Effects

Color is fundamental in design and visual storytelling, as it conveys

meaning beyond what we see on screen. We use it to describe objects,
express emotion, and evoke responses among audiences. In the post
production process of a video production, perfection of color is done ( )

through color grading or color correction. Once a job only for color #4 AE

professionals, color grading and color correction tools today are found in
most video editing programs and is accessible to anyone. Often used -

interchangeably and mistaken for one another, color correction and color

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Understanding Color Correction vs. Color Grading for Post Production 15/04/2019, 17+19

grading are in fact different. Here’s what you need to know about each of ・
them.

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Color Correction
Color correction refers to the process where every individual clip of a
video footage is altered to match color temperature of multiple shots to a
Categories
consistent technical standard of appearance. It’s about balancing out your
colors, making the whites actually appear white, and the blacks actually After Effects

appear black, and that everything in between is nice and even. (31)

Announcement
The goal is to match the video footage to a standard that would be an
s (83)
accurate portrayal of how it would look if viewed from the human eye.
With the human eye, under a warm light or cool light, a white object will Apple

always appear white. But with cameras, if you don’t set it to the proper Motion/Final

white balance, it can appear either blueish white, yellowish white or Cut Pro (7)

actual white. Featured (76)

Also, if you’re shooting outside over the course of a day, the quality of Footage (41)

the sun is going to change and your video will not look quite right, as Freebie (11)
certain shots of your video will not match up. That’s why color Image/GIF
correction is so important, as it will make your shots seamless and make (13)
your video look like they were all shot at the same time. Color correction
Interview (10)
can be done using primary and secondary tools, as well as masks and
mattes. Most Popular
Articles (235)

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Understanding Color Correction vs. Color Grading for Post Production 15/04/2019, 17+19

Color correction is used in many Hollywood blockbusters, from action Music/SFX (3)
movies like Transformers and Black Hawk Down, to horror movies like Post
The Ring and Saw; to make scenes from a movie look as natural and as Production
close to the way the human eye views something. To view more Basic
examples of color correction profiles used in Hollywood, click here. Knowledge
(10)
Primary and secondary color correction
Premiere Pro
Primary color correction is done across the entire image, utilizing
(12)
controls over the intensities of the red, blue, green, gamma (mid tones),
shadows (blacks) and highlights (whites) of the entire picture. Usually, Technical Tips
altering the intensity of one color can completely change the look of the (7)
image. YouTube (4)

Secondary color correction is based on the same idea behind chroma

keying, where the saturation, luminance and hue of only the yellows,
magentas, cyans, blues, greens and reds are altered; and other colors in
the spectrum are minimally affected.

Masks and Mattes

Besides the primary and secondary color correction, geometric shapes
like mattes or masks can also be used to isolate color adjustments to
specific areas of an image. This means that you can highlight and change
the color of a particular section, or change the color on everything else
except what was selected.

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Understanding Color Correction vs. Color Grading for Post Production 15/04/2019, 17+19

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Color Grading sl
Color grading is taking what you have done in color correction one step et
further, by altering an image for aesthetic and communicative purposes. te
So once everything is looking nice and normal in your video, you are r
now empowered with the ability to further enhance your story by Join
manipulating colors to create a new visual tone. our
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All videos utilize an additive color system, and the primary colors of this
ling
system are red, blue and green; and different colors are created through
list
varying combinations of these three primary colors, though not
to
necessarily in equal proportions. Color grading is performed by
rec
manipulating ranges of thresholds and tolerances within these three
eive
channels.
the

So, if you want to give your video that afternoon sun feel, you may then late
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push your colors a little towards the red spectrum. And if you want to
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give your video a cooler atmosphere, then you’ll push those colors
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towards the blue spectrum.
and
To emphasize on certain types of moods or to achieve a certain look to upd
tell the story, cinematographers make use of color grading. Some ate
examples of color grading in television shows include History Channel’s s
Top Gear and movies like Resident Evil: Afterlife, The Matrix. To view fro
m
more examples of color correction profiles used in Hollywood,
us.
click here.

Substance Over Style

With all the creative opportunities now being presented by all these color
correction and color grading tools available with video editing software,
First Name
it’s very easy to get carried away, especially for color grading. Great
color grade is not one that just looks good, but is also motivated by the
video’s subjects, themes and most importantly, narrative. Don’t be afraid Last Name
of subtlety and simplicity.
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Understanding Color Correction vs. Color Grading for Post Production 15/04/2019, 17+19

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