We all know how important it is to get our shots to match while color grading… But many people miss a critical step in this process.
While it’s true that you should always color match shots in any given scene before applying a creative look to them, the work doesn’t end there.
Let’s assume you’re working on a scene with 5 shots in it.
You pick one shot as your “hero” image, and match the other 4 shots to that image. Great - now you can apply a custom creative look (or LUT) to all 5 of those shots, and they will still match, even with the stylized color applied.
At this point, many people would call it a day and just export their final product.
But there is still one extra step that I always recommend taking before mastering: Applying a finishing look.
No matter how great of a job you may have done in matching your shots during the base grade stage, there will still be minor inconsistencies between them.
This is where the finishing looks come into play.
By applying one final creative grade to your entire project globally, you can simultaneously affect the entire color palette on every shot/scene in your project.
The end result is a subtle but noticeable shift in your overall color balance and contrast, which blends each shot together far more cohesively.
Having gone through this process countless times while color grading, I decided to create a set of Finishing LUTs that would automate the process.
In total, 10 distinct looks are included in the Finishing Pack.
These LUTs have been very carefully engineered to lessen inconsistencies between shots in your footage, while adding just a hint of added stylization as a finishing touch.
Simply apply a LUT of your choice to your footage as a final correction before mastering your film and you’re set!
Click here to pick up a copy of our Finishing LUTs today!
- Noam Kroll
