Common Color Grading Mistakes Among Beginners

[@Sndp17]

Hey Qazi! It would be cool if you drop a video on "Working on footages that are not lit properly" I mean, the use of light already forms a vignette kind of a feel on the footage before it is color graded. Can you please drop a video on setting up the base look to start with.

[@avrahamedery]

I'm making all of the mistakes! Thank you for sharing this video. Was really insightful.

[@adamkoepke1366]

I've definitely made the majority of these mistakes and are still guilty of some of them to this day. I've been a photo editor and retoucher for years and years but have recently been wanting to get more into color grading. A lot of the time when I ask the client what sort of look and feel they're going for, they will refer to me to make that decision. Once I deliver a look I'm happy with, that's when they typically will have a lot of notes and changes. While that can be frustrating, it just gives me more of an opportunity to learn. While I'm sure you've covered this in the past, I would love to see a video on the importance of how you're constructing your node tree and how to properly order everything. That's definitely an area I'm still struggling with. Thanks for the amazing content Qazi!

[@yo_Av]

You sir, are an absolute masterclass. I fortunately don't have enough money to pick your paid class (and I'm not a pro colorist, I work in music), but your free videos are already a goldmine of how to grade seriously. This is so mind-blowing, it makes me wonder I would love to have tachers like you and becoming pro colorist 👌👍💪

[@theqazman]

Happy to help. 😀

[@Taffafilms]

Let's just say....I love your channel

[@sashazephiria3869]

About mistake 1, I think saturation compression in the CST options in the ODT is what would automatically take care of the overly saturated/out of gamut values :) I usually set it and then if I need to control individual colors I do it on HSL curves/color warper.

[@dalegend5924]

Exactly

[@Fedor_Dokuchaev_Color]

Sometimes it provides weird results, so manual Saturation control or custom Transform can be preferrable.

[@theqazman]

I don't prefer that method most of the time cuz the results could be random. Sure you can go in and mess with the perimeters but I wanted to focus on what can we do manually to gain greater control over it.

[@askox]

Hey Qazi, great video as always! I don't know if you have mentioned it in some of your videos but could you tell me how you made your Resolve UI a transparent overlay over the video in fullscreen?

[@ziqmahn]

You’re a blessing 🙏🏾 thank you for guiding me on this journey

[@theqazman]

You are so welcome

[@arnavsolanki6335]

Hey Qazi! It would be really helpful, if you make a video on "How to work smoothly with heavy files or different options to make Davinci run smoother". :)

[@Boz1211111]

He has a video how to make davinci 75% faster and its covered well

[@alfredoperez4826]

Thank you so much for these videos, each video has helped me a lot. Greetings from Venezuela.

[@theqazman]

Music to my ears brother.

[@wearetrackclub]

Sooo helpful, Waqas! Love how you put this together :)

[@PabloDeBiasi]

love your tutorials Qaz, learnt lots of great and useful tips, but it's painful to watch you making poligonal power windows, please click and drag to do splines and rounded shapes 😅 for the eyes I really love Eye Light in the Face Refinement plugin

[@Suchinh_Karanth_Doc_Q]

Awesome Tutorial! Great help! Thanks a ton! 👌🏽

[@handmadefilmfactory1297]

Every tutorial is very helpful #qazi, love from India.

[@mishukx]

It's just too good. Thanks buddy.

[@SkylinesProductions]

Thank you for the amazing video! I do have a question… I am working with some beach/dunes footage I captured with my drone and I don’t know why but it seems that the beach is so much harder to work with than any other location I’ve filmed before. Why is this and do you have any quick tips on how to make the beach easier to grade? It may be because I am not limiting the light entering the camera but my histogram was centered. Thank you!

[@venturevlogz]

This is crazy good

[@victoriaaugustine8043]

I'm still having issues getting my color right? but seeing this today has feel a lot.

[@leonking9088]

Thank you!!!

[@vinaykumarcl]

Your videos are just awesome 😍. Could you do please make a video on color grading wildlife videos? like wild animals in their natural habitat or vibrant birds in their lush green environment!!

[@scenemode2967]

I think, i do all that mistakes😅, thank you for the advice and techniques🫡

[@karliemorris7318]

thank you qazi

[@Datu001]

Lot's of love from INDIA bro ❤️

[@dutchmilk]

losing details into pure black is a artistic choice, not a mistake. Some people - like me, always retain some details, because I am not into the grit and grind look which so many youtuber seem to be obsessed with. Joker's color grading make sense to its theme. There are alot of movies which always retain some level of details in its shadows. It really depend on what kind of projects you are doing as well.

[@theqazman]

10 million Hollywood movies seem to disagree. You calling it "it depends" to make comments don't give you the immunity to say whatever you like and let it be a thing. Color grading is subjective, yes but there is good grading and there's sh** grading. It doesn't take a 500 iq to tell the difference. What I'm showing you is as clear as day and night. One looks flat and unfinished and the other looks pleasing to the eye in every sense.

[@dutchmilk]

@@theqazman if you can find 10 millions movies that support your theory, then you can claim what you said. A little hyperpole - which you should be far above that. You can easily find works, along with movies, that does the opposite. Your market audience also play a big part. Which brings to your rather poorly worded reply. It is not immunity. It is called briefing. It is really what project you are doing - The purpose. Looking "good" should not take away your purpose - for example if you are shooting for a product. Losing details to color grading are simply not acceptable. Sometime your clients come after you if you lose details on their products. Movies are NOT the only thing that need color grading, and the approach is different in the way you treat your blacks. Technical knowledge is not subjective - I think the meaning of this sentence would be lost to many - Thus I agree with all but one of your points, which is very subjective based on quite a few factors and situation. Artistic choice is one of it. Quite a number of people think everything about color grading is binary. Saying there is good grading and there is bad grading does not always mean a fix approach. Which it should not be misunderstood as there is no bad grading. We are afterall in the creative business. Based on your vision theory, alot of Asian movies would be considered bad grading. Yet at the same time, they are done by our fellow professional. Who are you to judge that it is bad simply because the black retain details? A shame for someone who put in so much efforts to produce content.

[@sergey_chub]

thank you

[@MartinFransson]

If I don't use log footage, should I still use a CST? For example using normal profile on a Canon R6, or an Osmo Action 3.

[@outdoorsinontario3037]

VIDEO IDEA! Can you show us how you would create your own lut . Let’s say a 2383 type style of lut with a modern flare, and have it be applied to DYG instead of cineon…. They key is to not have it crack or get mooshy even on 8 bit footage!? It’s a tight challenge, idk if u can do it, or not? But I would love to see it!!! Please like to see if he will choose this idea!

[@exploringbeautyofcreator1394]

Sir please let me know software for laptop Windows ? Big fan of you your content from recently start watching your videos.. regular Viewer

[@sxnkar13]

Please make a video about working with CGI footages.

[@nosicelodlamini8317]

I'd really like to see a video on the type of grade Apple tv shows and movies have because it is quite distinct and something i'd like to explore in South Africa

[@theqazman]

I didn't notice that as well and I will add it to the list. thanks.

[@BrendonKPadjasek]

I get stuck on #6 for sure. Ever since watching some of your videos I've been adding that Glow - Softlight look to everything and then having to remove it half the time cause its not the right shot for it haha. Thanks again Qazi you're the man!

[@theqazman]

Happy to help bro.

[@asahovisuals]

Do we have to adjust every clip one by one in coloring the colours?

[@Aman-Germany-z2n]

it would be very nice to have the same footage to practice. If I try with other footages it look horrible.

[@cbuggs1442]

So question is the vector scope in 2x zoom or regular in your demo

[@Shadow_Li]

thank Qazi the best

[@lg.studio]

Can you please make a video about grading and exporting into HDR? I have sony HLG3 profile video using the Kodak 2383 look, and trying to grade and render into both rec709 and HDR. After many hours of trying I still cannot find the right settings for HDR rendering after the Kodak look is applied. The exported video either has blown highlights, is too saturated, is too dark .. never looks right like the rec709 does. Thanks for the help. Your videos made me love colorgrading. Thanks for the amazing content you make.

[@CinefilmStudio]

plz can you explain how to get perfect smooth & soft commercial look 🙏

[@waleedkamel]

It’s amazing video ❤

[@OliverHollingdale]

would be awesome for you to pull some looks from The Witcher! some forest shots and some more intense action shots with Geralt.

[@theqazman]

Great suggestion. Ty.

[@RaviDrumRock]

what keys are you pressing to show the before and after?

[@Nursultan-r2d2]

for dji wide gammut choose rec 709 with gamma 2.4, right?

[@naveenehp]

Hi anna . Thank you.

[@Die.Ractor091]

I'm new to Da'vinci can anyone tell me How do I get this work space??

[@kordianronnberg9090]

Thanks for the great video. Very informative, revealing many paradoxes, the best I've seen on the subject so far! This might be a good place to start a debate about the overall purpose of color grading. Personally, I belong to the minority brought up in the 90's who think that color grading is definitely overused in the cinema, it's almost the equivalent of a loudness war in the music market. It catches the viewer's attention, but makes scenes look less realistic, sometimes interrupting immersion and breaking the third wall. I once saw shots from the movie "Joker" on moving billboards in the city. Joker danced on the stairs in slow motion. To be honest, I was convinced it was some eccentric advertisement for a clothing company, because the colors were so stylised and the contrast so strong. This even applies to movies set in the 80s, like Stranger Things series. Is detail in black really something to avoid? Nature used it, Leonardo da Vinci used it, Stanley Kubrik left it alone, and nobody complained. But today there is a colorist profession who gets paid and has to prove that he has done something to impress his employers. Even the 1989 version of Batman, released on Bluray, was drowned in blue tint and is impossible to look at. What was wrong with the original? Has anyone ever complained about the quality of photography in a Burton movie? I'm sure a lot of movies would benefit if these tools were used more to fix obvious imperfections, rather than an aggressive way of storytelling. I'm curious, am I completely alone in this opinion? Ps. Maybe it's a good topic for another video. ;) Best regards! :)

[@Fedor_Dokuchaev_Color]

First of all, color manipulation existed before digital color grading. Tim Burton's Batman was manipulated by color timer, who processed the negative in a certain way. Then, there was print film that also introduced color changes. In the early days of digital color correction there were colorists who just pushed the image and were not concerned with photographical accuracy. Nowdays, the common sentiment is to use more accurate approaches, which imitate on-set changes. The bulk of the film look is still created on set and most often films do not look natural at all. Finally, there are viewing conditions. To see the intended image, you need to watch it in cinema theatre or on calibrated TV in a dim environment. Blue tint that you mention can be easily the result of the incorrect display white balance. Joker's look is based on the very strong technical foundation - 70's film stock emulation and period lightning. I suggest you to watch an interview with Jill Bogdanowicz, who color graded this movie.

[@rnvideoplus3911]

Dope ❤!!!

[@eduardomartinez-pg8ho]

when to use idt and odt and when to use just cst???

[@manohardev7]

Hey guys i have a question,.. recently i’ve completed grading for a film, the client was happy and the look came well.. but now the client wants to change the edit, the editor did necessary changes and shared XML & EDL files of the changed edit.. now my question is , is there any easy way to update the edit in the timeline where all the clips were already colored ? Or i just have to apply the grade to each clip individually

[@jordanahamed4316]

You should be able to "Apply Grade" from the clip to all your other clips

[@derzanpeltier]

my current problem is that i overthink on how do i make a look to my footage

[@FabMediaLab]

Despite of been for over 18 years in the industry the Z Gen Creatives in agencies is; The Majority of the decision makers doesn't know how to "reading" the images and despite of my efforts and speedy they do still pick the wrong images. #Frustrating

[@JATINMAHOUR01]

Where did you download your footages

[@theqazman]

Artlist

[@matka5130]

But why?

[@slor008]

Bro, just tag me next time. Lol

[@lookvisionboard]

❤