Color Grading

In this lesson, you will learn how to adjust the colors in clips to correct common issues such as overexposure, low contrast, and incorrect white balance. All these corrections, as well as the creative process of color grading, take place within the color page in DaVinci Resolve. Let's begin by examining the layout of the color page.

Steps to Get Started

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and navigate to the Project Manager window.

2. Restoring the Project Archive

   • In Lessons 3–5, you’ll be working with a documentary about cattle ranchers in Wyoming.

   • This project was archived using DaVinci Resolve, which means it is a self-contained project including all media.

   • To restore the archive, right-click in the Project Manager window and select "Restore Project Archive."

3. TIP: A Project Archive is a folder that contains the DaVinci Resolve project file and all the associated media. Once restored, the project will open in DaVinci Resolve with all media automatically connected.

4. Navigate and Select Project

   • Navigate to R18 Beginner Guide Lessons > Lesson 3.

   • Select the Wyoming Cattle Ranch.dra folder and click Open.

5. Open the Project and Timeline

   • In the Project Manager, open the Wyoming Cattle Ranch project.

   • From the Edit page’s Timelines bin, double-click Primary Grading to load the timeline.

6. NOTE: This timeline has only five clips, all from a single HD camera. DaVinci Resolve’s integration of editing and color grading allows for seamless transitions between the two with a single click.

7. Switch to the Color Page

   • Click the Color button at the bottom of the DaVinci Resolve window to switch to the color page.

8. NOTE: If your UI layout does not match the provided image, go to the Workspace menu and choose the "Reset UI Layout" option.

Exploring the Color Page Layout

• Node Editor: Connects color corrections, image adjustments, and effects to create unique looks.

• Timeline: Divided into thumbnails and a mini-timeline.

• Left Palettes: Contain primary adjustments for color, contrast, and RAW image processing.

• Center Palettes: Provide access to curves, windows, tracking, and keying controls.

• Lower-Right Area: Can display the Keyframes Editor, scopes, or a metadata display.

• Gallery: Includes saved adjustments that can be copied to other clips in the timeline.

• Viewer: Shows the frame at the playhead’s current position in the timeline.

NOTE: If you are using DaVinci Resolve on a display with a resolution lower than 1920 x 1080, the left and center panels and buttons might be consolidated and may not look exactly like the images in this lesson.

When you switch to the color page, the playhead’s position from the editing timeline remains the same in the color page timeline. The color page does not alter any cuts or transitions; it simply provides a view more suited for color correction.

Navigating the Timeline

6. Select a Clip

   • Click thumbnail number 02, the second clip in the timeline.

   • An orange outline will appear around the selected thumbnail, and the playhead will jump to the first frame of that clip.

7. View Clip Names

   • Below the thumbnail, double-click the Apple ProRes 422 HQ name to switch to viewing clip names.

   • The mini-timeline below the thumbnails displays thin bars representing each clip. The width of each bar is proportional to the clip’s duration.

8. Play the Timeline

   • Press the Spacebar to begin playback.

   • As the timeline plays, the orange highlight will jump from clip to clip, ensuring that the clip you are viewing is always the one selected.

9. Stop Playback

   • Press the Spacebar again to stop playback.

10. TIP: If a track is disabled in the edit page, it will appear dimmed in the color page’s mini-timeline.

Now that you understand the color page layout, you are ready to start making adjustments.

The primary corrector in DaVinci Resolve is essential for creating various looks and balancing your shots. This toolset includes many controls that you’ll frequently use on the color page. In this exercise, you'll make some basic adjustments to become familiar with the primary corrector controls.

Steps to Adjust the Primary Corrector

1. Select the First Clip

   • Ensure that thumbnail 01 is the selected clip in the timeline.

2. The primary corrector is divided into four regions: Lift, Gamma, Gain, and Offset. Each region has:

   • Color balance controls for adjusting the tint of the image.

   • Master wheels for adjusting the tonality or brightness.

3. The Offset controls the overall picture brightness. In this clip, the rancher’s face and hat are slightly bright, and the shadows are not very dark. To adjust the overall brightness, use the master wheel under the color wheel.

4. Adjust the Offset Master Wheel

   • Drag the Offset master wheel to the left until the image is less bright and the darkest shadows appear black.

   • The red, green, and blue number fields above the master wheel should be around 20.00.

5. This adjustment improves the tonal range, but the clip has an orange tint.
   TIP: When you see the terms "tonal values" or "tonal range," it refers to the brightness values as if the image were black and white, without color.

6. Adjust the Color Balance

   • Drag the color indicator at the center of the Offset color wheel toward blue/green until the rancher’s hat and skin appear less red.

   • Adjustments in the color balance controls are subtle. Generally, you only need to move the indicator a few pixels away from the color you want to reduce.

7. Bypass the Correction

   • Click the Bypass button in the upper-right corner of the viewer to see the before and after of your correction.

   • Click the Bypass button again to turn the grade back on.

8. TIP: Always remember to turn the Bypass back on because it turns off the grading for all clips in the timeline.

While these adjustments are based on what you see in the viewer, DaVinci Resolve also includes tools that provide detailed insights into the image, helping you understand where corrections are needed. These tools are the video scopes.

In this exercise, you'll learn how to use the Lift, Gamma, and Gain controls in DaVinci Resolve to correct color and contrast issues in your clips. These controls allow for more nuanced adjustments compared to the Offset control.

Steps to Use Lift, Gamma, and Gain

1. Select the Second Clip

   • Ensure that clip number 02 is selected in the timeline.

2. Adjust the Offset Master Wheel

   • The clip appears dark. Drag the Offset master wheel to the right to brighten the clip. Set the value around 35.00.

   • The clip may now look flat with little contrast. The highlights may appear gray, such as the subject’s hat. This is shown in the Parade scope where the trace is below the top, indicating that the highlights are not bright enough.

3. Use the Gain Control

   • In the Gain region of the primary color wheels, drag the master wheel to the right to brighten the highlights.

   • Adjust the highlights using the Parade scope so the top of the trace touches the 896 line on the blue channel. The Gain control value should be around 1.27.

4. NOTE: The Parade scope might have small peak areas beyond the main trace. Focus on balancing the main trace.

5. Adjust the Gain Color Balance

   • The hat may still appear bluish. This is shown in the Parade scope where the blue channel is higher than the red or green.

   • Use the Gain color wheel to click and drag the center point away from blue, toward yellow, to level the top of the Parade traces. This corrects the blue tint.

6. Fine-Tune the Highlights

   • Adjust the highlights again so the top of the Parade trace touches the 896 line.

7. Adjust the Shadows Using Lift

   • The shadows may look gray. Under the Lift region, drag the master wheel to the left until the green trace touches the 0 line. The values should be around -0.02.

   • This improves contrast and makes shadows look black.

8. Adjust the Lift Color Balance

   • There might be a slight color cast in the shadows. Drag the Lift color wheel center point slightly toward the area between green and yellow to align the bottom of the scopes.

   • Once the traces are level, fine-tune the brightness with the master wheel so the traces touch the 0 line.

9. Bypass the Correction

   • Click the Bypass button in the upper-right corner of the viewer or press Shift-D to see the before and after of the correction.

   • Click the Bypass button again to turn it back on.

Adjusting Gamma

The Gamma control adjusts the brightness while maintaining the black and white points. It is useful for correcting the overall brightness without altering the contrast set by the Lift and Gain controls.

1. Adjust Gamma for Midtones

   • Drag the Gamma master wheel to the left to darken the wall to the left of the subject. The values should end up around -0.05.

2. Adjust Gamma Color Balance

   • To warm the skin tone, drag the center of the Gamma color wheel toward orange. The color values should read: red -0.04, green -0.05, and blue -0.07.

3. NOTE: The Gamma control affects the midtones, making it a subjective adjustment depending on the desired look.

Balancing the First Clip

1. Select the First Clip

   • Go back to clip number 01 in the timeline.

2. Reset Grades and Nodes

   • Right-click in the node window in the top right of the screen and choose "Reset All Grades and Nodes."

3. Balance the First Shot

   • On your own, using the techniques learned, balance the first shot:

     • Adjust the Gain to brighten the highlights.

     • Remove any orange tint in the highlights.

     • Lower the shadows to make them darker.

     • Use the Gamma control to add more contrast and darken the midtones.

4. TIP: Avoid pushing the levels too far beyond the top and bottom of the Parade scope to prevent losing detail.

By mastering these controls, you can accurately adjust contrast and color balance in your clips, ensuring a professional-looking result.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to make secondary color corrections by masking specific areas of your footage using windows in DaVinci Resolve. This technique allows you to isolate adjustments, providing more precise control over your color grading process.

Steps to Mask Areas with Windows

1. Open the Project

   • Open DaVinci Resolve 18 and load the Wyoming Cattle Ranch project.

2. Select the Secondaries Timeline

   • Go to the color page and select the Secondaries Timeline from the dropdown menu above the viewer.

3. Select the Clip

   • Select thumbnail 18 in the timeline, which shows a panoramic Wyoming late afternoon scene.

4. Add a Second Node

   • In the Node Editor, right-click on node 01 and choose Add Node > Add Serial to add a second node.

   • Right-click on node 02, choose Node Label, and name this node SKY.

5. Activate Windows

   • In the toolbar center palettes, click the Windows icon.

6. Select Rectangle Window

   • Click the Rectangle button to activate a rectangular window shape in the viewer.

   • Resize and reposition the rectangle so that it covers the sky.

7. Position the Rectangle

   • Drag the center of the rectangle to move it over the sky.

   • Use the white control points to adjust the size of the rectangle to cover the entire width of the picture.

   • Use the middle mouse wheel to zoom out and expand the rectangle beyond the frame boundary.

   • Position the bottom edge of the rectangle to align with the sun on the mountains.

   • Adjust the rotation of the rectangle using the Rotate number field in the windows palette for better alignment with the mountain range.

8. Apply Color Adjustments

   • With node 02 selected, lower the Gamma master wheel in the primary controls to bring out more detail in the clouds.

   • Drag the Gamma color balance indicator toward yellow/orange to enhance the sunset colors.

9. Hide Window Overlay

   • In the viewer’s lower-left corner, click the onscreen Overlay button and choose Off from the dropdown menu to hide the window outline.

10. Soften Window Edges

• Click the onscreen Overlay button and choose Power Window from the dropdown menu to show the window overlay again.

• Drag the Soft 4 number field in the windows palette to the right to soften the bottom edge of the rectangle for better blending.

11. Use Curves for Further Adjustment

• Click the Curves icon in the toolbar center palettes to make further adjustments to hide the window outline.

12. Compare Before and After

• Press Command-D (macOS) or Ctrl-D (Windows) to disable the node’s adjustments and compare the before and after. Press the keyboard shortcut again to enable the adjustments.

Using windows allows you to isolate specific areas of your footage for targeted color corrections, providing a powerful tool for enhancing your video.

When working with areas that are less defined, complicated shapes, or specific colors, HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) curves in DaVinci Resolve can be more effective than windows. HSL curves allow you to target and adjust specific hues, making them a powerful tool for secondary color corrections.

Steps to Use HSL Curves

1. Open the Clip

   • On the color page, select clip 02.

2. Add a New Node

   • Select the Color Balance node (node 01) in the Node Editor, right-click it, and choose Add Node > Add Serial or press Option-S (macOS) or Alt-S (Windows).

   • Right-click over node 02 and label it SKY SATURATION.

3. Open the Curves Palette

   • In the toolbar, click the curves palette.

   • In the upper-right corner of the curves palette, click the third button from the left, which is the Hue vs Sat curve.

4. Select the Hue

   • In the viewer, click the sky somewhere in the middle of the image to add three points to the line in the graph. The middle point is the precise hue shade you selected, and the outer two points limit the range of blue hues to be adjusted.

5. Increase Saturation

   • Drag the middle point in the graph up to make the sky a more vivid blue.

   • Adjust the outer two control points to include a wider range of blue hues. Position the left point just before the cyan section and the right point just before the magenta section.

6. Check the Adjustment

   • Press Command-D (macOS) or Ctrl-D (Windows) to disable the HSL curve adjustment, and then press the shortcut again to enable it. Compare the before and after to see the change in saturation.

Adjusting Sky Brightness

1. Add Another Node

   • Select the Sky Saturation node (node 02) in the Node Editor, right-click it, and choose Add Node > Add Serial or press Option-S (macOS) or Alt-S (Windows).

   • Label the node SKY BRIGHTNESS.

2. Select Hue vs Lum Curve

   • In the curves window, click the fourth button from the left, which is the Hue vs Lum curve.

3. Select the Hue

   • In the viewer, click the sky in the upper-left corner where the color appears most saturated to add three points to the curve.

4. Decrease Brightness

   • Drag the middle point down by approximately three grid blocks to make the sky darker.

5. Expand the Hue Range

   • To eliminate noise and ensure smoothness, drag the left point towards green and the right point towards magenta to include more blue hues.

6. Check the Adjustment

   • Disable nodes 02 and 03 to compare the sky before and after the changes.

Using HSL curves provides a precise way to enhance specific colors and brightness levels, making your footage more visually striking. This method is especially useful for scenes with complex color variations and subtle adjustments.

DaVinci Resolve provides various high-quality Resolve FX such as blurs, glows, film grain, and lens flares. These effects can be applied to the entire image or combined with windows to isolate the effect to specific areas. Here’s how to apply and manipulate these effects effectively:

Applying a Vignette Effect to the Entire Image

1. Select the Clip

   • Select clip 11 in the timeline.

2. Add a Serial Node

   • In the Node Editor, right-click over node 02 and choose Add Node > Add Serial.

3. Open Effects

   • In the upper-right corner of the interface, click the Effects button to display the Resolve FX available on the Color Page.

4. Select and Apply Vignette

   • Scroll down to the Resolve FX Stylize group and find the Vignette effect.

   • Drag and drop the Vignette effect onto node 03.

5. Adjust the Vignette

   • To better visualize the vignette, drag the Softness slider to 0 in the Settings tab.

   • Adjust the Size parameter to the right until the dark area covers less of the frame, around 0.75.

   • Adjust the Anamorphism parameter to around 2.2 to modify the width of the vignette.

   • Increase the Softness parameter to around 0.4 to make the vignette more subtle.

Applying Gaussian Blur with a Power Window

1. Select the Clip

   • Select clip 08 in the timeline.

2. Apply Gaussian Blur

   • From the Open FX panel, under the Resolve FX Blur section, drag the Gaussian Blur effect onto node 02.

3. Add a Circular Power Window

   • In the toolbar center palettes, click the Windows icon and select the circle window.

   • If the window does not appear, click the Overlay button in the bottom-left corner of the viewer and change to the Power Window overlay.

4. Invert the Selection

   • Invert the selection so the area outside the window becomes blurred.

5. Adjust the Window

   • Use the white top, bottom, and side handles to resize and position the window to cover the rancher in the foreground. You may need to zoom out of the viewer for full coverage.

   • Rotate the window slightly to blur as much of the background as possible.

6. Soften the Window

   • Adjust the softness of the window by clicking and dragging the pink control points or by adjusting the Soft 1 parameter in the window Softness settings.

Combining Tools for Secondary Color Grading

Understanding how to use tools such as qualifiers, windows, effects, and the tracker palette enables you to perform secondary color grading with substantial control over your image’s final look. Combining these tools allows you to unlock their full potential, offering precise and creative adjustments to your footage.