Basic Look Creation in DaVinci Resolve pt. 2

[@MareckiTV]

This monochrome mixer is making huuuge difference in grading!

[@thatcherfreeman]

Love the idea behind that monochrome/color/luminance mixer trick. On the Hue v Hue topic, one thing I really dislike about the presentation of the HvH curve in Resolve is that it's a horizontal line, so it's not visually obvious if you've made an adjustment where you've rotated a hue past the rotation of its neighbors. The two alternative approaches that come to mind are to use the Color Warper or to do those adjustments, or to convert a node to HSL and apply the normal RGB curves only to Channel 1. I'd have a similar complaint with regards to the Sat v Sat curve in Resolve too. These things have no business being displayed as a horizontal line.

[@BSRWeddingFilms]

Loving all this

[@finaltouchstudio_]

Thank you man! Can you do a tutorial of how you would color grade this project AFTER the look development? Because I watched both these tutorials thinking this was the ACTUAL color grade, not just preparation for it lol

[@movie-trailer19]

excellent technique with saturation density

[@ankitjojha]

“Sweeten the yellows,” yes, exactly the way I go when I see colors on screen that I want to… literally eat for some reason. There were these deep purples in a galaxy in Ad Astra when I saw it, and I just knew I wanted a nom. 😭 Cullen gets it. 😭

[@jamied6166]

Nice trick with the RGB Mixer!

[@manuelsweingarten]

This density trick with the layer mixer looks great! I have to try that out😊 thanks Cullen

[@redstoneranger1404]

Once again a big thank you, Cullen. Now that I understood your principles of color grading I am about to learn look development. This is such a fascinating journey...

[@Pierluca72]

This is gold.Thank you so much for sharing this. I love how you are sharing these skills with the risk of giving out your LUTs and this makes you a great teacher. You have changed my way of working. I will definitely subscribe to your next course

[@katmiao3697]

thank you cullen

[@Keegster1120]

I am currently grading one of my videos where a subject is wearing an overly loud red shirt so the density technique is perfect timing. Thanks again as always!

[@flochfitness]

The best info on color grading full stop

[@kirankiranmishra]

greatttt.... what a sweet demonstration of look creation.thank you sir.

[@shonmyles5033]

Great video as always! Question: why is the density method you showed cleaner than hue vs lum? What is it about the way hue vs lum works that makes it the less cleaner option in this case?

[@senpera]

Love that density trick; thank you always ❤

[@beargeistdesign5174]

I've noticed when using the monochrome density trick, (when enabling monochrome) it immediately changes the appearance of contrast. I thought it may be a slight difference of luminance coefficients, but I guess DWG and Rec use the same values.... so is it the mixer, or how monochrome is defining chrominance? or both.

[@apocryphal_man]

A thing I noticed before when layer mixing using color composite mode: As soon as I switched the RGB mixer to monochrome on the top layer, the colors in the overall image would change very noticeably - before I had manipulated anything. That's why I stayed away from that technique. Any thoughts?

[@SailInFinland]

Great info again, thanks. Always enjoy your stuff, especially the part with the "why do I do this" and clearly marking what is preference and what is "technique". Just wish that you would use chapters to mark those sections with "what this channel is about" and the marketing at the end, they are pretty much word by word the same and it tends to get a bit repetitive 🙂.

[@themarcosaguila1]

Thank you!!!

[@Musica7917]

Thanks Master !

[@sashazephiria3869]

Oooh I didn't know about the RGB mixer layer node technique ! Gotta try that :) Just one question : even if you're touching the Red channel only, it does affect the luminance of the yellows too (I guess because there is some red in those yellows, as yellow is composed of both green & red), is there any solution to target more precisely only the reds, without neighbouring colors being affected (orange/yellow/magenta) ?

[@sashazephiria3869]

@@CullenKelly Absolutely ! :D Always hyped for Grade school lives !

[@ryanpaulretouch]

Thanks, Cullen. Great content as usual. What software are you currently using for look dev?

[@martinadamcz]

nice and easy, thnak you

[@adrianoclinquart]

Hey Cullen! Another great content! What I didn’t get is how layer mixer operation worked in this example? Because you were using a project level color management right? And it seems that layer mixer just works in a color management node level.

[@adrianoclinquart]

Thank you Cullen for your answer. All the best!

[@sufy.r]

Great video! I have a question about working in a group level, where do i put my look pre, clip or post?

[@CullenKelly]

Thanks! You'd normally want to place your look at the post-group level.

[@capestranosfilm3047]

Thank you Sir

[@randallburgess6393]

Given what you said would hue vs hue be a go to when adding that last bit of look to 8bit footage as it is a more gentle push etc and may not break the image on 8 bit files

[@christianrushpostpro]

Is there a world in which you could use a splitter combiner node, so that it splits RGB to three nodes, and then use sat vs sat or something to get density in a different flavor per channel? I'm experimenting but not getting anything to work for density. I'm able to make an interesting split tone with LGG though.

[@laniakeasupercluster4606]

If you're putting this look development in the Timeline section, wouldn't this affect Graphics and Titles in your project too? Wouldn't it be better to just put it in the Group-Post Clip section instead? AFIK, you cannot subtract a clip from the Timeline section?

[@TheVDAP]

In fact, I create the Look in the Group-Post Clip Section

[@elvisripley]

You mention other tools for look development. What are the other tools you are using?

[@VideoPine]

The rgb mixer trick does not seem to work in aces colorspace. its affecting the blue channel making it become brighter as the reds are increasing density.

[@masonaaselund7763]

Hey Cullen, quick question. When developing a look do you color correct x amount of shots prior or after? Thanks.

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! Generally I don't do any correction while building a look, though there are exceptions.

[@jj3396]

Hey, if I'm using your voyager LUT pack at the timeline level, how would the node structure look with the split toning and contrast in conjunction with tone and foundation nodes? Or would be better just to use the LUTs and not worry about this aspect too much? Not sure if that's a stupid question but I thought I ask.

[@nicholasbrecken7357]

So, if you're using those luts without split toning on the timeline then you can definitely add split toning in your clip based tree. But if you use one of his luts which shapes the low end then I would "grade" into that without creating an additional split tone. However who am I to say if that's technically bad. Maybe it will look incredible

[@jj3396]

@@nicholasbrecken7357 thank you for that!

[@joonasjoo9118]

I want to make grade in time line section, but want to bypass it for few clips. How to make it?

[@hDesk]

Hi Cullen，what do you think about using pre-flash in Digital Cinematography？Like using Arri Varicon

[@hDesk]

@@CullenKelly yes that is a movie shot on film，but what I mean is does this technic still work in digital camera and digital color grading？Digital sensor works linear.

[@jukkahillberg]

Can I use the Voyager LUTs with ACES color management? If so, what would be the best way to do it?

[@jukkahillberg]

@@CullenKelly Thanks, great, I am in for Grade School this week for sure!

[@JimRobinson-colors]

I have a strong feeling of dejaVu with the last two videos. Strange.

[@jhonastete]

Same! something is happening

[@SaxSpy]

@@CullenKelly no, please do more. i would love analyzing films and trying their looks

[@JimRobinson-colors]

@@CullenKelly No - it's not you it's me. I think maybe that I remember this topic from mixing light look dev series. Maybe I watch too many tutorials. This is probably new to Grade School. I appreciate them all, no sarcasm or criticism implied. Today you reiterated math in your interests - my opinion about you is that you are one of very few that uses logic in your workflow and answers to all the questions. Which of course is a big part of math, but having a logical approach to the tasks at hand, I see in all the good colorists. Whether they know it or not, logic is what carries almost all decisions. Just presenting the best combination of processes to help the end viewer follow the story is mostly logic - the math is under the hood.

[@jhonastete]

OMG MORE CONTENT

[@BareqSesco]

I have a playlist called Liquid Gold and I have about 6 videos of yours recently added 😂 and you called those videos basics I don't know how much advanced will boost our skills those 6 videos I added to the playlist I think boosted me 2 years ahead the best part it's not hard at all even if it's hard it's giving me the results that I actually need and care about I love the details that make the color as you said less videoish I never seen that kind of technics any where else and TRUST me I watch A LOT thank you very much this is super helpful and if I can afford the price of the course you will se me there for sure again thank you very much 🤍📽️☄️🌌