Color Grading Using Primaries
In this tutorial, we are going through how to bring a LOG image to rec.709 using our primaries. The clip we are using was shot on the C200.
Start by bringing up the gain so that the highlights are sitting perfect. To offset, bring the lift slider down, to darken the darker/shadow areas so the black points aren’t crushed. By bringing up the gain, the midtones have gotten a bit washed out, so bring down the gamma slider to add a bit more contrast to the scene. This is the dance that is needed. When you change one slider, another will need to be changed to get the desired results. The last part is to add saturation. Take the saturation all the way up to 100, then dial it back (if needed) to the desired landing spot. Always go too far, then dial back.
The next fix is to add some noise reduction. The grain in the image is gross. Create a node prior to the primary node. Here is the secret sauce for noise reduction:
Always have noise reduction on the first node, because everything you do afterwards will be so much cleaner.
The last step is to create a window. In resolve, soften everything. The more softness, the better. With the window created, inverse the selection. Try different wheels to see which works best to create a nice vignette.
As mentioned before, there is a dance or game that needs to be played when making adjustments. When making changes to the image, you keep going back and forth, back and forth until it looks good. Always max out the parameters and then dial it back. This will help you determine how far you can push the image before it breaks apart. In this particular case, we used the primaries to help sell the look we wanted. This is the base of the look. From here, you add on more to reach the desired grade/outcome.
To recap, in this example we used the primaries wheels to add the desired contrast and saturation to the image. We used noise reduction on the first node, so that the rest of the image would be cleaner. Then we added a power window to shape the light and draw attention to our subject.
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