Top 10 Color Grading Software Perfect For Video Editors & Beginners
Color grading is a vital part of video editing that can dramatically enhance the look and feel of your videos. Whether you’re a professional or just starting, using the right software for color grading can make the process easier and more effective. Here are ten top color grading software options perfect for video editors and beginners alike.
The manipulation of the color and intensity of light is called color grading.
Planning of your goal before you start shooting plays a key role because it helps you to get the appropriate color grading. It is a process; any element within a process will cause no hindrance, rather with a clear objective it will bring you closer to achieving your goal.
You can not disagree that colour grading is a mere tool and it helps in creating emotion.
Color is used as an aid for arousing emotion among the public. It might appear to be dull and insignificant, but any and every tool creating emotion in the audience happens to be a precious tool. An intense reaction and long-term feelings can be accomplished only through the process of color grading.
Hardly there is any barometer to measure what a good color grading is. It depends on you, what emotion you would want to evoke, and any color grading that accomplishes your objective is a good colour grading.
Types of Color Grading
As with all techniques of the post-production process, color grading is also where you are required to develop your individual style. Color grading for a handful filmmakers has turned out to be an aesthetic identity.
There are 3 types of standard color grading in film and television.
Naturalistic color grading is used to enhance the natural colors present in the footage, making them more vibrant while maintaining a realistic appearance. This approach is often seen in documentaries and nature films, where the goal is to emphasize the beauty and authenticity of the natural world. For example, "Planet Earth II" utilizes naturalistic color grading to bring out the rich greens of the forests and the deep blues of the oceans, creating a visually stunning yet true-to-life representation of the environment.
Type 2: Genre-specific color grading
Genre-specific color grading tailors the visual tone of a film or show to fit its particular genre. Different genres often have distinct color palettes that help convey their unique atmospheres. Romantic comedies might feature brighter, softer colors to create a lighthearted and cheerful mood, while horror films often use darker, desaturated tones to evoke fear and unease. For instance, psychological thrillers like "Silence of the Lambs" employ muted, shadowy colors to enhance the suspense and tension, making the scenes feel more ominous and foreboding.
Type 3: Contrast and mood-based color grading
Contrast and mood-based color grading focuses on creating strong visual contrasts and specific emotional responses in the audience. This type of grading is often used to heighten the impact of a scene by manipulating the mood through color. For example, in Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), the intense use of contrasting colors and high saturation amplifies the drama and tragedy of the story. The bright neon colors juxtaposed with dark, gloomy tones create a visually striking contrast that mirrors the emotional intensity of the characters and the narrative, particularly in pivotal moments like the final death sequence.
Is color grading necessary?
Color grading is a crucial element in the filmmaking process because it significantly impacts the overall look and feel of a film. While it may seem like a purely technical aspect, color grading is essential for achieving a consistent visual style, setting the mood, and enhancing the storytelling. Through color grading, filmmakers can unify the various scenes shot under different lighting conditions, ensuring that the final product looks cohesive. It allows them to create specific atmospheres, convey emotions, and even highlight certain aspects of the story.
Without color grading, a film might lack the visual polish that distinguishes professional work from amateur projects. It helps to guide the audience's emotions, whether it's making a scene feel warm and inviting or cold and unsettling. For instance, a horror film might use a colder color palette with deep shadows to evoke fear, while a romantic scene might be bathed in warm, soft tones to enhance the sense of intimacy.
What’s the difference between color grading and color correction?
Color Correction: The purpose of Color correction involves the process of fixing any technical issues with the color in a video or image to ensure accuracy and consistency. The process involves adjusting the white balance, exposure, contrast, and saturation to accomplish a balanced and natural-looking image.
Color grading: The purpose of Color grading involves enhancing or altering the color and mood of a video or image to achieve a specific artistic effect or style. The chief objective of this process involves applying stylistic color tones, contrast adjustments, and creative looks to evoke emotions or convey a particular atmosphere.
How is color grading done?
In the process of colour grading, digital tools or photochemical processes are utilized to create videos or films that look really good or modify the mood and colour tone.
Putting it another way, the color grading process involves manipulating color, saturation, contrast and other aspects, so that it matches with the scenes that are shot under different conditions and circumstances.
10 leading color-grading software used for beginners and video editing Experts
DaVinci Resolve:
DaVinci Resolve is a versatile software used for video editing, color grading, color correction, visual effects, and audio editing. It has a wide range of tools that help create high-quality videos.
Red Giant Colorista:
Red Giant Colorista is a popular color grading plugin that works well with both Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. It offers features like color wheels, curves, and tools for adjusting hue versus saturation. It also supports LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for converting log footage to standard color spaces like rec709.
Color Fixer Pro:
Color Fixer Pro is a simple yet effective software compatible with Final Cut, Premiere, and Avid Media Composer. It provides basic controls for exposure and temperature adjustments, making it a good choice for beginners who want to experiment with color grading without getting overwhelmed.
Chromatic:
Chromatic is a plugin for Final Cut Pro that includes standard tools like curves and color wheels. What sets it apart is its advanced masking and tracking features, powered by the industry-leading Mocha tracker. This makes it a powerful tool for precise color adjustments.
LightWorks:
LightWorks is one of the oldest and most respected video editing software tools, used in many Hollywood films. It is known for its reliability and has even won an Emmy Award in 2017 for pioneering non-linear editing.
Adobe Premiere Pro:
Adobe Premiere Pro is a modern video editing software developed by Adobe. It is widely used by professionals for its advanced color grading features, which make editing videos for movies and online platforms easier and more efficient.
Vegas Pro:
Vegas Pro, developed by Sony, is a professional editing tool that enhances video footage and is commonly used for editing music videos, TV shows, and commercials.
Final Cut Pro:
Final Cut Pro, created by Apple, is a professional video editing software. It is especially popular for color grading and advanced editing. It was even used in the post-production of the movie "The Social Network." Final Cut Pro offers a variety of tools for both color correction and grading.
Cinema Grade:
Cinema Grade is a color grading plugin that works with popular software like Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro. It features controls similar to those in Lightroom, making it easy for photographers transitioning to video editing. It also includes tools for matching colors and achieving perfect exposure.
HitFilm Pro:
HitFilm Pro is an all-in-one software used for visual effects and editing. It offers a complete set of color grading tools, including wheels, curves, and saturation controls, as well as advanced features like keying and mask tracking.
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