Common Mistake Beginners make when Grading LOG Footage

Learn the best practices when grading LOG footage.
FREE Webinar - Learn 7 secrets to grade better in Resolve: bit.ly/39OdiKi
Become a FREELANCE COLORIST: bit.ly/3zxfPFQ
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:54 FREE 1-hour training teaser
1:41 Beginner's Look
3:36 Analyzing Grades from TV Commercials & Music Videos
5:00 Pro's Look
11:56 Final Look
12:08 Conclusion
About:
I am a professional colorist and have worked with brands such as Prime Video, Adidas, Toyota, Vizio, etc. Outside client work, I run a color academy with over 6000 students. My channel mostly focuses on the taste-making (subjective) aspect of color grading. With the rise of AI, I truly believe that most of the grunt, technical (how-to) tasks will be handled by the software, and the job of a colorist will be purely driven by their art and imagination.
Want me to grade your next project: waqasqazi.com/for-hire
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Podcast: spoti.fi/3Y4XU4A
Instagram: / theqazman
TikTok: / qazmanofficial
Threads: www.threads.net/@theqazman
#davinciresolve #colorgrading #resolve17

[@martinXY]

'Here's what a beginner would do'. Describes exactly what I do. Oh.

[@alainsoral9093]

same, I feel you bro

[@nicd10541]

Same, :(

[@suite16mediagroup50]

😂😂😂 FACTS!!

[@gabrielsepulveda5726]

hahahaha trueeeeeee af

[@hannahelireb]

My thought exactly 😂😂

[@udeeksh]

Beginners look is all what youtube lessons taught me. :( Finally something beyond that

[@GoodrumMC]

quick recap, node 2 we use color space transform to give rec709 look node 1 we adjust primaries to balance out node 2 node 3 fix skin and details node 4 shape light

[@klick2destruct]

I wonder if the order of node 1 and 2 matters. I come from the audio world and since we have 32bit systems, pushing sound too far and backing it of afterwards wouldn't be a problem. Do you run into clipping if you do it the other way around or is it just personal preference?

[@lolerie]

@@klick2destruct it is totally a problem. There are 100 of standards desribing this for music.

[@skatepark02]

@@klick2destruct From what I gather you should always adjust your exposure etc before the colourspace conversion as it goves you the most latitude to play with. If you do it the other way around you are limited by the rec709 colour space.

[@billythecat]

@Lee Thomas i'm late but if thats true, why didn't he put color space transform in the last node?

[@aaronbazil]

One of the most common tips you'll hear if you're into audio engineering or music production is " *Use Your Ears* ." And that same advice I've used when I started even learning how to play instruments without first learning theory. Training my ears and learning to discover what you're hearing and reverse engineering it on your instruments leads one to experiment, and go on a path of their own to get to a point, but the result is something completely unique. You find your voice, and you also learn theory, in reverse. I've carried that philosophy into the visual arts as well. Starting with photography, before even shooting video, I rarely used meters etc I started by experimenting first and learning to use my eyes. The common misconception is that "Well, what if your monitor is not calibrated, or eyes are off, or tired." The answer I always say is: you calibrate your eyes through using your favorite reference images first on the screen you're going to be editing on, or in music production, you listen to your favorite songs through the same monitors or headphones you're gonna use. Once your ears or eyes are "warmed up," you can trust that you have an idea of what sounds good, or what looks good, based on your references and what you like. This naturally leads you to just push things when you're working, naturally, without regard to meters or what theory says. Your eyes and ears are you guide. Theory can limit you, but is also useful once you've been doing the natural way for a while. It's a good tool to double check things, but never a tool to work with during the creation process. You wanna be as free as possible and trust your instincts. That's what I do it anyways. And this video looks like the pro way of doing it as an understanding of this "intuitive" process as well. No matter how you arrive at it - whether you learned theory first and chose to disregard that theory to arrive at something new, or you started with just diving in without too much formal knowledge, and then supplementing that intuitive approach with theory, you arrive at the same place in the end.

[@rsmith02]

You still need to calibrate your monitor, though.

[@aaronbazil]

@@rsmith02 yes.

[@stephenericwalsh]

I tried using my ears when colour grading and it just didn’t work.

[@aaronbazil]

@@syntheticgerbil you cared enough to comment.

[@AlexanderMarshallI]

This is great! Thank you!

[@JusttJC]

It's funny, when you first see the beginner grade you think "hmm it's not that bad, it could pass" until you see how much it was missing with the pro grade. Valuable stuff man fo real🔥 Appreciated this video a lot

[@cupofjoen]

Qazi: Usually what happen with an amateur or a beginner... Me: as a beginner I can confirm I do that every time when I grade without watching Qazi's tutorial.

[@SuperIceteapeach]

This shows you dont need 10 nodes to grade a good image. You need to KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! Same goes for PS or Lightroom :)

[@AdamSzarmack]

Been working on some grades today that I don't think I was pushing enough because of fear of clipping some minor shadow areas. Honestly this was the exact message I needed to hear right now.

[@LeonUnity]

Learning to convert in the node/layer AFTER corrections but do the actual conversion BEFORE you do the corrections as such is a huge changer. If I have one thing to say Qaz Man, it’s that you may want to show more how to do things by mouse. A lot of shortcuts or loupedeck using can make it harder to follow, especially if they’re not coming from Resolve.

[@lulumink0]

This is not a Resolve tutorial. He is a colorist and teaches how to color grade. If you watch 5 of his videos you will understand.

[@schuey323]

QAAAAAAZZZZIIIIIIII!!!! Everytime I watch your youtube stuff, I learn something new. That selection you did for the negative fill was... *chefs kiss*

[@DiegoPocovi]

It's all relative depending of whats the mood you want to create, both examples work based on the final video idea or storyboard.

[@CPtheCreator]

This was so helpful! I was definitely coloring my images like an amateur! Wow! Thank you so much for your kind sharing!

[@alexestevs]

your colorgrading is aewsome

[@MariaPimentel93]

I just tried this with some log footage I had and the difference is insane! Thank you so much! Subscribing for sure!

[@SourceAwareness]

👍🏾‎️‍🔥 AMAZING WORK, Waqas, my brother!!! Much Appreciate you, man

[@ukn0wmyname15]

Thank you for your content! It's amazing! Hope, someday I'll take your course.

[@rinusworldzm]

Always beasting Qazi. This just opened my eyes to what I wanna grade commercial work like.

[@jammerdavis]

I just discovered your channel and boy do I have some learning to do. Great tutorial. Can't wait to up my game.

[@luisdiazstudio]

Thanks to your course, I finally understand and was able to perfect my color correction which makes my log footage look incredible within just like 2 weeks of the course! Thanks Qazi!

[@theqazman]

FCM fam 💪🏾

[@christophrcolon]

Wow. Every single step that you walked through as a "Beginner" is what I do...this was so helpful. Thank you!

[@TheLensSchwendi]

Awesome! Thank you very much for sharing this with us! Helps me a lot!

[@walterbinns6992]

Great video. Thanks for correcting the mistakes I've been making for a while now.

[@ashdunford2287]

a natural teacher. keep up the good work!🙌🏼

[@foto_wlodar]

First 5 minutes of this video already has improved my work. Thanks for knowledge!

[@luizadolphs6084]

thanks for being so straight to the point!

[@WilliamFaucher]

Man this is your first video that I watch, and this was an instant subscribe from me. So nice to see a pro who knows what he's talking about and understands the importance of a good grade.

[@theqazman]

Thank you

[@marlonladd]

Love these videos and I really dig the fact that you have people of color in these shots. Good stuff!

[@naturallymitch]

This video definitely got me to subscribe. Awesome tutorial.

[@winngh]

Thanks for the permission, am going all out from this day forward. 🙏

[@BlakeRyanFilm]

You made some Very valid points and sized into an editor's logic. Thanks for the run down.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Al-salamü ‘alayküm, brother Qazi. So helpful!

[@jeffschwisow]

Welcome back, Qazi! We missed you! 😉 I keep making that mistake of believing that Lift down and Gain up is the same as increasing the contrast. I’m getting there but this is a great demonstration of the misconception.

[@kevin-haggerty-khmp]

Just found your channel. Love it brother and subbed right off the gate!

[@brandonmurray3629]

You're an absolute boss. The content is always on point

[@perrinmedia]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Simple, to the point and so relatable. I appreciate that you educate and not grandstand. I can watch your videos, practice, become better and still continue to improve.

[@theqazman]

You're welcome, brother.

[@orelbitan]

You are sooo good, very professional. Thank for your teaching🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@datamedicpr]

Amazing like always love your work brother thanks!

[@InTechxicated_SyedAsif]

Even with this much subs, you still manage to react to every single one'em. Respect dude!

[@juniorgomes6204]

best video on the internet for filmmakers looking to step up their game !!!

[@FrancescoCarucci]

Your best video so far. Very useful. Well done!

[@theemptybook668]

Awesome work bro! 💪🏼

[@philippscheithauer]

I love these shorter tricks, way more practical than a 15 node tree if you have quick turn-arounds. super easy steps to follow and instantly improve your work drastically. valuable stuff :) of course it helps to have alexa footage exposed properly haha

[@shorerocks]

Waqas just reset me from immediate to beginner. Appreciated!

[@iankim9684]

many thanks!! i learned a lot of your channel! from korea

[@mmassassin]

Dude this was AWSOME, needed to quickly grade something for you tube, know nothing, now feel much better about the results using your nodes and advice as a guide. Thank you much

[@theqazman]

Let's go, bro. 💪🏾

[@tommymejiaES]

That was great, thanks for the free training. Will dive into it right now

[@theqazman]

😀🙏🏾

[@AronTanos]

WOW, you just pointed out EXACTLY the way I do it... :D Awesome content, thanks!

[@husariaproductions4240]

Great stuff! You’ve helped me so much with your constant gems! What next Q a lighting breakdown of shooting your scene for color grade ;)

[@gerki_fpv]

Good Video like all others ;). Thank you for your work for the community :)!

[@mcan-piano4718]

I think it depends on what is the purpose of colorgrading. If u want natural and less surreal color grading, what beginners do is logical. Such as the Old tv series usually dont have crazy color grading and they look natural. But new series are more surreal and commercialized and cool. Thus, I think if someone want a photo that shows the reality without making things too cool and attractive, its fine and logical. 1.Someone who dont know anything: Bumps up the contrast and remove details and exposed lights etc in an ugly way 2.Someone beginner who took color grading classes to learn scopes etc: Try to be careful to not loose details and having 3. Someone who is experienced: putting more things on top of base that a beginner would do. So its not that bad except doing the 1st example , its more like a choice

[@ViktorEnns]

Good stuff, mate. The same goes for photography. I see so many people scared of pushing their histogram and colors and then calling it "natural look". For me, natural is more than what Canon or Sony call it. And I regularly try to go beyond natural to make the image interesting and not just an image.

[@The_CGA]

Love to see your channel taking off, and all the glam and transitions are backed up by real depth

[@theqazman]

✊🏾🙏🏾

[@norgerichard]

So nice to see a video from you again Bro.. It have been a while.

[@ShadowMakerSdR]

It's very distressing and comforting at the same time that all your 'beginner' shots look indeed like almost all the grades I've done, placing me squarely in the beginner's corner. One thing I don't quite understand: why do you do a lot of work pre CST in the first node? I always thought you'd have to convert first and then start doing all the work.

[@leveluppictures5794]

From my understadning: Let's say your log image pre-conversion is fine, but after you convert to Rec709 you have overexposed areas. If you try to bring down the overexposure in the converted node, no detail will be saved. But if you do it in the node before conversion, you can save detail before it gets converted to the Rec709 space. I think you also have more subtle control on overall exposure and saturation pre-conversion.

[@RichBelgieJr]

You almost always need noise reduction first so you're correcting noise before any other nodes. You also might need to apply correction prior to a LUT or CST to make sure nothing gets lost in the low or high detail, aka clipped. Once clipped, it's hard to get back. I'm not a pro, still learning, but that's my understanding.

[@JoseSpenaN]

Amazing!!!! Can't wait for next Kodak 2383 class. Can't wait to join MC. Cheers

[@rouadiamine]

Seriously i'm get many informations from your videos QAZI thank you so much for this content

[@sriprasadsahoo4698]

Always learning from you 💖

[@tkeditzz7782]

Hi from INDIA , thanks dude. I am in final stage Learning of Color Grading. Thank you for the tips that u giving

[@mcintosh.motors]

This was extremely helpful, thank you so much

[@theqazman]

You're very welcome!

[@Ozz_av]

Hi from Bolivia, thanks dude

[@EMAZINGERIK]

always great content!!

[@orion-viikhmernight2748]

Awesome teaching thanks.

[@cd8145]

The man is back! 😎 Would be so cool if you could show us how to grade underwater shots, as a beginner I find it quite tricky.

[@GaneshThevar]

Qazi Thank you so much for sharing such content... I really love the way you educate color grading...i am a beginner and i can't afford for your master class right now...soon with the help of your youtube content i will improvise and join your Community..❤️👍😀

[@losmandu]

Smooth tutorial to take the notes!

[@LukeAyers]

Thanks man! You know you're stuff

[@ManicMK]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@marcgosselin4780]

Great video. thank you

[@doodoogtube]

Straight FLAMES!!!🔥🔥🔥👍🏾

[@BenBen-lf8wg]

Great! Thank You

[@risorvideo5433]

This series is so satisfying and I use FCPx ;) but also have Resolve installed. Thank you so much for your time! Sub'd !

[@sashazephiria3869]

Let's goooo, I was sooo hyped to see a new video :D

[@theqazman]

FCM fam. My biggest fan. 😀

[@MygenteTV]

i just found your channel and is crazy, im a Pr user but i just keep hearing about davinci and want to give it a try

[@Jakenbake98]

damn in that first few minutes you explained exactly my thought process and what i do lol. i guess i really am a beginner

[@TheHeroMakingMachine]

Awesome video!

[@naifox1]

You always with a Good tutorial. excelent..

[@klmnstudios]

Thank you for this!!!!

[@saishkakodkar812]

thanx man it was great

[@stokerfilms5141]

This video was super useful

[@Motionphile]

Amazing always 🔥🙌

[@mohammadsirajuddin1102]

thank u so much brother

[@Morespizzle]

I agree that the beginners grade is less contrasted but the pro example makes the scene look like its being lit by a soft box (which is probably accurate). So, its sort a trade-off. A little less contrast but it doesn't look like you shot the scene on a set or contrasted with vibrant colors but the lightning looks cheap.

[@LiteShaper1]

The goal is to honor and reinforce, and not eclipse or override, the look the DP wanted to achieve. Saying something like “it looks like it was lit by a soft box” (as if that’s a bad thing) - when a viewer will perceive a natural light source and fall off (& was the likely goal of the DP) - & then thinking you imposing a look that is justified by dubious logic (shouldn’t look like it was on a set) - tells me you don’t know enough about lighting and how a DP works. The “professional grade” is definitely more in line with what most DPs would want in terms of the look (controlling light fall off on the wall to create contrast - and enhanced contrast overall). Grades, in my opinion, should always be done in close collaboration with the DP - to avoid this exact scenario where a “colorist” single opinion overrides the hard work, experience, and goal of the DP.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Just wanted to drop you a comment Qazi to thank you so much for your tutorials which have helped me massively..!! I'm still making lots of beginner mistakes but hopefully improving with your help... would love to see how you would grade some wildlife footage to get the BBC Planet Earth type feel.. many many thanks again and best wishes..! g

[@princess-soalaanointed6396]

This is beautiful, thank you so much for the tuts. I want to be a Pro like you please

[@erwickdsouza]

This is great!. Smashing that Like

[@maximomiranda3084]

Great tutorial!

[@GodsPoetryProductions]

I'm downloading this software. Wow that was great.

[@kevinlyon8457]

Thank you my man i bet you dont evn know how you help out there keep going!!!!

[@theqazman]

Thank you, Kevin. Appreciate the love, brother.

[@MariusIhlar]

Wow, finally someone who knows what they are doing!! :D

[@RustyShackleford9000]

This reminds me of the loudness wars in commercial audio mastering. Pushing colors as much as possible feels like that.

[@anthonyjinson4839]

This was great!

[@hello.steve.newcomb]

Great channel! I’m just getting into Davinci and Color is a total mystery

[@StefanTheSniper]

Love new tutorial, I wonder if you can upload your powergrade library :D

[@fta5623]

Thank you so much you're the goat! I do have a question tho I just purchased the red Komodo & I was wondering what input color space & what input gama is best to use in the color space transform node? thanks in advance!

[@ternielstvalle]

this is so good

[@novavisuals9570]

something that took me a lot of practice to realize, scopes are your friend not your guide. take their suggestion, but trust what you see. Having a reference is 10x more useful than scopes.

[@befilmmaker2876]

Nice video. Have always meant to learn more on grading as opposed to relying on a colorist

[@happiekidonetwo2529]

Thanks for the tutorial

[@theqazman]

Any time

[@VideoUpskill]

So good!

[@ayoubrh1444]

we missed you bro !