Colour grading that makes footage feel finished
Gjethe colour-corrects and grades video in DaVinci Resolve: balancing exposure and white balance, matching shots and cameras, natural skin tones, converting LOG and RAW footage, and creating a consistent look for your film, ad, music video or channel. We deliver graded masters for web and broadcast, and reusable looks for ongoing content.
- Free first consultation
- Written quote for your project
- Flexible payment milestones
At a glance
- Software
- DaVinci Resolve
- Input
- LOG, RAW, phone and standard footage
- Includes
- Correction, matching, look, skin tones
- Delivery
- Web, social and broadcast
Definition
What is color grading?
Colour grading is the post-production process of adjusting a video's colour, contrast and tone, first correcting technical problems so shots look natural and consistent, then applying a creative look that sets the mood.
Colour is often the difference between footage that looks amateur and footage that looks professional. Shots from different cameras don't match, skin looks too orange or too green, LOG footage arrives flat and grey. Correction fixes those problems; grading then gives the whole film a deliberate mood, whether that's warm and nostalgic, cool and clinical, or natural and clean.
Who is it for?
Filmmakers and videographers
Finishing for short films, documentaries and weddings.
Brands and agencies
Ads and brand films that need a premium look.
Music video artists
Distinctive looks that match the music.
Creators
A consistent signature look across every video.
What's included, and what you keep
What's included
- Footage and camera assessment
- LOG and RAW conversion
- Exposure and white balance correction
- Shot and camera matching
- Skin tone refinement
- Secondary corrections and masks
- Creative look development
- Look consistency across the film
- Noise reduction where needed
- Reference monitor review
- Export for web, social or broadcast
- Two rounds of revisions
What you receive
Handed over at the end. Yours to keep.
- Graded master file
- Versions for each platform
- Custom LUT or look for future use on request
- Before-and-after comparison
- Project files on request
Correction versus grading
| Colour correction | Colour grading | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Make footage look natural and consistent | Create a mood and visual style |
| Examples | Fix white balance, exposure, mismatched cameras | Warm vintage look, teal and orange, bleach bypass |
| Order | First | After correction |
| Needed for | Every professional video | Films, ads, music videos and branded content |
Why LOG footage looks flat
Many cameras record in LOG profiles, which capture a wider range of brightness by storing the image in a flat, low-contrast form. It looks grey and washed out straight from the camera, and that's intentional: it gives the colourist more information to work with.
Grading LOG properly means applying the correct conversion for that camera and colour space, then shaping contrast and colour from there. Generic LUTs downloaded online often look wrong because they assume different exposure or camera settings.
Skin tones first
People notice skin tones before anything else. Even a stylised look must keep skin believable, or the image feels uncomfortable. We isolate and protect skin tones while grading, so the creative look affects the environment without making people look ill or artificial.
We use scopes, not just our eyes, to keep skin consistent across shots, cameras and lighting conditions.
How to prepare footage for grading
- Send original camera files, not exports
- Note the camera, profile and colour space used
- Share an XML or EDL of the locked edit
- Include reference images of the look you want
- Lock the edit before grading starts
Building a look that suits the story
A look should support what the film is about. Warm, soft colour can feel nostalgic or intimate; cool, high-contrast colour can feel modern, tense or clinical; muted tones can feel documentary and honest. We start from your references and the emotional tone of each scene.
We develop the look on a handful of key shots first and share them as stills for approval. Once agreed, it's applied across the film and refined shot by shot so the look holds in every lighting condition.
Grading for different screens
Videos are watched on phones, laptops, TVs and cinema screens, each displaying colour differently. We grade on a calibrated display to a known standard, then check exports on common consumer devices.
Social platforms compress video heavily, which can introduce banding in skies and gradients. We prepare exports that survive compression as well as possible, and deliver separate versions for platforms with different requirements.
How color grading works, step by step
Every step has a clear output you can review. Timing is agreed in your quote.
- 1
Brief and references
The mood, references and where the film will be shown.
- 2
Conform
Locked edit imported with original camera files.
- 3
Correct
Exposure, balance and matching across every shot.
- 4
Look
Creative look developed on key scenes for approval.
- 5
Grade
Look applied and refined shot by shot.
- 6
Deliver
Masters exported for each platform.
Tools, and what shapes your quote
Pricing is based on your project and agreed in your quote. These are the things that move it.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Running time | Longer films have more shots to grade. |
| Number of shots | Fast-cut videos have many shots to balance. |
| Mixed cameras | Matching different cameras takes extra work. |
| Look complexity | Heavy stylisation and secondary corrections take longer. |
| Deliverables | HDR and broadcast versions add work. |
| Area | Tools |
|---|---|
| Grading | DaVinci Resolve Studio |
| Monitoring | calibrated reference display, scopes |
| Formats | ProRes, DNxHR, H.264, H.265 |
| Interchange | XML, EDL, AAF |
Common mistakes to avoid
What we see go wrong most often, and how a good project avoids it.
Grading before the edit is locked
Changes after grading mean grading new shots again.
Using random LUTs
LUTs made for other cameras or exposures rarely look right.
Ignoring skin tones
Unnatural skin ruins any look.
Grading on an uncalibrated screen
Colour can shift dramatically on other devices.
Frequently asked questions
Can you grade phone footage?
Yes. Phone footage benefits from correction and matching, though it has less latitude than cinema cameras.
Can you create a LUT for our channel?
Yes. We can create a custom look you can apply to future footage, with guidance on exposure so it works consistently.
Do you grade in HDR?
We can deliver HDR versions for platforms that support them, alongside standard SDR versions.
How do revisions work for grading?
Two rounds are included. You review on a private link; we recommend viewing on a good screen and noting your device.
Do you need the original camera files?
Yes, ideally. Graded exports have far less information than originals.
Can you match footage from different cameras?
Yes. Matching mixed cameras is one of the most common grading tasks.
Do you also edit?
Yes. We can edit and grade together, or grade an edit from another editor.
Can you fix a bad white balance?
Usually, within limits. Extreme mistakes in compressed footage may not fully recover.
Do you grade wedding films?
Yes, for couples and videographers. See wedding and event editing.
What do you need from our editor?
An XML, AAF or EDL of the locked edit, a reference export and access to the original media.
Can you grade footage from drones and action cameras?
Yes. We match drone and action camera footage to the main cameras, which often have very different colour profiles.
Do you remove noise from low-light footage?
Yes, with DaVinci Resolve's noise reduction, balancing cleaner images against keeping natural detail.
Can you grade a music video?
Yes. Music videos are a great fit for bold creative looks; we develop the look with you from references.
Can you match a look from a film we like?
We can use it as a reference and create a look inspired by it, adapted to your footage and lighting, which always differ from the original.
Can you grade only part of a frame?
Yes. With masks and tracking we can brighten a face, change a sky or adjust a product colour without affecting the rest of the shot.
Do you deliver for broadcast?
Yes. We can deliver to broadcast specifications such as legal levels and specific formats; send us the delivery requirements.
Related services
Video Editing
Professional editing for every platform and format.
Wedding & Event Video Editing
Highlight films and full-length event edits.
Corporate Video Editing
Brand films, training and internal communications.
YouTube Video Editing
Edits built for retention, with chapters and thumbnails.
Video Ads & UGC Editing
Ad creatives and UGC cut for paid social.
Color Grading by industry
Give your footage its look.
Tell us what you need. You get an honest assessment, a clear plan and a written quote. The first consultation is always free.
- What happens next
- 1You tell us what you need
- 2We aim to reply within 24 hours with questions
- 3You get a written quote for your project